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Tiffany Yu on How Disability Accessibility Can Boost Business Success

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After a traumatic car accident at age nine that left her with nerve damage, which limits the use of her right arm, Tiffany Yu has been on a fervent mission to change the conversation around disability, including in the world of business. It’s why she founded her company Diversability, which is led entirely by people with disabilities.

Originally conceived as a student club at her alma mater, Georgetown University, Diversability has evolved into an award-winning social enterprise with a network of over 80,000 people. The company aims to elevate disability pride through community, visibility, and allyship. 

“I couldn’t find a place where I fit, so I created it,” shares Yu on the latest episode of WorkParty. Prior to starting her own company, Yu worked for Goldman Sachs, Bloomberg, and Sean “Diddy” Combs’ Revolt Media and TV. “My whole life up until now has just been open to opportunity,” she adds.

Much of Yu’s advocacy includes promoting the power of inclusion and disability accessibility in business. “There’s so much disabled talent out there,” she says, while also pointing to the massive consumer base that companies ought to tap into. The most recent data shows that up to 1 in 4 adults in the U.S. have some type of disability, according to the CDC. That equates to 27 percent of adults in the nation—all with unique perspectives, talents, and purchasing power who have the potential to drive substantial business growth. 

“We are your consumers,” says Yu. “We have money, but who also has money? Our friends and family. If we love your brand, we’re going to go out and evangelize your brand as well and then that’s going to have that trickle out effect.”

The proof is in the numbers: Companies that prioritize disability inclusion and accessibility achieve on average 28 percent higher revenue, double the net income, and 30 percent higher profit margins, according to a report by the global professional services company Accenture. 

When asked how companies can start thinking about disability accessibility, Yu notes that it starts with giving people with disabilities seats at the table and having the right people in the room. “When you hire disabled people into your company, we can help you think of innovative ideas or things you haven’t thought about before that can open up your brand or whatever you’re building to new audiences,” says Yu. If you aren’t in a position to be able to hire, Yu suggests bringing in a focus group, especially for direct-to-consumer companies. 

Tune into Tiffany Yu’s episode of WorkParty where host Jaclyn Johnson learns more about her journey through adversity, building a community based business, and empowering others in the disabled community today.

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Despite Higher Rates of Profitability, Diverse Founders Still Don’t Receive Equitable VC Funding—But This Firm is Changing That

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Of the $48 billion in venture capital up for grabs during the third quarter of 2022, Black entrepreneurs only received $187 million (or 0.43 percent) and Latinx, $2.7 billion (or 1.5 percent). Meanwhile women-founded companies were allocated only 1.9 percent of all VC funds last year, down from 2.4 percent in 2021, despite companies with diverse founders making up nearly 20 percent of all employer businesses, according to recent U.S. Census reports.

These are examples of the type of inequity in funding that, last year, made Laurel Mintz want to launch Fabric VC, a venture capital firm that works with underrepresented founders at the earliest stage of starting their companies. The firm focuses on Web3 consumer packaged goods (CPGs), consumerized healthcare and digital health tools, Gen Z and Gen Alpha fintech, plus platforms solving for the future of work.

At its core, though, Mintz says Fabric pairs together diverse founders with the funding they need and deserve—diverse companies are 36-percent more profitable than less diverse ones, according to McKinsey & Company’s The State of Diversity in Global Private Markets: 2022 report. And gender-diverse executive teams are 25-percent more likely to experience above-average profitability.

What’s worse is that whenever there’s a decrease in available venture capital, like during times of economic downturn and recessions, underrepresented founders are affected the most.

“Underrepresented, to me, is a holistic bucket,” Mintz says. “We are fully inclusive: BIPOC, female, and queer founders are all welcome and prioritized. It’s what’s best for the planet, for people, for purpose, and for profit.”

Shifting the venture capitalism landscape

The problem with venture capitalism, Mintz says, is that “it hasn’t really shifted since the beginning of time, and that’s because [people] who have money and power have no incentive to change it—even though we know that if diverse-run companies receive funding, they return at a better rate.”

Mintz is hopeful, though, that group efforts will be the catalyst for a foundational change. She shouts out Jesse Draper at Halogen Ventures and Arlan Hamilton Backstage Capital as two other key figures making funding more inclusive and diverse. “We are saying, what has happened historically cannot be the future of venture—we deserve more,” Mintz adds. “We’re hoping to create a new venture movement, honestly, one that isn’t so pale, male, and stale.”

Producing a pipeline to profitability

In 2009, Mintz founded Elevate My Brand, a digital marketing and events agency that’s worked with 204 diverse-run companies. “From the Elevate My Brand side of the business, we’ve seen how these companies evolve, how they grow from a baby startup to the growth stage, to a successful exit,” says Mintz.

