Moneda Moves

Lyanne Alfaro
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Telling stories about Latinos leading in business, our relationship with money and contributions to the American economy. ✊🏼✊🏽✊🏾✊🏿

  1. How Ownership Builds Generational Wealth with Patricia Mota, President, CEO at Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement (HACE)

    NOV 5

    How Ownership Builds Generational Wealth with Patricia Mota, President, CEO at Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement (HACE)

    This season on Moneda Moves, we have been expanding how we talk about capital, because it’s not just about money. It’s also about power and access, across sectors.  In our last episode of the season, we speak with Patricia Mota – an innovative trailblazer, start-up entrepreneur, author, and more. Today, she’s President and CEO of Hispanic Alliance of Career Enhancement (HACE), on a mission to boost the national workforce by cultivating the pipeline of Latine and underrepresented talent by providing the insight, access, and support to their careers.  Since Patricia stepped in as CEO in 2015, the budget has quadrupled, membership has tripled to over 150,000, HACE has built over 250 corporate partnerships, and extended the organization’s reach across the U.S. and 50 countries. Under her leadership, the nonprofit now offers enhanced programming for youth, senior leaders, entrepreneurs, and diverse audiences worldwide.  In 2020, her leadership took a front seat to increasing activity around a newly virtual workforce, where she acted with urgency, communicated with transparency, sought diverse opinions from her team and board, and led with empathy, ultimately leading a thriving organization during such a tumultuous time.  In 2021, Patricia added Co-Founder to her list of accolades, collaborating to build SHENIX™, a Fintech startup that is leading the development of a financial tool to help close the wealth gap. (Her cofounder, Olga Camargo, has also been on Moneda Moves in years prior and has been a part of our Forbes coverage.)  Patricia chairs digitalundivided, helping women founders gain access to capital, and serves on the boards of the Chicago Foundation for Women, Associated Colleges of Illinois, Chicago Theological Seminary Board of Trustees, and the Northeastern Illinois Foundation Board. Patricia is a proud Mexican-American, Latina, daughter of immigrants, and first-generation college graduate. She is a fitness enthusiast and health and lifestyle aficionado. She grew up in East Chicago, Indiana, and currently resides in Chicago. In this week’s season finale episode, Patricia shared what she and her team at HACE are doing to close the wealth gaps in the Latino community. While striving for higher titled positions in your career does bring in more income, it doesn’t allow people to access the generational wealth that would help close the current wealth gaps. HACE works to bridge the gap in industries where there is historically limited representation with a focus on ownership. This looks like making sure Latinos negotiate for wealth levers like equity, stock options, profit sharing, and restricted stock units.  Patricia also shared how she and HACE partnered with #WeAllGrow to keep the Amigahood community alive in its new chapter.  Tune in to hear how you can build more generational wealth and what’s next for Patricia and her team. Follow Patricia on Instagram at @PMota7 and @HACEOnline.  Follow Moneda Moves on Instagram: @MonedaMoves Follow your host Lyanne Alfaro on Instagram: @LyanneAlfaro Main podcast theme song from Premium Beat. Our music is from Epidemic Sound. Podcast production for this episode was provided by CCST, an Afro-Latina-owned boutique podcast production and copywriting studio.

    44 min
  2. How Banks Can Partner with Local Businesses with US Bank’s Vanessa Sancha, AVP, Business Access Advisor, US Bank

    OCT 29

    How Banks Can Partner with Local Businesses with US Bank’s Vanessa Sancha, AVP, Business Access Advisor, US Bank

