Latino Innovation Weekend: A Celebration of Community & Entrepreneurship

Austin was buzzing with Latino innovation this past weekend—what I’d call Latino Innovation Weekend. Through insightful panels, startup showcases, and community-driven gatherings, we witnessed firsthand how Latino founders, investors, and leaders are shaping the future.

From Inicio’s Startup Casa to Espacio Latino and The Latina Foundation's event, as well as LBAN’s dinner, Founder Familia’s gathering, and Casa TechMex, the weekend was a testament to the strength of our comunidad.

Three Years of Espacio Latino: A Growing Movement

What started as a vision to create space for Latino founders, investors, and allies has grown into a powerful movement. Espacio Latino 2025 was a testament to that growth—bringing together more than 500 entrepreneurs, industry leaders, and changemakers to foster collaboration, learning, and community.

Highlights from Espacio Latino 2025

📚 5+ hours of learning, networking, and meaningful conversations
✨ 5 insightful panels on funding, innovation, and scaling businesses
🎤 25 incredible speakers sharing their journeys and expertise
🚀 10 innovative startups showcasing their ideas
🤝 8 dedicated community partners driving impact
🌮 400 tacos fueling connections
💉 B12 shots to keep the energy high
…and much more

A few standout moments:

• Sandra Velasquez introduced us to Nopalera’s new fragrance collection.

• Opt Health kept us energized with B12 shots.

• Legalmente AI provided valuable resources for entrepreneurs.

• We had great merch to take home and a nonpartisan voter registration table to empower our community.

  One of the most exciting announcements at Espacio Latino: Jenny Flores and Grace Lee unveiled the AMH Catalyst Center, a game-changing initiative reimagining how women entrepreneurs access funding. Learn more here.

Espacio Latino wouldn’t have been possible without the support of Wells Fargo, Univision Foundation, Latino Startup Alliance, AMH Catalyst Center, VamosVentures, Magnolia Fund, BLK GRVTY, L500, Techqueria, Las Comadres, Latinas in Tech, and so many more.

🎤 Join the conversation in the newly launched Espacio Latino Community Space on the Capital For the Culture platform.

Gracias for being part of this journey—this is just the beginning. 💡💪

Read more highlights from the weekend’s events here:

Are you in Houston? Join Thrive’s Legacy Dinner

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