So far, 75 of the companies she’s worked with through Elevate My Brand have gone on to successfully raise capital. “That’s a 37 percent raise rate, which is pretty unreal,” says Mintz. This type of early intervention model could help ensure diverse founders receive access to the resources they need to launch, and successfully scale, their companies at the point where an influx of venture capital could make or break their business plan.

Ultimately, though, Mitz believes it’ll take more than herself and Fabric or even a handful of VC firms focused on the diversification of venture capitalism to really make a difference—real change will require representation on both sides of the table.

“I would love to see more women, people of color, and queer people investing,” says Mintz. “It’s been a very interesting journey to talk with them and see how they invest differently.”

Written by Natalie Arroyo Camacho

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How WFH Impacts People With Disabilities for Better and Worse

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After completing an online master’s degree during the pandemic, Kate Thompson, 48, got offered a teaching position by the university. Due to a degenerative spinal condition, she was able to get an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accommodation that allowed her to work remotely full-time, which was the only way to could have accepted the offer.

“The long commute and long days upright without brief periods where I could work lying down would not have been viable for me,” she says. 

For Thompson (and the 26 percent of American adults have some kind of disability), this type of workplace flexibility was not as feasible before the COVID-19 pandemic because, historically, people with disabilities have primarily been hired for low-income jobs that require being physically present to perform.

However, the shift toward telework necessitated by state-at-home orders opened the door to more opportunities to WFH in various fields. During the pandemic, the portion of the labor force remote working leapt from 17 percent to 44 percent at WFH’s peak in 2020. 

But today, workers with disabilities are more likely to WFH than people without disabilities (an estimated one in five). What’s more, people with disabilities who telework are more likely to be self-employed than people without disabilities. An estimated 4.4 million businesses started during the pandemic, and many entrepreneurs with disabilities were among them. 

Why WFH isn’t a fix-all for people with disabilities

Although this shift has led to some meaningful progress in the workplace for people with disabilities, as well as neurodivergent individuals, it is far from a perfect solution. People with disabilities still face a wage gap (87 cents for every dollar people without disabilities make, according to the U.S. Census Bureau), toxic work environments, and stereotyping.

What’s more, only about 40 percent of people with disabilities are currently employed, compared with nearly 75 percent of people without, according to a January 2023 report by the U.S. Department of Labor. 

Still, people like Jay (who is using a pseudonym) see it as a step in the right direction. An academic who lives with both cognitive and physical disabilities, as well as a compromised immune system, Jay says, “Working from home gives me the freedom to focus on tasks when I have the mental and physical energy for them, and also saves me energy that I would normally spend commuting to and from work.” 

How telework helps people with disabilities balance work and life

Studies show that telework is associated with higher job satisfaction and lower rates of absence for people with disabilities. The study authors explain that WFH may reduce pain and fatigue, as well as offer workers more time for breaks and work-life balance, which both Thompson and Jay say makes working more feasible for them.  

Jay also notes that pursuing their career from home kept them from burning out and compromising their health as a result. “When I realized this, I started working from home part-time, as well as getting other accommodations to make my [in-person] work environment more comfortable and accessible, like asking for a parking spot nearer my office than the regular employee parking or making sure my office is in a building with an elevator,” they say. 

Where WFH levels the playing field for people with disabilities

Another way WFH culture has impacted people with disabilities, specifically those with speech impediments, is that more business is conducted via digital communication, like email and Slack, which allows for fewer meetings and stop-by-the-cubicle talks that normally happen in office settings. 

Recently, John Moore, a marketing strategist who speaks with a stutter, told InclusionHub, digital communication levels the playing field in some ways. “It comes down to being stigmatized. People with speech difficulty get stigmatized for being less intelligent, less educated, and less capable. We know exactly what we want to say, it just may potentially take us longer to say it.” 

For all these reasons and more, people with disabilities are keen to keep working from home, and above all, the National Organization on Disability supports flexible work policies, its associate director of special projects for the organization, Charles Catherine, told CNN. 

What remote workers with disabilities gain in flexibility, they lose in visibility

Being able to work from home certainly has its advantages, but there are downsides to consider that can be especially impactful for already marginalized groups. For starters, WFH may negatively affect an employee’s ability to be considered for promotions and training opportunities.

Furthermore, according to researchers at Georgia Tech, telework also puts constraints on the scope of jobs, workplace environment, and networking abilities of those with disabilities. 

It can also be lonely at times, according to Jay, who says, “Working from home when the rest of my coworkers are in person can feel isolating and make me feel disconnected.” 

Another, less obvious downside is that it reduces the visibility of people with disabilities in workplaces, something Joshua Reeves, a campaign support officer with cerebral palsy, pointed out to Welcome to the Jungle, a company dedicated to recreating how people work.

