Latinx Campus Fund Awards A Total of $60K To 12 Founders Across the US  

Inicio Ventures Encourages Latinx College Students to Pursue their Startup Dreams

This month, Hispanics in Philanthropy’s Inicio Ventures platform of investment and ecosystem-building programs announced twelve $5,000 awards to college-enrolled student founders of Latinx heritage across the US. The recently launched Latinx Campus Fund aims to help founders jumpstart their startups by providing design-stage funding, access to a national innovation network, and amplification of their ventures. 

“We are honored to spotlight these twelve incredibly innovative Latinx undergraduate and graduate student startup leaders from across the US. Their passion, vision, and creativity are inspiring,” noted Jorge Calderon, Managing Director, Inicio Ventures. “It is our hope that the broader venture community joins us in supporting them. The innovation engine runs faster and better when fueled by all.” 

The selection of the Latinx Campus Fund was managed by participants of the Inicio Ventures Capstone Venture Fellows Program, an inclusive investing internship for graduate students interested in venture capital and impact investing careers. The fellows reached out to hundreds of higher education entrepreneurship programs, clubs, and courses to source Latinx founders. The inaugural twelve recipients represent a greater list of exceptional Latinx entrepreneurs spread across different states, campus sizes, degrees, and interests.  Understanding that there are many more to encourage, the Latinx Campus Fund will continue to be a vehicle of support to collegiate-level Latinx founders.

Inicio Ventures is taking a leadership role in building an inclusive startup ecosystem that benefits all by nurturing and inspiring talented Latinx entrepreneurs like Mateo Delaguila. Upon receiving the news that his startup, Locol, made it to the final round, he shared, “thank you again for supporting Hispanic founders, your efforts are significant and you are making a huge difference in our lives and our community.” 

The Latinx Campus Fund and Capstone Venture Fellows Program are examples of Incio Ventures’ overall approach to decreasing the racial wealth gap by increasing Latinx participation and success in the over $1 trillion startup economy. Recipients of the Latinx Campus Fund awards were determined based on a combination of founder skills and life experience, understanding and magnitude of the problem/opportunity, the uniqueness and feasibility of their solutions, and overall progress.

Meet the inaugural slate of collegiate student founders of the Latinx Campus Fund here.