    This season on Moneda Moves, we have been expanding how we talk about capital, because it’s not just about money. It’s also about power and access, across sectors.  Today, we’re talking about what it takes to gain access to one of the most traditional forms of capital: loans. According to the Latino Business Action Network, the odds of loan approval from national banks are 60% lower for Latino-owned businesses than for comparable white-owned businesses in 2024. And for Latina-owned businesses, the gap is even wider — with just 39% average approval rates from both national and local banks. That’s why voices like Vanessa Sancha matter. She is an Assistant Vice President and Bilingual Business Access Advisor for the Chicago/Milwaukee region of U.S. Bank, providing support in both Spanish and English. In her role, Vanessa helps bridge critical gaps in information, connections, and capital, which otherwise can limit growth and opportunity for small business owners. A seasoned financial professional and community leader, Vanessa is driven by a mission to empower diverse business owners through access to capital and resources. Her financial services career spans over 16 years, including a notable tenure at PNC Bank, where she advanced through leadership roles in business banking and branch management. Vanessa also served as a Relationship Manager at local CDFI, Milwaukee Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), managing and underwriting a commercial portfolio. Her expertise lies in building strong client relationships and offering tailored guidance to help businesses thrive across diverse industries. Beyond her professional accomplishments, Vanessa is deeply committed to giving back. She serves on the board of the Wisconsin Veteran Business Alliance and the WWBIC loan committee. She has developed and led financial education programs for youth and adults through organizations like Journey House, WRTP, Milwaukee Christian Center and Running Rebels, inspiring participants to achieve their goals and contributing to more equitable economic outcomes in her community. She is committed to advancing opportunities for underserved communities and helping build a more inclusive economy where every entrepreneur can succeed. When she’s not connecting with business leaders or volunteering, Vanessa enjoys spending time with her daughter, cheering her on at basketball and volleyball games. In this week’s episode, we’re talking about how banks can partner with local businesses and open the door to opportunities that have historically been closed to them. Financial capital, like loans, offers local businesses the chance to grow and create more financial stability for the community. With these programs, big banks are reaching out to entrepreneurs to offer guidance, help them navigate the financial challenges they’re facing, and help them increase their chances of getting loans. Tune in to hear more about these programs and how local entrepreneurs can grow their businesses through financial capital.    Follow Vanessa on Instagram @_v.s.anabel_ and on her LinkedIn.  Check out the US Bank’s Access Commitment here!  Follow Moneda Moves on Instagram: @MonedaMoves Follow your host Lyanne Alfaro on Instagram: @LyanneAlfaro Main podcast theme song from Premium Beat. Our music is from Epidemic Sound. Podcast production for this episode was provided by CCST, an Afro-Latina-owned boutique podcast production and copywriting studio.

    46 min
  3. How to Honor Both People and Profit with Vanessa Santos, Entrepreneur, Investor, Community Builder, Writer

    OCT 22

    How to Honor Both People and Profit with Vanessa Santos, Entrepreneur, Investor, Community Builder, Writer

    Many people say business isn’t personal, but for Vanessa Santos, nothing could be further from the truth. To her, everything is a transaction, whether it’s a personal connection or a business deal. When she became CEO and Partner of #WeAllGrow Latina, Vanessa made it a point to live by that philosophy by engaging in meaningful exchanges of spirit, profit, and energy. Today, we’re exploring how she intentionally balances purpose and profit and how she and her business partner, founder Ana Flores, led through the company’s sale earlier this year. (Special thanks to our peer, Giovanna González, for recommending the Locatora Radio interview that inspired this conversation.) Vanessa Santos is a conscious business architect, keynote speaker, investor, and trusted advisor who has scaled and exited 8-figure businesses. As the former CEO & Partner of #WeAllGrow Latina (acquired in 2025), she helped propel the platform into the most recognized community for Latinas in the U.S., and over its 14-year history, channeled more than $20 million into the Latina economy while creating 30,000+ professional pathways for Latina changemakers and entrepreneurs. With two decades of experience leading global expansions, architecting award-winning campaigns, and driving cultural impact, Vanessa is known for her candid perspective on what it really takes to succeed as a woman of color in business. Her work interweaves well-being and leadership, guiding founders and executives to scale without losing themselves in the process. Today, she writes Letters from the In-Between while building her next venture from a place of consciousness and clarity. She continues to advise and speak to global audiences about conscious leadership, sustainable scaling, and the future of women founders in business. In this week’s episode, Vanessa Santos shares why she views money as energy and how she made the best decision she could with her partner when selling #WeAllGrow Latina. Vanessa’s view of money and community is not based on anything performative. Instead, she views it as an intelligent long-term strategy, a strategy that has benefited her both in the corporate world and as a partner in a new company. Her mission to be effective and alchemize money into opportunities has led her to invest in successful, conscious companies. Tune in to hear how Vanessa honors both people and profit in her business practices and how she’s managing her era of being in between. Follow Vanessa on Instagram @vanessasantosfein and on her LinkedIn.  Follow #WeAllGrow Latina on Instagram @weallgrowlatina and inside their membership.  Follow Moneda Moves on Instagram: @MonedaMoves Follow your host Lyanne Alfaro on Instagram: @LyanneAlfaro Main podcast theme song from Premium Beat. Our music is from Epidemic Sound. Podcast production for this episode was provided by CCST, an Afro-Latina-owned boutique podcast production and copywriting studio.