“I always loved going out, catching trains and talking to people about disability rights awareness and campaigns,” he said. 

How a return to office culture could impact people with disabilities

This new year began with a deluge of back-to-the-office orders and folks with disabilities who’ve benefited from working from home now face the potential of heading back to the office, which could undo some of the progress they’ve been able to make toward more equitable work environments during the pandemic. 

Because each company can decide how its employees work, the ability to telework is decided on a case-by-case basis. “My current position allows me to work from home and teach online, but I know that my next position may not,” Jay says. 

Thompson is in the same position. ”I think that in the near future, it is actually going to be much more difficult to get an accommodation that will allow WFH,” she says. “I think a lot of folks who have disabilities are going to start looking for other jobs that will let them continue at home.”

Written by Sarah Myers

What's The Difference Between Hispanic, Latino, Latinx, and Why Does It Matter?

While you may not know it from mainstream media and election coverage, Latine-American communities aren’t a monolith. We come in all shades, are from different countries and economic backgrounds, and have different generational statuses. Perhaps because of these differences, it’s hard to agree on a term to call people from Latin America. 

Traditionally, we’ve been called (and refer to ourselves as) “Latinos,” but that was controversial because it’s the male term—and also reinforced the gender binary. People felt excluded and started creating more terms to refer to themselves and their Latine siblings. (I, for one, like Latine and Latinx.)

It’s all too easy to cast this information aside and instead refer to people however you see fit, like calling someone Latin when they specifically identify as Latinx. However, it’s still important to know that these terms exist, and understand the difference between them, especially when you’re making a concerted effort to invest your dollars in Latine-owned companies.

Zoila Darton, a Panamanian Jamaican Jew and founder of WORD Agency, puts it best: “At least through my lens of what it means to be Latina, there is no one way. You’re either in it or you’re not.” 

There’s an ongoing conversation about Latinidad and who can claim it. For example, some people argue that if you don’t speak Spanish or if you’ve never been to your parents’ homeland, you’re “less Latine.” That’s not the case. If you identify your heritage as Latine, then you’re Latine.

All that said, the only way you should be referring to someone’s race or ethnicity is how the individual perceives themselves. The good news here is all you have to do is ask. Of course, you want to steer away from “Where are you from?,” so you may instead try “How do you refer to your heritage?”

The different terms used to demark Latin American heritage 

Below are just a few terms that Latine people use to refer to themselves. There are, of course, other monikers, but these are the ones I’ve seen most often in the discourse, about what to call people with Latin American roots. Nothing is perfect, and that’s okay.

Hispanic

What’s perhaps most confusing about the “Is it Hispanic or is it Latino” debate is that the U.S. Census doesn’t differentiate between those two—choosing instead to group them together.

But there is a difference. According to Britannica, the term “Hispanic” is “a narrower term that includes people only from Spanish-speaking Latin America,” (aka people who hail from a country that was colonized by Spain). These countries include Mexico, Colombia, Puerto Rico, Cuba, El Salvador, and Guatemala. 

Latino/Latina

The #LatinoGang movement that is reggeaton is perhaps the strongest evidence that Latin Americans (specifically from Colombia, Puerto Rico, Panama, and the Dominican Republic) refer to themselves as Latinos. Again, though, a lot of folks took an issue with how Latino is the male term for a group of people who aren’t just male.

An important note here: A Brazilian is considered Latine. However, since they were colonized by Portugal and speak Portuguese, they would not be considered Hispanic. 

Latinx

Because Spanish is a gendered language, and because Latin American countries tend to be patriarchies, most terms to refer to groups of people default to the masculine. Additionally, with terms being masculine or feminine, many non-binary people felt excluded from Latino/a nomenclature. 

But there really isn’t a way for everyone to be happy with just one term, so critics of “Latinx” have taken to saying that they feel this is a term imposed on them by white researchers (which, by the way, is untrue).

Latine

Many Spanish speakers felt Latinx didn’t quite roll off the tongue—and they were unsure if they could trust the people who coined the term. Spanish speakers who want a more gender-inclusive term feel more connected to this term because it shies away from the binary of “Latino/Latina” while still keeping to the traditional phonetics of their mother tongue.

Latin

During our conversation about the distinctions between these terms, Darton used the term “Latin” to describe a culture. When I asked her why she conceptualized her experience as “Latin,” she said it was largely about her musical-skewing upbringing.

When you think about it, Latine, Spanish-Language artists like Marc Anthony and Bad Bunny are categorized as “Latin” in Billboard and Rolling Stone.

Spanish

Remember that song, “The Motto,” by Drake? There’s an interesting lyric in there: “Some Spanish girls love me like I’m Aventura.”

