We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Diego Torres-Palma a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Diego thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.

Diego Torres-Palma founded the private real estate and investment firm Ventana Ventures in 2018. Ventana Ventures focuses on innovation through collaboration to identify opportunities for the company and other entrepreneurs. The result is that they build community through their investments and real estate ventures.

Upon relocating to Los Angeles, Torres-Palma noticed lease signs in commercial real estate buildings. It occurred to him that this was backward thinking, and there was an opportunity to innovate real estate development. Why buy a building and hope for a tenant? Instead, it makes more sense to find the tenant, invest, build out the space in a way that works and create a sustainable tenant. This process ensures that an asset will not sit on the market, offers collaboration, and ultimately elevates the building experience to create exactly what the tenant needs. Another important aspect is that it can give an opportunity to business owners that may otherwise have not been able to get their business off the ground – which is a commitment that is core to the mission of Ventana Ventures.

This distinctive approach unites the experience and expertise that Torres-Palma built Ventana Ventures upon as both an angel investor and a real estate developer.

Diego is also dedicated to job creation in the community through his projects. He is committed to working to help end the cycle of family poverty and homelessness as a board member of Imagine LA.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Growing up Peruvian, there was a lack of successful role models and mentors from Peru. That motivated Diego to be a mentor, not only for the younger Peruvian generation but for all those with an entrepreneurial spirit. With a personal mission to create more jobs by supporting entrepreneurs, Diego is an advisor, mentor, and investor to many startup founders who come on Startup To Storefront.

Since moving his base to Los Angeles, Diego has launched Ventana Ventures, a real estate company that lives and breathes the Startup To Storefront mentality. Investing in companies, purchasing the location, and overseeing the build-out is a model that sets Ventana Ventures apart and is a literal example of Startup To Storefront. Diego has quickly become known as a developer who creates a sense of community through his projects. His most recent development Benny Boy Brewing in Los Angeles showcases Ventana Ventures’ mission — Founded with a fearless and forward-thinking spirit, we build community through inspiring and empowering entrepreneurs.

How did you build your audience on social media?

I launched my social media with the goal is simply speaking to one group of people: my investors. It was meant to serve as a constant investor update so they knew things are constantly in motion and that I’m working around the clock to ensure the success of our investments. Through my first real estate development this approach took on a life of its own where the city would share my updates and little by little my following grew.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

I’ve started a few different businesses but the seed capital always came from savings. I lived at home for a little while to save money, from there I was able to buy my first apartment. I would also use some of those savings to launch my first fashion/tech company. From there I was able to buy a second apartment and upon selling both apartments I was able to launch and invest in my first real estate projects. It’s a snowball that over time picked up some steam but it took a while to grow my initial seeds.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ventanaventures.io/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diegotorres_palma/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/diegoventures/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/startuptostorefront