    1h 13m
  4. Building Community Capital That Lasts Generations with Berto Aguayo, Attorney, Co-Founder, and Policy Co-Chair, Latino Leadership Council

    OCT 15

    Building Community Capital That Lasts Generations with Berto Aguayo, Attorney, Co-Founder, and Policy Co-Chair, Latino Leadership Council

    Welcome to a brand new era of the Moneda Moves podcast. In 2025, Latinos in the U.S. face palpable changes. From a Supreme Court ruling that enables federal agents to stop suspects based solely on their race, language, or job to immigration policies that create ripple effects on crime, public health, and the education of children from mixed-status families, the ground beneath us is shifting. That’s why Moneda Moves is evolving, to meet the moment. We’re extending the definition of what capital looks like. On Moneda Moves, we’re not just talking about assets and cash anymore; we’re talking about capital in all its forms: financial, social, political, and cultural.  One of the topics I wanted to explore is how we use our organizing and politics to nurture, protect, and expand the collective power our communities have built. That’s why this week I sat down with nonprofit founder and organizer Berto Aguayo. Berto Aguayo is an attorney at K&L Gates and the founder of Increase the Peace Chicago, a nonprofit that empowers youth with the tools and mentorship to become community leaders. From his transformation as a former gang member to an advocate, Berto has helped over 700 young people access employment and civic leadership training, fostering safer and more inclusive environments. He also cofounded the Annual Black and Brown Unity Car Parade, a public celebration of racial healing and pluralism uniting Black and Latino groups. By speaking to Berto, I heard firsthand how Increase the Peace is using social and financial capital to strengthen the Latino community in Chicago. And it doesn’t stop there. He’s working alongside Black leaders to create a space where we can actually listen to each other and move in alignment. In this week’s episode, we break down how Berto and his team are building power that lasts generations. Berto is determined to use his capital to protect Latinos in Chicago because he wants to be the person he needed when he joined a gang at thirteen. Now, he’s working on solutions to intercommunity violence and supporting people impacted by ICE raids and deportations. There’s so much to learn in this week’s episode and so many ways you can take action. Tune in to hear how Berto is using his social and financial capital. Follow Berto on Instagram @berto_aguayo and on his LinkedIn.  Follow Increase The Peace Chicago on Instagram @itp_chicago and on their website.  Follow Moneda Moves on Instagram: @MonedaMoves Follow your host Lyanne Alfaro on Instagram: @LyanneAlfaro Main podcast theme song from Premium Beat. Our music is from Epidemic Sound. Podcast production for this episode was provided by CCST, an Afro-Latina-owned boutique podcast production and copywriting studio.