He’s referring to Latinas but uses this misnomer. You might think, “Well, the girls speak Spanish, right?” And you’d be right, kind of. The term Spanish does denote a language, but in the sense of ethnicity and nationality, it only refers to someone whose homeland is the country of Spain.

Written by: Natalie Arroyo Camacho

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35 Latina-Owned Businesses and Entrepreneurs To Know And Support Always

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For seven years, the State of Latino Entrepreneurship Report has listed Latino-founded companies as “the fastest growing segment of the U.S. business population.” In 2018, findings indicated that Latino-owned businesses generated more than $460 billion in annual revenue while employing 2.9 million people. 

According to the 2021 report, Latino-owned businesses are employing 55% more people than in 2007—compared to an 8% increase in employees at white-owned companies. Undoubtedly, Latinas are playing a strong roll in these favorable numbers. 

In fact, over the last five years, 46% more Latinas have launched a business. ​Since 2007, the number of Latina-owned businesses in the U.S. rose to over two million, a growth of more than 87%. And it’s about high time these entrepreneurs and their businesses get the attention they deserve.

Here, we’re doing just that by focusing on these categories:

  • Beauty

  • Finance

  • Food and drinks

  • Lifestyle and wellness

  • Literature, marketing, media, and public relations

  • Spirituality

Keep reading to see the 35 strong Latinas who are blazing the trails for generations to come.

Beauty

Carolina Contreras, Founder of Miss Rizos 

Identifying and impacted by a gap in the curly hair care market, Contreras set out to launch Miss Rizos (Spanish for curls) to fill it. Now, she’s grown it to a multi-national business with a salon open in her native Dominican Republic, which also sells apparel.

Follow her on Instagram.

Shop apparel here.

Yasmin Maya, Founder of Birdy Lashes and Beauty

With a strong following of 1 million, Maya has established herself as a force to be reckoned with in the beauty industry. Her line, Birdy Lashes and Beauty, is vegan, cruelty-free, and features liquid liner, in addition to false lashes and adhesives. 

Follow her on Instagram.

Check out her lashes.

Leah Guerrero, Founder of Brujita Skincare

Through faith and hard work, Guerrero's vision of a high quality, head-to-toe skincare brand has fully come into fruition. She founded Brujia Skincare in 2017 and in five years has grown it to offer makeup, facial cleansers, lip balms, and even candles.

Follow her on Instagram.

Shop skincare here.

Julissa Prado, Founder of Rizos Curls

Prado, a curly-haired Latina with Mexican roots, wanted to create something for women like her—and she did just that with Rizos Curls. The line offers anything a curly girl might need, like hair products, diffusers, and brushes.   

Follow her on Instagram.

Shop her products here. 

Sandra Velasquez, Founder of Nopalera

In today’s saturated market, it’s hard to know which skincare brands you can actually trust. In Nopalera, Velasquez has created a trustworthy and Nordstrom-carried brand, and found a way to ensure that folks know Latin American hands can, and do, make luxury products.

Follow her on Instagram.

Shop soaps, scrubs, and other goodies here.

Ana Nuñez, Founder of Vida Bars

Because Vida Bars are shampoos and conditioners that come in bar form, they’re a great eco-friendly option when it comes to haircare. Nuñez spent her entire adult life fighting her curly hair, a fact which she credits to society’s focus on taming and smoothing our strands.

Follow her on Instagram.

Shop Vida Bars here.

Joanna Vargas, Celebrity Facialist and Founder of Joanna Vargas Skin Care

Vargas sees herself as a strong, Latina, female founder. She’s a big name in the beauty industry and often attributes her love of beauty and, in true Latinx fashion, says that her passion for skincare was sparked by her grandmother.

Follow her on Instagram. 

Shop her line here.

Finance

Katia Chesnok, Founder of Economikat

Chesnok is a financial expert based in Miami whose sole mission is to help her “amigas (girlfriends) get rich.” She offers helpful advice for upping your financial game—including her list of 50 side hustles and ways to make passive income. Her efforts to support Latinx communities have been featured on CNBC, Time, and Univision.

Follow her on Instagram.

Subscribe to her blog here.

Giovanna “Gigi” Gonzalez, Founder of Gigi the First-Gen Mentor 

A financial educator, speaker, and money coach, Gonzalez is the light at the end of the tunnel, for many first-generation Latinas navigating life away from their ancestral country. With almost 200k followers on TikTok, it’s clear that her efforts and teachings are making a large and necessary impact. 

Follow her on Instagram.

Sign up for her Investing for First Gen Wealth Builders course.

