Expand Your Network: Go-to Resources to Put on Your Radar
Some of the Help That's Out There to Give Your Big Business Plans a Boost
Thanks for joining me for another edition of Generation Si! Today’s newsletter shines a light on the founder and CEO of OSI Engineering, Javier Diaz. In Part One, you got a look into Diaz's background. Now, in this issue, he shares the following:
🌴 The programs that help Latinos become business owners
🌴 The role of mentors in his success
🌴 The kinds of operational tasks he had to learn how to do
🌴 Here’s Part Two of my profile of Javier Diaz, the CEO & co-founder of OSI Engineering:
Javier Diaz (right) with Rick Martinez (left) - Part of the EY EAN 2021 Cohort
SUCCESS DOESN'T HAPPEN WITHOUT HELP
“I actually started working at the bottom for many years and worked my way up.”
But going from a worker in the tech industry to owning the 5th largest Latino-owned firm in Silicon Valley doesn’t happen without help.
Diaz says he made it happen thanks to two elements: mentors and empowerment programs focused on Latinos.
MENTORS ARE YOUR CHEERLEADERS
When it comes to mentors, Diaz recommends you have not just one mentor but “several of them.”
He says they “gave me the courage to actually start my own business.” That’s even though he didn’t think he could do it.
His mentors told him, “You can do it.”
Diaz and his business partner started in a 500 square foot office in the heart of Silicon Valley.
NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF OBSERVATION
“We were fortunate. We didn’t have to borrow any money. We were self-funded... We’d been in the business for a number of years and observed how others grew and scaled their companies.”
He boils it down to “watching, observing and learning from others.”
There was a lot to learn on the operations side.
THERE'S A LOT TO LEARN; ASK QUESTIONS
“You have to learn accounting. You have to learn proper invoicing. You know, HR and legal contracts… You just have to be diligent. Ask questions.”
While he suggests delegating responsibilities to allow you the time to concentrate on scaling the business, he is glad he had mentors to help him figure out the ropes.
The key is finding “individuals that have been through that process before.”
So maybe at this point you’re asking yourself, where you can find these mentors?
THE LIST: PROGRAMS TO HELP YOU
Diaz says a lot of them are part of organizations and programs designed to guide existing and aspiring Latino entrepreneurs.
In the interest of transparency, I want you to be aware that some of them do have membership or application fees. But it’s worth checking with your accountant to see if you can deduct those fees on your taxes. Some of them also have minimum business revenue requirements for acceptance into their cohorts.
These are some of the programs Diaz provided that may be the right fit for you or that can point you in the right direction:
HITEC – Hispanics in Technology
ALPFA – Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting
Latino Corporate Directors Association
LBAN – Latino Business Action Network
SLEI – Stanford Latino Entrepreneurship Initiative
NMSDC – National Minority Supplier Development Council
EY EAN – EY Entrepreneurs Action Network
Class Photo - EY EAN 2021
HELP COMES IN MANY DIFFERENT FORMS
Diaz says some of these organizations provide networking opportunities, supplier databases, training and educational programs to help you scale your business. Others provide mentors, help with minority business certification, capital and other resources.
He says, “If you start networking, attending the events [and] participating, you will find mentors – individuals that want to give back.”
Diaz also recommends you participate in conferences.
He says he knows the idea of starting a company can be overwhelming.
YOU ARE NOT ALONE
But it is possible.
It was even possible for him, the eldest of five children, all raised as migrant workers by a single mother.
Javier Diaz with Angel Diaz (1977) - Mom was right; anything is possible
“There [are] a lot of examples out there of individuals with similar backgrounds like myself that… were able to overcome some challenges.”
He wants you to know, “You’re not alone.”
Today, he would tell a young Latino entrepreneur, “There’s more of us out there now. And there’s a big community that you have that will help you succeed.”
INSPIRATION FOR THIS ARTICLE:
When you think of someone working in the tech industry, does a Latino immediately come to mind?
No one likes to be pigeonholed as being only good in one field or one type of job.
But the stereotypes persist for Latinos.
And one of them that I’m working to change is the misperception that we’re not making our mark in the tech field.
Sure, it takes time to grow our numbers and our visibility.
Our sheer headcount wasn’t always there. But things are getting better.
Anecdotally, Javier Diaz told me that, when he thinks back to who his peers were back in the mid ‘90s when he arrived in the Silicon Valley, it included only a few faces of color.
That was reality.
I have found, though, when you’ve achieved a certain level of success, especially if you’re a minority, you want to share what you’ve learned with others.
You know what it’s like not to have many, if any, role models. So you feel a sense of responsibility to become that role model you wish you’d had.
That desire to help others come up through the ranks is something I strongly sensed from Javier.
That’s why he provided a list of organizations committed to Latino empowerment.
I’m committed to doing my part to highlighting people like Javier. That’s why you notice that a lot of my profile pieces focus on Latinos in tech.
Fortunately, we live in a place where there are many resources. Finding out about them can be a little difficult.
But people are willing to share what they know and what they’ve learned.
We just have to connect each other and share the valuable advice.
🌴 So if you know someone who would benefit from this newsletter, share it (share button is at the top).
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🌴 I appreciate you and your support. #theskyisNOTthelimit 😻