    1h 19m
  5. How This Founder Builds Wealth Wellness For All with Margarita Quiñones Peña, Founder, Latina Sweat Project

    OCT 8

    How This Founder Builds Wealth Wellness For All with Margarita Quiñones Peña, Founder, Latina Sweat Project

    Welcome to an evolved era of the Moneda Moves podcast.  As the environment changes around us and our communities face palpable threats to livelihoods and built wealth, we too are realigning, and you’ll notice that our episodes are going to sound a little different moving forward. We are extending the definition of what capital looks like for our community.  Now on the Moneda Moves podcast, we're not just talking about assets and cash, we're talking about capital in all of its forms: financial, social, political, and cultural. We are an incredibly powerful and resilient community. There’s no better time to pull all our levers of power to not just survive but continue to thrive in any economy and administration. From entrepreneurs to innovators, we are rewriting what growth looks like.  One of the topics we plan to explore on Moneda Moves is how we can support our community with our capital. We as a community have access to capital in our everyday lives. Via supporting value-aligned and good businesses, grants, community funding, and more, businesses can balance accessibility and sustainability. By tapping into these resources, we can support the most vulnerable people in our community.  Today, we are highlighting the  Latina Sweat Project, a Chicago-based wellness nonprofit dedicated to making yoga and holistic health accessible to underserved communities. I am also highlighting LSP as I also now sit as board co-chair, as I fully believe in their mission and how health becomes a fundamental pillar to building complete wealth.  Margarita Quiñones Peña is the Founder and Executive Director of the Chicago-based nonprofit.. A first-generation Mexican immigrant, Margarita’s journey crossing the U.S.-Mexico border as a child shaped her lifelong commitment to equity, healing, and representation. She is also the author of Homecoming: El Viaje a Mi Hogar, a children’s book that uplifts the voices of migrant youth. Through Latina Sweat, she creates community-centered yoga classes, yoga teacher trainings, and wellness programs that empower women and families to reclaim their health, culture, and leadership. In this week’s episode, Margarita and I discuss how founding the Latina Sweat Project is building holistic wellness for entire communities. By making her classes financially accessible, the most vulnerable people in Chicago neighborhoods can participate in classes ranging from yoga to strength training. The Latina Sweat Project has grown from having to operate pop-up style to finally having its own studio, which launched earlier this fall. They plan to continue providing access to wellness for underserved communities while also growing as a thriving Latina-owned business.  Follow Margarita on Instagram @mquino4.  Follow The Latina Sweat Project on Instagram @latinasweatproject and on their website.  Follow Moneda Moves on Instagram: @MonedaMoves Follow your host Lyanne Alfaro on Instagram: @LyanneAlfaro Main podcast theme song from Premium Beat. Our music is from Epidemic Sound. Podcast production for this episode was provided by CCST, an Afro-Latina-owned boutique podcast production and copywriting studio.