Jully-Alma Taveras, Founder of Investing Latina

Taveras is an award-winning, Latina, personal finance expert. In a 2020 tweet, she thanked her supporters for getting her nominated for not one, or two, or three, but four Plutus Awards—which she referred to as “the Oscars of personal finance.” Among others, she won the 2021 award for "Best Personal Finance Content for Underserved Communities."

Follow her on Instagram.

Sign up for her introduction to investing workshop here.

Linda García, Founder of In Luz We Trust

In seven years, García turned $7,200 into $400,000+ (and counting) in the stock market—now she’s helping BIPOC communities to do the same. Through In Luz (Light) We Trust, she creates programs and workshops to teach people how to build generational wealth by investing in the stock market.

Follow her on Instagram.

Enroll in her stock market deep-dive program here. 

Jannese Torres, Founder of Yo Quiero Dinero

From her Instagram posts, her supporters can tell that Torres is living her best life. The Puerto Rican, personal finance expert has become work-optional, meaning she doesn’t work because she has to, but because she wants to. She is providing a blueprint for other Latinas to do the same through one-on-one coaching and workshops. 

Follow her on Instagram.

Listen to her podcast here.

Food and Drink

Kayla Castañeda, Founder of Agua Bonita 

With the recent spa water scandal, which saw the cultural appropriation of Latinx beverages known as aguas frescas, it’s refreshing to know that Castañeda's business exists. Agua Bonita produces canned, semi-sweet aguas frescas in classic flavors like agua de jamaica (hibiscus tea) and sandía (watermelon).

Follow her on Instagram.

Add some aguas frescas to your cart here.

Veronica Garza, Co-Founder of Siete Foods

The name of Garza's brand is an homage to the number of members in her family: siete, which is the Spanish term for seven. With Mexican American and South Texan roots, food often brought her family together. Through Siete Foods, she’s making space for more Latinx folks at the table. 

Follow her on Instagram.

Get a taste of the brand here.

Yadira Garcia, Founder of Happy Healthy Latina and part owner of Loisa 

Garcia is a certified natural foods chef and holistic health coach. She’s been featured on Thrillist for her cooking classes, which look to ancestral nutrition as inspiration. She’s also part owner of Loisa, a brand that provides classic Latinx spices and kitchen tools—like a tostonera, which is used to smash plantains. 

Follow her on Instagram.

Shop Loisa here.

Dalina Soto, MA, RD, Founder of Your Latina Nutritionist

A Dominican with strong ties to her culture, Soto launched Your Latina Nutritionist to put an end to chronic dieting. Her threefold mission is simple: heal clients' relationship with food, help them find health, and teach them positive nutrition.

Follow her on Instagram.

Take her quiz here.

Lifestyle and Wellness

Rebecca Alvarez Story, Sexologist and Founder of Bloomi 

As a sex therapist and sexologist, Story is an expert in all things sex. She pooled that knowledge to launch the first sexual wellness brand to hit shelves at Target. Bloomi offers whatever one might need to set the mood for romance—including candles, massage oils, lubes, and sex toys.

Follow her on Instagram.

Shop sexual wellness products here.

Cynthia Gonzales, Founder of Salvies Who Lunch 

Known to her close friends as Cyn, this Latina entrepreneur created a much-needed community for Salvadoreans in Los Angeles, where there’s a large, and often underrepresented, population. Through her venture, Gonzales hosts events designed to connect and empower the people who share her homeland.

Follow her on Instagram.

Preorder her new book here.

Karina Primelles, Co-Founder of Xula 

Primelles co-founded Xula with her business partner Mennlay Golokeh Aggrey—making the brand a Latinx- and Black-owned business. The duo’s offerings include clinically-backed botanicals for all menstruators.

Follow her on Instagram.

Shop products here.

Cindy Luquin, MA, CSE, Founder of Sexual-Health Education Platform Pleasure to People

Luquin is a certified sexual health educator hailing from Guatemala. She's also proudly and openly bisexual. Luquin uses her platform to educate on sexual wellness, with short videos about the importance of foreplay, as well as certain STD prevention methods, like taking PrEP.

Learn more here.

Publishing and Marketing

Daniella Pierson, Founder and CEO of The Newsette 

When she was 19, Colombian American Pierson founded The Newsette, a wellness-focused newsletter company. Now, at 27, she’s worth $220 million—which makes her one of the wealthiest women of color on the planet. According to her feature on Forbes’ Billionaires section, she’s also “younger than just about any self-made female entrepreneur with a nine-figure fortune.”

Follow her on Instagram.

Subscribe to The Newsette here. 

Patty Rodriguez, Founder of Lil’ Libros 

In the eight years since Rodriguez self-published her first Lil’ Libro, she’s turned it into a literary empire. The brand is an independent bilingual children's book publisher and has produced more than 65 books about Latinx icons including Selena, Celia Cruz, and Frida Kahlo.  

