We recently connected with Ana Valdez and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Ana, thanks for joining us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

Since I was little, I was aware that there were discrepancies between what I heard and what the reality was. I was born and raised in Mexico City, and when I saw how Mexicans were portrayed in media vs. what I saw around me, things didn’t make sense. I felt frustrated as I saw the consequences of the perception that people had of Mexicans based only on stereotypes and not in reality. I started my business career in marketing and research and realized very quickly that data was crucial to creating change and making better decisions. When I moved to the U.S. I noticed that many of the false Mexican stereotypes were prevalent in the minds of people when thinking about Latinos. So in 2015, I was thrilled to be invited to be the Executive President of the Latino Donor Collaborative. An organization producing reputable data and statistics that truly reflected the identity and contributions of Latinos in America.

Even though there were many organizations doing research no one was quantifying the Latino contributions to the American economy and the country in general. Today, we have produced 50 reports that have reached millions of decision-makers, resource allocators, and people in general so that they can make informed decisions, based on real data of who Latinos are in this country, and not decisions based on false and harmful stereotypes.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My lifelong mission has revolved around empowering our community and promoting a narrative based on facts.

In the past, I’ve worked in Mexico, Europe, and the U.S. in companies like Nielsen and Citi, as well as organizations like the United Nations and the Clinton Administration, advocating for fair and accurate representation. I’ve also participated as a Board Member in multiple organizations such as Southern California Public Radio, American Public Media Group, and UCLA Department of Statistics Advisory Board, where I always not only advocate for accurate representation but have shown the untapped business potential of a whole market segment, using fact-based data.

The main problems we solve at the LDC stem from inaccurate and harmful stereotypes. For instance, the way the Latino community is portrayed in media, in the news, the only jobs that people might think we have, the laws that have passed based on negative stereotypes… These are elements that conform to a huge problem that affects millions of people every year.

When we provide accurate data and spread information, we promote general well-being that is not only important for the community affected, but for the organizations and the entire country. I’m proud to see millions of people accessing this data each year and making decisions from it, transforming it into action. That’s the fulfilling part of this job.

What else should we know about how you took your side hustle and scaled it up into what it is today?

I would not necessarily call it my side hustle but the pillar of my life. I’ve always focused on how to keep developing myself and bringing my whole community up with me. Because of my background in marketing, my particular way has been to use data to show who the Latino community is to accomplish this.

As decision-makers and resource allocators found the data that we produced, it has reached more and more people. It’s incredible for me to see particularly when Latinos find data that reflects who they are, they organically share their stories, and they’ve also realized how powerful and valuable they are as individuals and as a community. That scales the reach of the data and benefits everyone.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

I have the great fortune to have a Board of Directors who are committed to reshaping the perception of Latinos in America through data. They have always been generous with their time and money promoting friendly high-level dialogue with resource allocators, to find the best ways to grow revenue and market share – by targeting and serving Latino audiences. This group of highly accomplished and exceptional individuals are the main funders of our research and reports. We have also received funding through the years from other corporations and organizations that believe in research, so we are also grateful to them.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.latinodonorcollaborative.org/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/latinodonorcollaborative/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/latinocollaborative
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/latino-donor-collaborative-inc/
• Twitter: https://x.com/ldclatino?s=11&t=U22j5cld4_cLHHiV_7sMvQ
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@latinodonorcollaborative4253