    37 min
  6. Moneda Moves: Building Strong Startup Hubs, LIVE with Inicio

    MAR 26

    Moneda Moves: Building Strong Startup Hubs, LIVE with Inicio

    Mi gente!  Welcome back to a very special episode of Moneda Moves. It’s no secret that this year has been a challenging one for Latino-centered companies and business owners. From shifting economic tides to political uncertainty, the landscape is testing us—but also pushing us to innovate and build smarter. As some of you may know, I had the honor of moderating a panel at SXSW all about the state of Latino startup hubs across the U.S.—and today, I’m thrilled to bring you that conversation as a live podcast episode! This panel was packed with real talk and insight from powerhouse women in business and investing. We explored what it really looks like to build in this moment: the challenges, the strategies, and the money moves Latinos are making as we continue to chase generational wealth. Yes, things feel uncertain right now. But uncertainty is also a call to strategize, not just survive. As a community, we can plan, pivot, and uplift one another. Here’s one thing we do know: Latinos now hold the fifth-largest GDP in the U.S.—and Latinas are leading the charge in new business creation. The women on this panel are proof of what’s possible, and I can’t wait for you to hear their wisdom. Here’s who joined us down in Austin in our LIVE podcast with our friends (who we did angel investing training with just last year!) at Inicio, impact-focused organization that supports and invests in early-stage Latino-led startups, working to close the capital gap and grow Latino entrepreneurship across the U.S: 🎤 Eneida Roman is the President & CEO of Amplify LatinX, a business organization advancing the American economy by championing leadership representation, economic mobility, and public policy solutions that consider the immense contributions of Latino Americans. 🎤 Jessica Salinas serves as Co-President of New Rising Ventures and New Media Ventures, impact investment funds supporting entrepreneurs who are innovating for social and political power, respectively. 🎤 Maria Jose Palacio is a fifth-generation Colombian coffee farmer with an unwavering passion for empowering her community. Born and raised in a celebrated coffee region of Colombia, Maria spent several years working in design in New York City before her heart led her back to her roots in 2016. Witnessing the struggles of her loved ones in Colombia to make a living through coffee farming, Maria knew she had to take action by co-founding Progeny Coffee. With a fierce commitment to uplifting others, Maria overcame numerous small business obstacles to co-create a thriving distribution platform that empowers coffee farmers and helps lift them out of poverty. In this week’s episode, we’re tapping into the power and responsibility of Latino startup hubs. Late last year, our friends at Inicio Ventures launched a landmark startup hub report spotlighting 18 Latino startup hubs across the U.S.—regions that are home to over 35 million Latinos and brimming with entrepreneurial potential. These hubs are more than just business clusters—they’re centers of innovation, job creation, and economic momentum, led by Latino founders, funders, and ecosystem builders working to uplift their communities. And while the persistent capital gap is real—with Latino founders and funders each receiving less than 2% of startup funding—this report is less about what’s missing and more about what’s possible when we come together. Follow Eneida on Instagram @amplifylatinx and her website. Follow Jessica on Instagram @jsalinas011 and her website. Follow Maria on Instagram @mjpalacio1 and her website. Follow Moneda Moves on Instagram: @MonedaMoves Follow your host Lyanne Alfaro on Instagram: @LyanneAlfaro Main podcast theme song from Premium Beat. Our music is from Epidemic Sound. Podcast production for this episode was provided by Sarah Tulloch and her podcast production company, CCST.

    55 min
  7. Where Investors Are Looking to Invest In '25 | Laura Maydon, Founder and Partner, Ascendo Venture Capital

    FEB 12

    Where Investors Are Looking to Invest In '25 | Laura Maydon, Founder and Partner, Ascendo Venture Capital

    Finding investment opportunities is a huge part of scaling small businesses into multimillion-dollar companies and Latino founders are more likely to seek external funding to scale their companies. In order to secure funding and scale their business, they need to know how to pitch themselves to investors that will take their businesses to the next level. That’s exactly why this week’s guest is an investing powerhouse with decades of experience growing small businesses and generating millions of dollars in revenue.  Laura Maydon is the founder ofAscendo, a venture capital firm unlocking trillions of dollars of untapped opportunities nationwide that are currently overlooked. Ascendo invests in early-stage companies led by groundbreaking underrepresented founders who are using disruptive technologies that address the needs of growing demographic segments and that empower women, with a preference for Fintech, Edtech, Future of Work, Healthtech, and Enterprise Software.   Before founding Ascendo, Laura founded Endeavor Miami in 2013, the first US affiliate of the global entrepreneurial organization, pioneering Miami’s hub. During that time, Laura built a portfolio of more than 20 companies generating over $250 million in revenues, several with substantial exits. Prior to Endeavor, she held leadership positions at Visa and Panamco. Laura has strong Fintech, M&A, and PE backgrounds. Laura brings some pretty incredible statistics that remind us just how powerful our cohort truly is. She says that the US Latino economy is leading in growth and that itrepresents 3.6 trillion GDP. Which would be equivalent to the 5th largest global economy if it were its own country. There is so much economic power in the Latino community - that includes both their spending power and their entrepreneurial growth. And this week, Laura is teaching us how to harness that power.  In this week’s episode, we’re learning all that we can from Laura’s experience as a founder and investor who helped companies generate hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue. We’ll be diving into the entrepreneurial side of things including the specific challenges and opportunities that founders face in 2025, as well as emerging trends across sectors, and the rise of cross-border Latino businesses. Latino-owned businesses are seeing a remarkable amount of growth in the last few years and so we’ll dive into how that will impact the global economy and what our audience can do to capitalize on that growth. Follow Laura on Instagram@Lmaydon and herwebsite. Follow Moneda Moves on Instagram:@MonedaMoves Follow your host Lyanne Alfaro on Instagram:@LyanneAlfaro Main podcast theme song from Premium Beat. Our music is from Epidemic Sound. Podcast production for this episode was provided by Sarah Tulloch and her podcast production company, CCST.