Follow her on Instagram.

Shop Lil’ Libros here.

Karina Martinez, Founder of The Avana House 

With Cuban ancestry, Martinez is a self-described Queer Latina, who’s the brains of the operation that is The Avana House—a public relations agency dedicated to amplifying Latinx voices and stories. She largely represents Latinx-founded brands to prevent the erasure or appropriation of our customs. 

Follow her on Instagram. 

Follow her company on Instagram here.

Katelina Eccleston, Founder of Reggeaton Con La Gata

Eccleston built something amazing from the ground up: the first woman-led platform dedicated to analyzing and chronicling the history of reggeatón. She’s been tapped for her expertise by Teen Vogue as well as Univision, and was profiled by HuffPost.

Follow her on Instagram.

Shop her merch here.

Zoila Darton, Founder and Creative Director of WORD Agency

If you ask Darton what she does, she’d respond, “I make things, connect people & take care of my son.” Through WORD Agency (the acronym standing for “we open real doors,”) she’s conceived an Afro Latina-owned, creative marketing agency, as well as a thriving community.

Follow her on Instagram.

Listen to her appearance on the Fun Forever podcast here.

Spirituality

Samantha Santiago, Manifestation Coach and Spiritual Guide 

What exactly does a manifestation coach and spiritual guide do? Well, Santiago helps “Latinas and BIWOC reclaim their wildest dreams.” She does this by sharing vulnerable videos to Instagram—like this one about healing anxiety and depression—and offering one-on-one sessions. 

Follow her on Instagram.

Book a yogic healing session here.

Miguelina Rodriguez and Griselda Rodriguez-Solomon, Founders of Brujas of Brooklyn

Afro-Dominican identical twins, the Rodriguez'—who each earned PhDs in social sciences—have been on the forefront of destigmatizing brujería and spiritual practices. As the Brujas of Brooklyn, the sisters blend their academic and spiritual knowledge to teach people how to be more in control.

Follow them on Instagram.

Explore their workshops here.

Christine Hernandez, Author and Founder of The Maltyox (Gratitude) Method

As a Guatemalan and Mexican woman, Hernandez embraces her Mayan culture as an important part of her identity. She uses her platform to help other folks embrace indigenous same practices.

Follow her on Instagram.

Buy her book here.

Kim Guerra, Healer and Founder of Badass Bonita 

At the heart of Kim’s work as a healer is the premise of revolutionary self-love. She encourages people to accept the parts of themselves that they’ve previously shied away from, and instead use those emotions for good—like to achieve their personal and professional goals.

Follow her on Instagram.

Shop collections here.

Alex Naranjo and Marlene Vargas, Founders of House of Intuition

Naranjo and Vargas are a married couple who founded House of Intuition at a pivotal moment in their lives. Intimately familiar with the power of magic, they launched their brand to inspire others to tap into their own intuition, which they refer to as the source of their magic.

Follow them on Instagram.

Check out offerings here.

Jasmin Alejandrez-Prasad, aka Esoteric Esa, Astrologer, Numerologist, and Writer

Think of Alejandrez-Prasad as your esoteric homegirl. An astrologer and numerologist, she’s been quoted in Refinery29, Well+Good, and Bustle. She’s also a prolific writer with bylines in Cosmopolitan, Popsugar, and Hip Latina. 

Follow her on Instagram.

Book a reading here.

Stephanie N. Campos, Astrologer, Healer, and Writer

A Mexican American astrologer, Campos has been tapped by Cosmpolitan, as well as Well+Good for her otherwordly intel. Her work for the former is a monthly horoscope while the latter sees a column devoted to horoscopes for new moons and full moons.

Follow her on Instagram.

Read her work here.

More Latinas to know

Gina Moreno, Content Creator

The largely-white, male-dominated tech industry can be an intimidating for Latinas who don’t quite fit that mold. In former times, someone like Gina might have not wanted to share her experiences in the field, fearing retaliation. But that made it all the more isolating and Moreno is creating content that reminds Latinas they’re not alone in their struggle.

Follow her on Instagram.

Read her helpful content here.

Patty Delgado, Founder of Hija De Tu Madre

Literally, hija de tu madre translates to daughter of your mother—but that misses the nuance of this well-intentioned backhanded compliment. There isn’t a literal translation but the phrase is ofted used as a response to someone being sassy. In every sense of the word, Delgado centers Latinidad in her pieces. For instance, she offers gold-plated necklaces for basically every country in Latin America.

Follow her on Instagram.

Shop clothing here.

Cyndi Ramirez-Fulton, Founder of Chillhouse

Ramirez-Fulton created Chillhouse to curate self-care treatments to ensure your vibe is, well, chill. On the website, users can shop myriad products for their next night in, like nail sets, apparel, candles, and face oils.

