25 Years of Connection: ALPFA Boston’s Impact on Founders, Professionals, and the Startup Ecosystem

Having a passion or a knack for a certain skill set can be the start of the next successful restaurant, construction firm, landscaping company or other business. Yet transitioning that passion or skill set into a startup is another level. And there are lots of challenges involved. 

That’s where networking organizations come into play. The Boston chapter of the Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting (ALPFA) provides education, opportunity, professional growth and more to entrepreneurs, founders, investors and others. Now celebrating its 25th year, ALPFA Boston supports over 10,000 professionals and students across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.  

Startup Boston caught up with ALPFA Boston’s Natalia Hilton, President, and Jorge Andrade, Director of Entrepreneurship, to chat about supporting founders and others, navigating challenges, making magic in networking happen, and more.  

Startup Boston (SB): How does ALPFA Boston help out founders, entrepreneurs and others? 

Jorge Andrade (JA): One of the things that we take pride in is being a connector for whatever our entrepreneurial community needs. We provide educational content about things that they might not know.

So to give you an example, last year after doing some research, we found that after the pandemic and launching businesses were staying at either $500,000 or $1 million in revenue. We came to the conclusion these businesses had an issue about how to scale. We had a few events last year that targeted the education side to help our community excel in scaling. 

Another important factor that is very important in any business — and really in life — is your network. Our events focus on networking, education and building connections. We try to bring in past board members, influential leaders and others that are coming up, or are currently in leadership positions to make introductions. 

SB: What are you seeing now in the Boston startup space? What are some of the challenges happening now? How does ALPFA Boston support its members navigating through these challenges?

JA: The biggest challenge that we continue to see is the ability for them to access capital, so some of our talks are about acquiring access to capital. We have other resources from the accounting, insurance and legal side of things — all those tools help entrepreneurs continue to flourish. Then it’s about getting ready to have that presentation in front of the bank. By providing educational tools and partnering up with other non-profits in the area, we can educate our community. We’ve had the SBA come in to discuss lending, as well as what they do for businesses.  

Natalia Hilton (NH): Every single one of our events has a networking component. And so through that networking, I met an individual who's been in the restaurant business for over 20 years and has a great brand in the Boston community. This individual shared how difficult it is to have access to capital. Because of our connections, I made some introductions to folks in our ecosystem and that person is potentially going to learn more and receive more information. 

It's that mentorship opportunity. We also have corporate partners that help support small businesses as well. And so they help us fuel this growth through those relationships.

SB: What makes this group unique and stand out?

NH: We're all volunteers. A lot of people are in awe of what we're able to do as volunteers. This organization has been around for over 25 years. We have anywhere between 25 and 50 events a year.

Our chapter has never gone into dormancy in its lifespan. Because of our network, organizations have leveraged ALPFA Boston as a launchpad for their own organizations. 

You would never guess that we're all volunteers because of the passion, the commitment, the work ethic that our entire board has. We're a team of 25 board members and 50 committee members all committed to one thing and that is ensuring that we impact through our mission, regardless of what each of us is doing. I think that's the biggest magic. 

The other magic is that we've had the support of several corporate partners for over 20 years. It demonstrates the mutual commitment that we have both to the community and they have to ensure that their voices are heard through us.

SB: How has ALPFA Boston helped each of you with your professional growth?

NH: In 2013, about 13 years into my career, I had never really seen a group of Latino professionals in any room. It's a sprinkle here and a sprinkle there. I walked into this room at the Federal Reserve and there were 400 women in that room and some men. They were all professionals in all walks of life — from junior to the very senior individuals leading companies. I was shocked. They said who wants to volunteer and the rest is history because here I am still volunteering.

My career shifted completely essentially within a year. I had a 75% increase in salary and it was because of this network. It was because I learned some negotiation strategies that I was not aware of. I learned that you have to speak up, self-advocate and understand what your value is.  

The issue with a lot of Latinos is we come from really hardworking families. That blue collar belief; you put your head down and they will notice you. I used to be the first in the office and among the last to leave. I kept my head down and that was not the right thing to do. I always did raise my hand for more responsibilities, but without advocacy your career does not grow. 

JA: I was not an advocate for myself either. By being in that room with those important directors and hearing their stories, it gave me that confidence. Why not me? Those stories motivated me to go ahead and do those things as well, because at times you don't know what you don't know.

ALPFA has given me an ability to grow. I learned and I've worked at it, but ALPFA was a  catalyst. Seeing people like me that have the same ambition and drive can give that extra little push here and there.

SB: The chapter is celebrating 25 years! You’ve each been a part of ALPFA Boston for about 10 years. Can you speak to what you've seen over the years?

JA: I would say the passion continues to grow even more, so that's certainly a big part why our numbers continue to grow.

ALPFA Boston is one of the most innovative chapters. We created this entrepreneurship pillar back in 2020. Our community was evolving and we continued to see more growth with small businesses. We came at it from an inclusivity perspective, and it’s now part of the national program. I give credit to ALPFA Boston for going ahead and taking that leap. They support us and they have our back.

NH: The woman of ALPFA here is 19 years strong. Our student group is strong, and we've been doing it for 19 years.

We have a lot of pride in leadership and our heritage. I've seen how others have grown through ALPFA. We have tenured ALPFA members who created their own businesses and they're very successful because they leveraged ALPFA Boston.

I have a lot of gratitude. It’s about serving the community in the best way that we can. And we do this from the heart. We know that a lot of people didn't have access that we had earlier in their career or just in life. While we are Latino-focused organization, we're not exclusive. We're building on that narrative because socioeconomically there are other folks that need our support. And at the end of the day, we're all immigrants in the Boston community and we want the community to thrive. 

ALPFA Boston is part of the recently launched The Startup Directory: Networking Groups. This growing list of New England networking groups provides a place to find your community where you can grow, learn and be supported.

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About the author: Kathleen Ohlson is a Boston-based content writer with a background as a high-tech reporter and storyteller. With a passion for creating content that resonates with audiences, you can connect with her on LinkedIn.

(This interview was edited for length and clarity.)