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.
Last week, Zillow released a study that examined the wealth of Hispanics and African-Americans as compared to Whites. It took a deeper look at the role homeownership plays in those comparisons and referenced data that was recently released by the Federal Reserve’s Board’s Survey of Consumer Finances. The highlights of the study were not surprising.…
I think I have already expressed that I am a fan of the Ball family. The patriarch, LaVar, is a fascinating person. Above and beyond everything, he is an unabashed family man and I like that about him. Some people think he is the worst thing in sports and others think he is a genius…
We all know that natural disasters ravaged Houston, Puerto Rico, and Mexico City within weeks of one another. Photos and videos of the damage dominated social media and sent Americans including many of our NAHREP friends with ties to those regions into panic mode. The stories and images of human suffering are too painful to…
Speaking of the human spirit. I had a chance to connect with the NAHREP leadership in NYC to discuss plans for 2018 and beyond. We met at a restaurant called Amada in Lower Manhattan. The food and the company were great, but the area surrounding the Freedom Tower is incredible. The financial district in NYC…
Last month I wrote about my son’s experience playing AAU summer basketball. I said that he was fortunate to find a good program where he received great coaching and good competition, but that I could see there was a shady factor with other programs and I thought shoe companies had way too much influence. Last…
I consider myself a bit of an indie-movie fan. My wife and I used to frequent Landmark Theaters years before anyone knew about Sundance or Telluride. I like edgy movies that take on provocative themes and offbeat subjects, but there can be a fine line between creative and ridiculous. I was looking forward to seeing…
I had the opportunity to meet with and interview George W. Bush last week at the 2017 NAHREP National Convention & Latin Music Festival in Dallas. As expected, he was relaxed, charming and engaging. I was also hoping for a discussion that would connect with our audience in a positive and less partisan manner and…
In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, Pastor Joel Osteen of the Lakewood Church in Houston, TX became the subject of controversy for failing to respond quickly enough in assisting the many who were displaced by the storm. While several other churches, mosques, and temples mobilized quicker to provide shelter to many of the victims, the…
I think anyone born in America is blessed beyond words and should never take it for granted. I also understand why some people contend that our flag, anthem, and other American icons should NEVER be used as vehicles for protest. Therefore, it should not be a surprise that I don’t like the sight of wealthy…
“Jane the Virgin” star, Gina Rodriguez, has developed two series for CBS and the CW. The CBS series titled “Have Mercy” is about a Latina doctor who cannot practice medicine when she immigrates to Miami and decides to open a makeshift clinic out of her apartment. The second show titled “Illegal”, is based on the…
Against the advice of his Attorney General, the Speaker of the House and both republican senators from Arizona; President Donald Trump pardoned Joe Arpaio on Friday August 25th. If you have never spent time reading about the atrocities committed at the behest of Joe Arpaio, the former Sheriff of Maricopa County, you should. Arpaio’s jails,…
The NAHREP national convention has evolved into one of the hottest housing events of the year. This year’s convention features President George W. Bush, Phoenix Suns head coach, Earl Watson, and a long list of industry leaders and top producing practitioners. My favorite part of the conference each year is observing first-hand the pride and…
The Luis Fonsi smash hit, Despacito has dominated airwaves for the better part of 2017. It spent 15 weeks as number one on the Billboard charts, and it was the first YouTube video in history to reach three billion views. The Spanish language song, by every possible metric is not only one of the top songs of…
After losing his epic boxing match against Floyd “Money” Mayweather, Conor McGregor bragged that he was able to turn Mayweather into a Mexican. McGregor has been known to be loose with his lips when it comes to race, but in this case he was paying a compliment to the proud history of Mexican boxers who…
If you are not a supporter of President Trump, odds are you don’t like his Press Secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders. She officially replaced the cantankerous, Sean Spicer last month. As White House Press Secretary, she has the responsibility to share information about the administration and answer questions for the press corps – frequently about controversial…
The Mortgage Collaborative, the top co-op for mortgage companies, hosted its biannual conference in Nashville last week with more than 150 companies attending the event. Last year, the leading topic of discussion was the regulatory environment while this year it was all about technology and online security. Blend, Inc. a developer of consumer facing technology…
A Reuters study on consumer spending indicates that Latino spending for non-essential goods and services is in a sharp decline. A recent surge in deportations is causing Latinos, even those who are U.S. citizens, to curtail their shopping out of fear of deportation or harassment. The CEO of Target, Brian Cornell, says that Latinos are staying home…
1983 is universally considered the best draft year for quarterbacks of all time. Hall of Famers, John Elway, Dan Marino, and Jim Kelly were only three of six quarterbacks drafted in the first round that year. Some experts believe 2017 could rival that year with as many as five QB’s taken in the first round.…
Last Wednesday I had dinner with NAHREP President Leo Pareja and Raul Espinoza from Bay Equity Home Loans at Rick Bayless’ stylish Mexican restaurant, Red O, in La Jolla. Only three months old, Red O is already one of the hottest tickets in San Diego. The Bayless name incites controversy from foodies and fans of…
As I write this blog, my thoughts and prayers are with the family of Heather Heyer and the people of Charlottesville who were victimized by this tragic event. For those of us who wanted to believe that we were living in a “post-racism” era, that notion has been suspended, at least for a while. Racism…