Follow her on Instagram.

Shop Chillhouse here.

Written by: Natalie Arroyo Camacho

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BIPOC Women Don't Yet Receive 1% of Business Funding — Here's What Needs To Change

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According to Harvard Business Review, Black women are the fastest-growing group of entrepreneurs in the United States. Still, when securing funding crucial to their business' success, Black women business owners receive less than one percent of total financing (.34 percent, to be exact). Despite Black-owned companies generating employment opportunities; providing new and inventive technologies, products, and services; and revitalizing communities, they often struggle due to this lack of capital.

To put this funding gap into perspective: Black-owned businesses only receive funding 18 percent of the time, and their capital averages $35,205, according to a report from Fundera, a financial resource for small businesses. Meanwhile, 59 percent of white-owned business owners receive assistance, and their startup capital averages $106,720, according to that same report. What's more, according to the "State of Minority Business, March 2022" report by Creative Investment Research, 40 percent of Black Business owners didn't even apply for financing because they were discouraged from doing so.

Clearly, changes need to be made at every level for funding to become truly equitable. Here's what needs to change.

1. Continue dismantling systemic disenfranchisement

Systemic and historical disenfranchisement has long presented obstacles for Black women and women of color. These hurdles still create income inequality for Black entrepreneurs, which can, in turn, limit their financial freedom if they decide to start a business. A United States Department of Labor report states that Black women earn 63 cents for every dollar earned by white men, and where the educational level is the same, Black women earn just 65 cents to the dollar. 

2. More transparency about the road to funding 

For BIPOC entrepreneurs, finding funds outside of self-funding their own business is categorically challenging. Finding the right source of funds can feel daunting, so Bank of America has partnered with Seneca Women, a global platform committed to making the world more equitable for women and girls. 

Together they've created Capital Directory for Black Entrepreneurs and Capital Directory for Women Entrepreneurs, vast databases and directories that make it easier to find hundreds of organizations that provide funding for Black-owned and women-owned businesses in the United States. The featured sources of capital can even be segmented to isolate aspects of the directory, such as available funding from:

  • Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs): Nonprofit loan funds or grants that can also provide advice and mentorship

  • Venture Capital and Angel Investors: Primarily firms and individuals seeking to invest in startups

  • Award-based funding: Grants typically from the government, corporations, foundations, or individuals, where repayment is usually a non-factor

  • Loan Funds: Lines of credit and secured and unsecured loans from nonprofit organizations, investment funds, and nonbank corporations and institutions

  • Crowdfunds: Funding that's usually made available, amplified, and advertised through social media and crowdfunding sites where individuals in large numbers financially back a new business.

In addition, the Tory Burch and Bank of America Capital Program is yet another initiative to give women small business owners more affordable options. They are helping these entrepreneurs in areas of access to networking opportunities and beyond.

3. More resources and mentors need to be made available for Black-owned brands 

Part of the path to equity for Black women-run businesses is making clear access to resources and mentors, who can help you to shape the future of your business. Bank of America has compiled credit and funding resources that provide valuable information for new entrepreneurs, long-term business owners, and those contemplating starting their businesses. Whether deciding between a line of credit, a business credit card, or questions about small business administration loans, you can navigate through this repository to find answers to many of the questions that may be challenging you today.

For those entrepreneurs looking to connect with a mentor or have your problem solved, there are ample opportunities to connect with likeminded individuals at Create & Cultivate in-person events. Sign up to attend our next events Wellness Means Business (October 1, Los Angeles CA) and Small Business Summit (October 16, New York, NY).

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This Black-Owned Company's CEO Is Disrupting The Beauty Industry

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When Piersten Gaines set out to learn if other women were having negative salon experiences like herself, she had no idea that she’d end up interviewing 300 women with traumatic stories. There was a consensus that they all had to deal with stylists not trained in textured hair, all while being a demographic who already spends nine times more than others on hair care, according to her. Gaines saw this as a huge gap in the market, and sought out the opportunity to build the black-owned business taking over Dallas, Texas, Pressed Roots.

Today, the business school graduate is a full-fledged entrepreneur and CEO for Pressed Roots, a brand of salons with trained stylists that are combatting a well-known problem with the beauty industry--not having enough diversity. It's the blow-out bar for textured hair women. From pop-ups where she learned about the customers and what they really needed, to raising 3.1 million in funding, Gaines is creating a more inclusive space for BIPOC women. Click play below to see how she used her background in business marketing to build a brand that has expanded in Dallas.

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Understanding the Metaverse And Your Part In The Inclusive Internet

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My vision for an inclusive internet is two-fold. First, it will drive more equal access to the discovery of information. Second, it will celebrate every human’s uniqueness. 

