For many entrepreneurs, success isn’t just about top-line growth. It’s seizing opportunities to break barriers and shape their identities as cultural and economic drivers. That’s especially true within the Latino community, where small businesses continue to power economic growth in both the U.S. and Mexico. But thriving in today’s marketplace requires more than determination and grit. On a practical level, it takes access to digital tools.

One of the biggest barriers for Latino entrepreneurs remains the digital gap. During the pandemic, many small business owners, particularly in underrepresented communities, found themselves forced to adapt overnight. They made a digital leap in three months, setting up e-commerce and learning video conferencing, that others took years to accomplish. Their determination highlights a crucial truth for marketers: to reach multicultural audiences, you must meet them where they are, not where you assume they should be.

Adaptation means more than bridging the digital divide, however. Global companies have traditionally viewed Mexico as just a source of inexpensive labor or materials. But today, it’s a hub for innovation, driving change not just in Mexico but worldwide. For brands, this means rethinking how they engage with the Mexican and broader Latin American markets, seeing them not just as suppliers but as partners and sources of influence.

In this new episode of The New Mainstream podcast, Israel Serna, entrepreneur and Partner Marketing Manager at Autodesk, shares how his work in digital education, entrepreneurship, and cross-border collaboration is reframing what it means to do business in a global, multicultural economy.

Meet Our Guest: Israel Serna 

Digital Marketing Strategist | Small Business Advocate | Bilingual Trainer & Speaker 

Israel Serna is a bilingual marketing strategist, brand consultant, and speaker with over 15 years of experience spanning tech, small business development, SaaS, and the design and interiors space. His expertise includes partner marketing, digital strategy, brand positioning, and content development—helping businesses and creators connect authentically with diverse audiences. 

Known for blending creative vision with data-driven insights, Israel approaches every project with cultural fluency, empathy, and a belief in purposeful growth. In addition to his marketing work, he curates antique collections and supports design-focused ventures bridging the past and present. 

Impact investing has emerged as a powerful tool for directing private capital toward social and environmental causes while generating financial returns for investors. This approach is particularly relevant for black and brown entrepreneurs who often face systemic barriers that limit their access to capital and resources. Many of these entrepreneurs are creating businesses that address social and environmental challenges faced by their communities, such as access to affordable housing, healthcare, and education. However, they often struggle to secure the funding they need to grow and scale their businesses.

Despite the data documenting the opportunity gap for diverse founders compared to their White counterparts, there is a persistent narrative that suggests no correlation between race and ethnicity and business enablement. Yet, their funding journey varies significantly and getting people to buy into social impact as a business strategy isn't easy.

In this episode of The New Mainstream podcast, Jessica Salinas, Chief Investment Officer at New Media Ventures, discusses how impact investing can empower diverse entrepreneurs and contribute to a more just, equitable, and sustainable society.

Supplier diversity programs were developed to level the playing field for diverse suppliers, including minority, women, LGBTQ, disabled, and veteran-owned businesses. By connecting entrepreneurs to economic opportunity, ideally, organizations can harness the power of the marketplace to drive social impact.

However, supplier diversity often falls short on the data. It’s widely known that diverse suppliers are not given the opportunities to contract for public sector work at the rate of their non-minority and male counterparts despite the explosive growth of entrepreneurship among minority and women-owned firms. (more…)