Gary Acosta is an entrepreneur, investor, and advocate for the Latino business community. He is the Co-Founder and CEO of the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP), the largest Latino business organization in the nation with more than 58,000 members and 100 local chapters. Under his leadership, NAHREP created the Hispanic Wealth Project, a non-profit committed to increasing household wealth in the Latino community.
In 2025, Gary co-founded AVANCE Global, an event platform designed to spotlight Latino leadership, entrepreneurship, and culture. AVANCE Global was created with media entrepreneur and New York Times bestselling author, Nely Galán. The event platform builds on the momentum of L’ATTITUDE, the renowned national event Gary co-founded alongside international business executive Sol Trujillo, former United Airlines CEO, Oscar Muñoz, and music icon Emilio Estefan.
Gary also founded AVANCE Sports and the National Hispanic Construction Alliance (NHCA), both are business organizations focused on advancing the professional and economic mobility of Latinos in their respective industries.
He is a founding partner of L’ATTITUDE Ventures, the largest venture capital fund in the country that invests exclusively in Latino-led startups. Over the course of his career, Gary has launched and led several companies in real estate, mortgage, and technology, including New Vista Asset Management, CounselorMax, and RealEstateEspanol.com. He also co-founded The Mortgage Collaborative, a for-profit network of more than 200 mortgage companies.
Gary served on the consumer advisory board of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and on advisory boards for several Fortune 500 companies, including Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and JP Morgan Chase. He currently serves on the boards of NAHREP and BaseCap Analytics.
Gary has been recognized by REALTOR® Magazine as one of the 25 Most Influential People in Real Estate and by Latino Leaders Magazine as one of the 101 Most Influential Latinos in America. His video series, “The Latino Brand,” shares his take on business, leadership, and the image of Latinos in America.
Gary grew up in Montebello, California, and attended the University of California in San Diego and Pomona College, where he played varsity basketball for Hall of Fame coach, Gregg Popovich. He lives with his family in San Diego.
