The standard reply to all of this is that the ventures are not fundable on merit. The data answers it directly, and not in the direction the reply assumes.
| Measure | Latino-owned | Comparison |
|---|---|---|
| Median venture deal size when funded | $6M | above US median |
| Profitable in 2024 | 84% | outpacing white-owned |
| Construction sector growth, 2017–2023 | 86% | 2% white-owned |
| Pursuing acquisitions | 38% | 26% white-owned |
| Operating internationally | ~50% | higher median margins |
A filter screening honestly for merit produces survivors clustered at the bar — barely good enough, because everyone above the line got through. These survivors are 43x the sector growth, above-median deal sizes and higher profitability than the firms already funded.
When the people who clear a gate consistently outperform the people inside it, the gate is not measuring quality. It is measuring something else, and rejecting quality on the way.
What actually exists
- SBA 7(a) and 504 — federally guaranteed, and the guarantee is the point: it transfers the lender's risk to the government. sba.gov.
- Community Development Financial Institutions — mission lenders that underwrite differently and are federally certified. cdfifund.gov.
- SBA Microloans — up to $50,000 through nonprofit intermediaries, for the requests banks decline without explanation.
- Small Business Development Centers — free counselling and help assembling the package before it goes in. find yours.
- MBDA Business Centers — federal, built for exactly this gap. mbda.gov.
Ask for the denial in writing, every time. A written reason is the difference between a market signal and a closed door — and you are entitled to one under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act for credit applications.
En español
Menos del 2% del capital de riesgo en Estados Unidos va a negocios latinos — mientras hay 465,202 empresas latinas con empleados, que crecieron 44% mientras las empresas de dueños blancos disminuyeron.
Cuando piden financiamiento, solo el 21% recibe la cantidad completa, frente al 40% de los dueños blancos. Y cuando les niegan el préstamo, solo al 51% le explican por qué — frente al 87%.
No es falta de mérito: cuando sí reciben capital, el monto mediano es de $6 millones, por encima de la mediana nacional, y el 84% fueron rentables en 2024.
Pida siempre la negación por escrito. Bajo la Equal Credit Opportunity Act usted tiene derecho a una razón.