    40 min
  8. Crossing Borders: Uplifting the Latino Community in '25 | Danny Miro, Founder, Comprende

    FEB 5

    Crossing Borders: Uplifting the Latino Community in '25 | Danny Miro, Founder, Comprende

    Pulse check, mi gente: How are we?  January was a very, very long month and came with multiple challenges for our community. And while these threats against ours and diverse communities across the board are flooding our newsfeeds, we must also seek and distribute resources that are available in these trying times. You can find information on immigrant rights here and updates on how the ACLU is responding here.  This is a marathon, not a sprint. We must believe we will get through this together. If you feel moved to, this is a great time to get involved in your local and extended communities also being directly impacted by executive orders. Feel free to tag @monedamoves in any helpful posts or link resources in our Substack comments.  We know that there is power in a community, especially at an economic level. Research shows that Latinos are the fastest-growing group of new business owners, we create new jobs with these businesses, and we have extremely strong purchasing power ($3.4 trillion to be exact). The broader Latino community and our smaller, more local communities have immense economic power that we can use to strengthen our communities.  But in order to access that economic power, we have to work together and we have to strategize. By working together, we can be the beneficiaries of our own economic strength. We can do that by focusing on our communities and putting money into our own communities. Small businesses have gone viral via online platforms, and not only gained social popularity, but have had economic success through their customers’ support and by catering to the needs of their audience Latino-owned businesses offer real, tangible value to their consumers, but it can’t do that if no one knows they exist and economic support.  This week’s guest is ensuring the world knows about incredible Latino-owned businesses. Danny Miró-Chinea is a fellow advocate for the U.S. Latino community, dedicated to creating opportunities for our communities and celebrating Latino excellence through entrepreneurship, storytelling, and community building. As the founder of Comprende, Danny’s platform is designed to uplift the U.S. Latino community by supporting Latino founders, amplifying their businesses, and sharing inspiring stories of impact. Comprende operates as a weekly newsletter and creative agency focused on the U.S. Latino demographic and is working on building a marketplace to connect consumers and companies with Latino-owned businesses. Through Comprende's creative agency, Danny has collaborated with startups like Suma Wealth, equipping Latinos with financial tools and resources as well as influential organizations like the Latino Donor Collaborative, shaping the narrative around Latino contributions. In this week’s episode, I sit down with Danny to talk  about the role of community building and mentorship in entrepreneurial spaces, the impact of AI on budding Latino-owned businesses, and how building a business can be used as a vehicle to affect positive social change. Latinos have an impressive economic power, and today, Danny’s going to teach us how to leverage that power as both a business owner and a consumer.  Follow Danny on Instagram @comprendelatino and his website. Follow Moneda Moves on Instagram: @MonedaMoves Follow your host Lyanne Alfaro on Instagram: @LyanneAlfaro Main podcast theme song from Premium Beat. Our music is from Epidemic Sound. Podcast production for this episode was provided by Sarah Tulloch and her podcast production company, CCST.

    55 min
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About

Telling stories about Latinos leading in business, our relationship with money and contributions to the American economy. ✊🏼✊🏽✊🏾✊🏿

Information

  • Creator
    Lyanne Alfaro
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2025
  • Episodes
    74
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Lyanne Alfaro
  • Show Website
    Moneda Moves