Request for feedback on my Thursday Deliverable · THE LATINO STARTUP-SAN DIEGO

Request for feedback on my Thursday Deliverable

Hey everyone, I won’t be able to make Thursday’s session because I have to take my suegra to the airport, so I’m posting my deliverable here for feedback. I was asked to expand on my comadre comunity + an event idea for this week. This is what I came up with:

Building a Cultural Ecosystem Through Comadres

The Bet: By building with comadres and embedding into existing spaces, I can brand-building and product-validation engine where comadres, hosts, and other Latina entrepreneurs all benefit, and Ruelas grows stronger as a result. Comadres get insider status and influence. Ruelas gets product validation and growth. The wider ecosystem of Latina entrepreneurs, hosts, and venues gets help filling seats, reaching new audiences, help adding premium and cultural activities to their events.

How It Works:

Curated Partnerships Instead of running my own events. I’d partner with gatherings that already exist — retreats, cultural dinners, entrepreneur meetups. The host gets differentiated programming, comadres get a way to play an active role, and Ruelas gets exposure to the right audiences.
At these gatherings, comadres would help anchor atelier-style previews. People interact with prototypes, give structured feedback, and feel part of shaping the design. It’s designed to feel like a co-creation ritual rooted in culture, not a sales pitch.
Attendees get the privilege to reserve bags early through a deposit (20–30% of retail). It’s framed as insider access and exclusivity, not pressure.
Everyone at the event receives a small Ruelas artifact, but comadres get a visibly elevated version. This way the whole room leaves touched by the brand, but comadres are visibly recognized for their role in the ecosystem.
Hosts level up their event with unique cultural programming and gets help filling seats. Comadres feel activated as insiders. Other Latinas and entrepreneurs gain access to a cultural touchpoint that centers them. Ruelas gains cultural credibility, product validation, and premium storytelling.
If I negotiate ticket pricing, any spread is reinvested into gifts and experience touches so the exchange feels generous, not transactional.

The MVP Test: One partner event with one prototype with One small gift. A short atelier-style session where I share the story, let people interact with the bag, collect feedback, and offer comadres the chance to reserve with a deposit.

The success metric is simple: what percent of attendees actually commit — either by leaving a deposit

Where I’d Love Feedback:

Does offering deposits feel like a smart way to validate demand, or does it risk coming across as transactional?
Are tiered gifts (something for everyone, elevated for comadres) the right balance of generosity and exclusivity?
Gut check: if this were your idea, what’s the one thing you’d change or test differently before rolling it out?

Gracias,

Ale

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