It has been a high-velocity week for The Latino Startup community. From high-level strategic partnerships to immediate capital opportunities and AI implementation, the ecosystem is buzzing. Here is your Week Wrap (March 23 – March 30, 2026), categorized by what matters most to your growth. 💰 Immediate Capital & Opportunities - Verizon $5,000 Grant (Due Tomorrow!): The deadline for the California Small Business Digital Ready grant is March 31 at 11:59 PM PT. You must complete one Digital Ready course to unlock the application. - Virtual Working Session: @Hilda Soto hosted a session today to help members use AI to craft their grant responses. - Free SD Biz Program: A 6-week SBA program is available for San Diego residents, featuring a $5K pitch competition at the end. 🤝 Strategic Partnerships & The "Scale" Vision - The San Diego Foundation (El Camino Fund): @David Favela met with Hector Borjas to align on a major insight: Mindset is the primary barrier to scaling. - Focus on Trades: There is a massive opportunity to help Latino-owned trade businesses (construction, plumbing, etc.) move from "founder-dependent" to "generational wealth" through systematization and exit strategies. - Subteam Formation: @David Favela is looking for a small working group to build tools specifically for scaling these trade businesses. 🛠️ Member-Led Workshops & AI Wins - Marblism AI Agents (March 31): @Hilda Soto is hosting a session tomorrow from 3–5 PM on how to hire and set up 6 AI agents (Executive Assistant, Sales Rep, etc.) for your business. - The 2-Minute AI Win: A simple prompt was shared to help founders reclaim 30 minutes a day by summarizing long email threads and identifying action items instantly. - Founder Clarity: @Chris Bustos challenged the community to stop "busy-ness" and start filtering projects by asking: What problem do I actually want to solve?

I don’t mean to brag, but these tacos are FIRE! Can’t wait to serve you all, see you 5:30-6:00! No fixed agenda, just really great opportunity to connect! David

Hola Latino Startup Familia! 👋 We want to make the calendar as useful as possible for everyone. If there’s anything specific you’d like more help with or want to see more of (workshops, networking, AI tools, funding resources, etc.), please share! Here are some free virtual and in-person events happening in San Diego County this week to brush up on skills and connect with others: 📍March 17 📍 6750 Paseo Del Norte, Carlsbad 🕘 7:00–8:00 AM Practice Public Speaking great space to practice and build confidence speaking in front of others. ☕ March 17📍 3343 Adams Ave, San Diego 🕘 9:00–11:00 AM Casual and informal share about what you’re working on and meet others in tech. ☕ March 17📍💻 ASK DAVID ANYTHING SESSION 🕘 6PM-7PM ☕ March 18th 📍7670 Opportunity Road San Diego 🕘 9:00- 10:00 AM 1 Million Cups is a weekly event for entrepreneurs built on the belief that conversations over coffee can accelerate innovation. Each week, two founders pitch their business for six minutes. HQ Startup Sessions 🚀 March 19 | 2529 Congress St San Diego, CA | 5:30–7:00 PM - IN PERSON - OUR Latino Startup Session 💻 March 20 | 🕘11:30 AM Online Business Networking Connect with other entrepreneurs and professionals.

As the year slows down, I just want to say this: I’m proud of this community. You showed up. You asked hard questions. You chose progress over comfort. This season is a reminder that what we’re building here isn’t just businesses — it’s confidence, clarity, and comunidad. Take time to rest. Break bread with your people. Reflect on how far you’ve come. When we return, we do it with more focus, more courage, and more belief in ourselves and each other. Gracias for being here. The work continues — but tonight, we celebrate. 🎉 Con ganas, David

Verizon will be awarding $10K Grants to 50 Small Businesses. https://digitalready.verizonwireless.com/funding **** FYI - SUPER EASY APPLICATION - It only took me about 2 hours to do the training and complete / submit the application! **** WHO: - Owners of for-profit small businesses based in the U.S., Puerto Rico, or US Virgin Islands. Nonprofits are not eligible.  - Applicants may apply for one business only and must be over the age of 18. HOW: - Complete any combination of two eligible courses or events between July 1, 2025 and December 10, 2025 to unlock the application. - Submit the application by 11:59 PM (PST) on December 10, 2025. ** Late applications will not be considered. I just learned about this Grant Program. Registered for the Verizon Small Business program this morning and currently attending an online, recorded program.