Gary Acosta’s Weekly Blog

Featuring Gary’s take on the economy, politics, sports and Latino culture

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.

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Cristóbal Alex and the Political Ad That the White House Said Went Too Far

PoliticsBy Gary Acosta November 18, 2017

Speaking of ugly politics. The race for Governor of Virginia between longtime Republican operative Ed Gillespie and the Democratic Lieutenant Governor Ralph Northam was as hard fought and nasty as everyone anticipated it would be. Gillespie, who for years pressed his Republican colleagues to make the party more welcoming to minorities, took a page out of Donald Trump’s playbook and released an ad linking illegal immigrants and his opponent to the vicious gang MS-13.

J.Lo and Alex Rodriguez

Fun StuffBy Gary Acosta November 18, 2017

Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez are on the cover of Vanity Fair this week. The article tells a flattering story about their relationship and discusses their astronomical success and formidable challenges over the last two decades. Whether you are a fan of the two of them or not, you can’t help but admire their resilience and work…

The LaVar Ball Show Suddenly Stopped Being Funny

SportsBy Gary Acosta November 18, 2017

Last week, the Ball family received worldwide attention, but not for the reason anyone would have hoped. While in Shanghai, China for a non-conference game between UCLA and Georgia Tech, LaVar’s middle son LiAngelo Ball, along with two of his teammates, were arrested by Chinese police for shoplifting at a high-end shopping mall. The incident…

Big Banks Focus on Hispanics

Latino IssuesBy Gary Acosta November 4, 2017

A growing focus on Hispanic homebuyers on the part of large financial institutions will be the topic of an upcoming feature article in a major financial publication. The writer has recognized that a tipping point has occurred with big banks and small independent lenders placing more emphasis on the burgeoning Hispanic homebuyer segment. One question…

NAHREP Leadership Academy

HousingBy Gary Acosta November 4, 2017

If there is one deliverable at NAHREP that stands out above the rest, it is leadership development. Knowing that every year NAHREP “graduates” 60+ chapter presidents who have managed a board, organized events, and improved their presentation skills, gives me a great sense of pride. During our short tenure, NAHREP has produced some of the…

A racist gesture almost overshadows a World Series for the ages

SportsBy Gary Acosta November 4, 2017

I haven’t watched a World Series, in the complete sense, in years. I was born in LA and was a Dodgers fan growing up. Over the years I lost interest in baseball as the lack of parity made the game less interesting. Admittedly, after the Cubs won the World Series last year, my interest was…

Do Tax Cuts Really Work?

PoliticsBy Gary Acosta October 28, 2017

President Trump and his Republican allies in Congress are close to pushing a tax reform package that would be the legislative victory that his presidency has been seeking. Critics of his tax proposal say it favors the rich at the expense of the poor and middle class, and supporters say it will provide an economic stimulus that would benefit everyone.

Mark Cuban for President?

PoliticsBy Gary Acosta October 28, 2017

Mark Cuban has been floating the idea of running for President. Last week, he clarified that if he decided to run, he would do so as a Republican and challenge President Trump in the primary. The fact that Cuban is being taken seriously is an indication of how much things have changed in Presidential politics.…

Dave Stevens to Step Down from MBA

HousingBy Gary Acosta October 28, 2017

This week the Mortgage Bankers Association announced that their CEO, David Stevens, would retire effective September of 2018. NAHREP released a statement about Stevens shortly after the announcement was made public. I am a product of the mortgage industry and was on the board of the MBA when they hired Mr. Stevens directly from his post as…

A Memorable Trip to Phoenix

Fun Stuff, SportsBy Gary Acosta October 28, 2017

Last Sunday the Phoenix Suns fired their young head coach, Earl Watson. Three days earlier, my son Aaron and I traveled to Phoenix as invited guests of Earl Watson and the Phoenix Suns to sit in on practice, have dinner with the coaches, and watch the Suns take on the Los Angeles Lakers. Coach Watson…

José Andrés in Puerto Rico

Latino IssuesBy Gary Acosta October 21, 2017

World-renowned Chef José Andrés has spent nearly a month in Puerto Rico coordinating a Herculean effort to feed the victims of Hurricane Maria. Last week, Andrés and his non-profit World Central Kitchen served their one-millionth meal in Puerto Rico in less than thirty days, surpassing the likes of the Red Cross. Andrés was in the…

Bitcoin

TechnologyBy Gary Acosta October 21, 2017

The recent run-up of Bitcoin has a lot of people thinking about investing in the mysterious digital currency. For lay people, Bitcoin is a digital currency that operates on blockchain technology which is essentially a shared digital database of financial transactions which some are even calling a new type of internet. It cuts out the…

NAR’s New Leader

HousingBy Gary Acosta October 21, 2017

I had the opportunity to meet with the new CEO of the National Association of Realtors®, Bob Goldberg, last week in their offices in Washington, D.C. NAR is the most politically powerful real estate organization in America and one of the most powerful in any field. Goldberg is a different kind of leader; he’s active…

SNL

Fun StuffBy Gary Acosta October 21, 2017

Congrats to SNL for promoting their first Latina cast member, Melissa Villaseñor from featured player to full cast member. Although we have yet to see Villaseñor play more than a supporting role in any of the skits, I look forward to that changing this season. Meanwhile, SNL is enjoying record ratings due in large part…

Elon Musk says he can solve Puerto Rican power issue

PoliticsBy Gary Acosta October 13, 2017

With 85% of Puerto Rico still without power and the President tweeting that we can’t stay in P.R. forever, here’s a story on how Elon Musk and Tesla have come up with a way to use battery and solar technology to power the island forever. Tesla has already done this for smaller islands in Samoa. “Necessity is…

Vanity Fair’s “New Establishment”

MediaBy Gary Acosta October 13, 2017

My favorite magazine is Vanity Fair, and their annual New Establishment issue is my favorite of the year. For decades, Vanity Fair magazine has retained some of the best writers and photographers to report on some of the most interesting and provocative stories in politics, fashion, entertainment, literature, and celebrity culture. In 1994, when the…

Marvel’s Runaways on Hulu

Fun StuffBy Gary Acosta October 13, 2017

In a recent interview, Marvel Comic’s VP of Sales, David Gabriel, blamed the company’s lagging sales on diversity saying their fans were essentially rejecting female and diverse characters. Mr. Gabriel subsequently recanted his comments and reaffirmed Marvel’s commitment to diversity. The original comment justifiably stirred up some controversy and was contrary to a recent study…

LDC to Launch Public Relations Campaign

Latino IssuesBy Gary Acosta October 13, 2017

The Latino Donor Collaborative, the nation’s leading advocacy group for the new mainstream economy, is working on a major PR campaign to insert factual data and information into the national dialogue as it relates to Latinos and the economy. The campaign will highlight data points such as the Latino GDP, homeownership trends and educational attainment.…

Recovery Efforts are Moving Slowly

PoliticsBy Gary Acosta October 8, 2017

As NAHREP prepares to release its formal strategy to provide support for the victims in Mexico City and Puerto Rico, I have received numerous emails and private messages from members expressing their heartache and frustration by the government’s relief efforts. Below is an excerpt from an email I received from one of our members in…

Can you be successful if you’re a late riser?

BusinessBy Gary Acosta October 8, 2017

We have all read that the most successful people are early risers. It generally has to do with discipline and getting quiet time to think. It may be true for some people, but not for everyone. In the spirit of full disclosure, I’m not an early riser. On average, I get up at around 7:30…