Hey team! What a couple of weeks it’s been! We launched our new HQ, celebrated Alejandro’s pitch competition win, watched Manuel move 20,000 pounds of frijoles like a legend, and welcomed some awesome new teammates. Everything is finally coming together—huge congrats! On that note, here’s a fantastic opportunity. Even if you think you’re not ready yet, go for it. The Brink SBDC is hosting a pitch competition, and I strongly recommend you apply! 🚀 Founders: Applications are OPEN for the ACE Pitch Competition 2026! Compete for your share of $250,000 in Acceleration Grants, pitch in front of expert judges, and showcase your company at the Elevate 2026 Conference. If you're ready to scale, this is your moment. 🗓 Deadline: December 12 🔗 Apply here: https://conta.cc/3M3Ce7b Hosted by The Brink SBDC at USD and funded through CalOSBA’s Accelerate California program. Even if you’re not applying, come join us! Get a firsthand look at the pitch competition experience, soak in the energy, and maybe spark a little inspiration of your own. General Ticket Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/elevate-2026-tickets-1748625107769

Bad news & some great news!

Hi All, About 30% of the members are Subject Matter Experts. I have created a page in the Classroom to provide a profile so you can get to know who’s who and what expertise they bring to the table. Henry has provided this great video, see below. It is also in his profile as well, and we will begin to add more and more! I would like to do a similar thing for all the startups so as we grow, we know who’s who and what everyone is working on. David

Alejandro recently completed a 4-month Business Accelerator program and is now participating in the U.S. Bank Pitch Competition. If you support heritage craftsmanship and want to help Ruelas Leather Goods. get noticed, lets give him our votes for the Audience Choice Award. It takes 5 seconds: VOTE HERE (Closes Wednesday, December 3rd at 5 p.m. PST) Click the YouTube Link: https://lnkd.in/g8DAMaaF Give the Video a "Like" 👍 That’s all it takes! Your "like" counts as a vote, and you don't even need to watch the video for it to register.

🚀 BIG NEWS / NUESTRA EVOLUCIÓN COMIENZA 🚀 The Latino Startup and Border X Cultura are officially opening the doors to our new coworking community space — a home built for us, by us, where ideas grow, founders connect, and cultura stays at the center of everything we create. This is more than desks and WiFi. It’s a creative hub. A cultural space. A launchpad for bold entrepreneurs who want to build, learn, collaborate, and rise together. From founders testing new ideas… to creatives shaping the next generation of storytelling… to community members looking for a place that finally feels like home — this space is for all of us. We’re just getting started. And the doors are opening soon. Let’s build something powerful together. 💥🔥