SXSW panel discussion focuses on Latino entrepreneurship

*Interesting. While a Latino business was demolished in Austin, Texas, to allegedly make room for a SXSW coincidental eventent, inside Southby a panel discussion covered the need for Latinos to close the entrepreneurial gap. Looks like there’s an obvious place down the street where they need to start working on the gap. There’re good information and ideas here, but the backdrop puts a sincerity lens on it. VL

JJ Velasquez, Community Impact Newspaper

Hispanics need to close the gap when it comes to entrepreneurship, Austin-based Latino entrepreneurs said March 16 in a South by Southwest Interactive panel discussion.

Latinos made up more than 2 million entrepreneurs in the U.S. in 2012, up from 577,000 in 1990, said Mark Madrid, CEO of the Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. But as the Hispanic population in the country continues to rise, the number will need to increase even more, Madrid said.

Panelists said Latino entrepreneurs are well represented in certain industries, but technology remains an area in which the Hispanic population lags.

“Where the gap is is in tech,” Cynthia Rubio, who founded Radiant RFID, said. “But there is a lot of opportunity that presents itself right there.”

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