Gary Acosta is an entrepreneur, public policy advocate, investor, and thought leader passionate about advancing prosperity for Latinos and other underserved communities. As an industry leader, he protects and improves the business environment required to close the wealth gap, particularly via homeownership. Amongst other endeavors, he is Co-Founder & CEO of NAHREP, the country’s leading Hispanic business organization, and Co-Founder of L’ATTITUDE, the preeminent platform for Latino economic empowerment. Acosta is also a general partner of L’ATTITUDE Ventures, the nation’s largest venture capital fund exclusively focused on Latino-led start-ups. Join Gary as he dives into today’s issues through many creative formats.
Photo Credit: Simon Bruty Last week, the New England Patriots reminded Charger fans (all 500 of them) that a winning culture can still beat all the talent in the world. Coming off of road wins against Baltimore, Pittsburg, and Kansas City, the LA Chargers flew into Foxborough with the misguided feeling that this was finally…
This past week, our daughter Marisa moved to NYC. With Jaimie soon to be married and Aaron in college, Kathy and I are officially empty nesters. Change is good but not always easy; Kathy and I have always been good at being present in the evolving stations of our lives. We had a lot of…
Many of you have probably seen the personal videos on the government shutdown posted by Cardi B and Snoop Dogg on Instagram. I am not providing links because the language is a bit harsh, even for me. After watching the videos, I must admit, I came away with a better understanding of why these two…
As of this writing, the government is in the midst of the longest self-imposed shut down in history. Approximately 800,000 workers are out of work or going without pay, national parks are closed, and all “non-essential” government services are on hold. The reason for the shutdown is because the government does not have an approved…
According to BuzzAngle, which tracks music consumption, Latin music ranked ahead of country music for the first time grabbing about 10% of album sales and song consumption on streaming services. Hip Hop owned the top spot accounting for about a quarter of the market in both categories followed by Pop, Rock, R&B, Latin, Country, and…
In one of the most feel-good stories of the week, Lin-Manual Miranda brought his Pulitzer Prize-winning masterpiece Hamilton the Musical to Puerto Rico, the hurricane-ravaged island of his father’s birth. He also returned to the role of Alexander Hamilton, the part he originated and made famous on Broadway. Miranda brought the show to the island…
While Latinos turned out in record numbers in the most recent midterm elections, I believe 2018 will be remembered as the year when women tipped the scales politically. Perhaps it is in part the rebound effect of the Hillary Clinton loss, or that women feel the issues most important to them have been under attack,…
With the firm belief that Latino history is American history, the founding family members of Molina Healthcare have donated $10M to help launch a new wing of Smithsonian that will illustrate stories of how Latinos have contributed to American history. The inaugural exhibitions are set to open in 2021 and will feature rotating exhibits that…
I was raised a Christian and celebrate Christmas, but I also believe that the holiday season belongs to other religions and cultures. In fact, to me, learning about how other families celebrate the holiday season is one of the best parts of the season. A favorite holiday movie of mine is Love Actually, a British…
At the ripe age of 75, Mick Jagger and the surviving members of the “greatest rock and roll band in the world” will soon begin a 13-show U.S. stadium tour. I was a big Stones fan growing up, and have seen them live probably a dozen times. I have always loved their unique blend of…
Last week, I was flying to Washington DC on Southwest Airlines with a layover in Dallas. I was en route to the Hispanic Wealth Project Policy Forum at the Urban Institute and looking forward to seeing my friends and colleagues from around the country. While I was boarding in Dallas, my daughter, who was flying…
Some of you may know that my athletic claim to fame is that I played D3 basketball at Pomona College for the GOAT, Gregg Popovich. It was Pop’s first head coaching job after being an assistant coach at the Air Force Academy. In fact, Pop has only had two head coaching jobs in his life:…
I must admit, I like the way television has evolved in the last few years. With all of the formats and options available, the competition has driven more specialization and a higher quality product. There is truly something for everyone. Ironically, live sports are still the thing I watch most on television — which is…
The 116th Congress will take office on January 3rd. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is the youngest and one of the most intriguing members of the new congress. The Bronx native has captured the imagination of millions of young people with her audacity, charm, and transparency. Through social media, she is literally taking 75 million millennials on this…
A few weeks ago, I wrote about how malls were not dying but rather transforming from shopping locations to experiential destinations. A similar transformation is taking place in the journalism world. Publications like the Wall Street Journal, Vanity Fair, and the Atlantic Magazine are making more money these days hosting conferences and events as they…
Long before Colin Kaepernick, athletes have been using their fame as a platform to express protest and civil rights. Why is that? Perhaps it’s because sports are a major part of American culture and where the biggest stars are most often minority. “Shut Up and Dribble” chronicles the modern history of the NBA and at…
Director Robert Rodriguez’ El Rey entertainment company is partnering with Vice Media to launch La Reyna, a new company that will focus on helping brands connect with the U.S. Hispanic market. I had the chance to interview Robert at L’ATTITUDE on the partnership with Vice. Robert has always felt that companies don’t understand the diversity…
Recently we have seen the term Latinx emerge in our collective lexicon. For those unfamiliar with the term, it is a gender-neutral term for Latinos and Latinas. In Spanish, the word Latino is used for men of Latin origin, and Latina is used for women of Latin origin; however, when referring to all people of…
Los Angeles went 20 years without an NFL football team. Last year, they didn’t get one but two teams, the Rams and the Chargers. In their second season in LA, the Rams and the Chargers have a combined win-loss record of 14-3 and are both in the top five of the power rankings. I think…
If you haven’t seen the Modelo beer commercials that highlight the achievements of some notable Hispanic-Americans, you should. They smartly connect with Hispanic consumers without being patronizing, stereotypical, or condescending. My favorite one is about the first Latina fighter pilot, Olga Custodio. There are others including one with NFL great, Anthony Muñoz. Companies who have struggled…
