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.
I try to avoid writing about politics every week, but with Syria and impeachment proceedings, the last couple of weeks have likely been the most consequential in the Trump presidency. Trump’s decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria caused more backlash from his own party than anything else he has done to date. That decision…
Americans like a lot of things including hamburgers, beer, television, and money. They also like the idea of living in a country where no matter how tough you might have it today, you could win the lottery or invent something and be rich tomorrow. Americans relish their freedoms, whether they are good for them or…
Presidential candidate Julián Castro has qualified for the next round of debates by meeting the fundraising and polling minimums established by the Democratic National Committee. So far, only 10 of the original 25 candidates have qualified, so this puts Julián in a smaller group of frontrunners. Julián’s unexpected surge has come from two outstanding debate…
Of all the things wrong with our political system, the worst might be that our system rewards short term success at the expense of the long-term health of the country. Our growing deficit is one primary example of this phenomenon. America’s fiscal deficit is expected to reach over a trillion dollars per year over the…
Because of electoral college and gerrymandering, you probably live in a state that will play no material role in the 2020 presidential election. The large majority of the states are firmly red or blue, and they will likely stay that way in 2020. In fact, the election will likely come down to four states: Michigan,…
Before Donald Trump denigrated Mexican immigrants in his speech where he announced his candidacy for President, the thought of a businessman like Trump running for president would have been interesting to me. Like a lot of people, I believe we need new blood in Washington with new ideas and free of the cesspool of special…
Although I was disappointed, I wasn’t surprised when HUD announced last week that FHA would not back loans made to DACA recipients. DACA was a designation made by the Obama Administration that provides temporary legal status for a select group of people who were brought to the U.S. when they were small children and have…
I’m of the belief that our political system is broken. Until we get rid of gerrymandering and big money in politics, we won’t have a government that truly reflects the will of the people. I think this opinion has support from all political persuasions. That said, we can stick our heads in the sand or…
Julián Castro is a former HUD Secretary and a Democratic candidate for president of the United States. He also happens to be Latino, so of course I should support him—and I do. The truth is that Julián is a long shot. The Texas native comes from humble beginnings, but he and his twin brother Joaquín…
Late Friday the world received news that the Robert Mueller report was completed and sent to the Attorney General for review. Before anyone other than the justice department has seen any of the report or its primary conclusions, the speculation has been all over the place. Fox News is saying the report has vindicated the…
Last week, my friend Earl Watson arranged a breakfast meeting for me to meet with Starbucks founder, Howard Schultz. Watson and Armando Tam were also in attendance. Earl Watson’s relationship with Schultz goes back to when Schultz owned the Seattle Supersonics, the NBA team that drafted him out of UCLA. Schultz later sold the team…
Unemployment is low and the stock market is rising. Two of our primary indicators of how the economy is faring. Trump supporters say that it is the result of the president’s tax policy and curtailment of governmental regulations. Obama supporters say it is just the continuation of eight straight years of growth that began in…
This past week we saw Kamala Harris and Cory Booker announce their intent to run for president of the United States. During the same week, the billionaire founder of Starbucks, Howard Schultz, announced that he is considering running as an independent. Harris, Booker, and Schultz join a field that already includes Tulsi Gabbard, Kirsten Gillibrand,…
Most of you have probably heard by now that the 35-day government shutdown is over, at least for now. Congress and the President agreed to open the government for three weeks so that government employees can get paid while our elected officials can continue to negotiate a federal budget. What you probably don’t know is…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
For all the talk that our political system is broken, I think it’s actually pretty solid. That is not to say it shouldn’t evolve. Along with a few other things, I think there is too much money in politics, gerrymandering should be illegal, and it should be a lot easier for eligible citizens to vote.…