A more equal society benefits everyone, not just those who have been systematically oppressed. The same can be said for our digital society which is now so intricately linked to “real” world events. When I think of an inclusive internet, I see digital products taking proactive (and not reactive) measures to look after the people on their platform. I see algorithmic bias as a top priority, and not a factor that further drives inequity. In the inclusive internet, I see a place with more ownership of our experiences and control over what we’re influenced by. It’s a place where moderation tools do not further victimize people. 

You’ve likely heard the buzz around the metaverse lately. The metaverse presents an interesting lens for us to consider what an inclusive internet could look like because it’s still in the beginning stages. If the last 15 years have proved anything, it’s that we can no longer afford to be naive when it comes to building new spaces for humans to connect. 

For those interested in the hype around the “metaverse,” but aren’t sure where to start – don’t worry. Even though the term took to the masses when Facebook rebranded itself as Meta, it was a term first coined by Neal Stephenson in his 1992 sci-fi novel, Snow Crash. The novel depicted the metaverse as a 3D virtual world where people walk around as avatars and interact with each other, and computer-generated characters. This depiction has framed what a lot of technologists, venture capitalists, and entrepreneurs are thinking when they picture “the metaverse.” If you’re thinking, “How did I miss all of this?” — fear not because metaverse doesn’t actually exist yet (only fragments of it do).

It also won’t be some sci-fi futuristic land that results in none of us interacting IRL. My vision for it is purely additive versus an alternate reality to our daily lives. The reason I’m mentioning any of this is that the metaverse is an evolution of our understanding of the potential capabilities of the internet. As with any evolution, this provides an opportunity for reflection. 

So, if the dawn of a new type of internet is upon us, how can you play a part in making it inclusive? 

1. Advocate for better moderation tools.

Consent should be built into all features across any platform. This should not be an afterthought or a list of terms and conditions that no one reads. Digital privacy commonly affects women, similar to how physical privacy affects women in our real world, and the tools needed to prevent harassment and enable consent do not currently exist in a meaningful way online. While there will always be bad actors, existing platform moderation tools have often been reactive. As it stands, the status quo for report/block tools looks a lot like someone telling me to “walk in well-lit areas” and “don’t wear short skirts.” These tools are inherently biased (They’re mostly made by men.), and not protective enough. They further place the burden on the victim to protect themselves, and they rarely hold the harasser accountable. 

There's a huge opportunity for technology to do better here. As we build these new platforms in the metaverse (three-dimensional or otherwise), it is important to consistently advocate and demand better moderation tools. If you want to get more involved, check out the Center for Humane Technology. 

2. Find your people.

Social platforms have become too big and too broad. While platforms like Facebook and Instagram became known as social gathering spaces, they are now marketplaces for small businesses to launch and advertise products to millions. Platforms shouldn’t make you work to find the things you want to read in favor of their own monetization strategies. Be more intentional with how you spend your time, find platforms for all the different interest areas you have, and hang out with people in those places.

3. Be wary of sensationalist content. 

Algorithms favor “hot takes.” The content you see on your Twitter feed is typically sensationalist content that drives more views, and when there are more views, Twitter gets more ad dollars. Are you caught in the hype? Do you find yourself negatively impacted by the content you’re viewing? Does the content you’re reading seem wildly speculative? Stop yourself! 

Platforms that contribute to an inclusive internet will better align their financial models with their user base instead of monetizing off said users. For example, it is possible that platforms in “the metaverse” can create business models via tokens that provide monetary incentives for sharing higher-quality content. This will hopefully create more aligned financial models that benefit both the platform and humans on the platform.

4. Embrace your uniqueness. 

Algorithms are as biased as the people who build them. The inclusive internet has the opportunity to not celebrate everyone looking exactly the same. Due to many platforms’ focus on photo-sharing, algorithms have forced us to present ourselves in a very unnatural way that doesn’t celebrate our individuality at all. To share “successful” content on the platform requires you to bow to the algorithm being pushed to people who already elected to follow you. Look to engage with platforms that go below the surface level, platforms that focus on everything apart from your appearance – like your unique knowledge, stories, or experiences.

5. Share your shadow.

Life online is a partial representation of the people we actually are. As a result, we ignore the darker sides of life in favor of “social peacocking.” Play a part in defining the inclusive internet by questioning the content you’re sharing, and practice being more authentic with what you share. Our move towards the metaverse could enable this more successfully, especially with the emergence of digital identities. 

Remember: Being yourself is one of the most powerful things you can do online. Don’t ignore the less sunny side of life; it's what makes you human. 


About the Expert: Emma Bates is the Co-Founder and CEO of Diem, a social networking platform created for women. The social media alternative is a search engine powered by an incentivized community of female & non-binary knowledge-sharers.