Nathalie Rayes is a first-generation immigrant with a story similar to thousands of Latinos across the United States. Through her hard work and perseverance, she has taken advantage and made the most of the phenomenal roles she has accepted. This time, as President and CEO of Latino Victory—”a progressive organization working to grow Latino political power by increasing Latino representation at every level of government and building a base of Latino donors to support this critical work”—, will be no different.
In an interview with Hispanic Executive, Nathalie shares she emigrated with her family from Venezuela at nine years old, entering a school system with a language entirely novel for her. A year later, her father passed away, and she stepped in to help her mother and four siblings. This event ignited her work ethic and served as a constant reminder of life’s fleeting possibility.
Nathalie studied sociology in college, graduating cum laude from UCLA. She told Hispanic Executive that she was planning on attending law school when she found her passion for public policy while working as a field deputy for LA council member Mike Feuer. Nathalie returned to UCLA to obtain her Masters in Public Policy with concentrations in International Relations and Education, after which she served as a Department of State Fellow in the Economic/ Political Section of the United States Embassy in Cairo, Egypt. It was there, presumably, that she picked up conversational Arabic.
Before joining Latino Victory, Nathalie was (in the following order) Senior Policy Advisorto Los Angeles Councilmember Mike Feuer, Deputy Chief of Staff to Los Angeles Mayor James K. Hahn Deputy Chief of Staff (at age 26!), and Vice President of Public Affairsfor Grupo Salinas in the U.S., a Mexican conglomerate with US$6 billion in annual sales and 90,000 employees in Mexico, the United States, and Central and South America. In all three of those functions, she worked directly to improve the quality of life of Latinos.
On May 6, The Hill broke the anticipated news that Nathalie would be the President and CEO of Latino Victory. In addition to this role, she also serves on five boards of organizations related to either international affairs or Latino priorities. Her secret to managing her time is to accept commitments that she can align to advance common interests simultaneously.
Nathalie’s Advice to Latinopreneurs:
Given her determination, expertise, and trajectory, we asked Nathalie to offer advice to our readers who want to start a venture in the U.S. Here’s her response:
Latinos are job creators and innovators. Recent studies attest to Latinos’ economic contributions to the United States’ economy: Latino small businesses out-paced our economy, and we create more small businesses than any other group. While the pandemic crisis has upended our entire economy and many job sectors are at a standstill, Latinos and immigrants must continue to be the motor that drives our economy forward.
My advice to all Latinos and Latinas who want to start a venture in the U.S. is to take that leap of faith—do not wait for the time to be right, because we are never certain on when that will be. Even if, in light of the crisis, the focus is on the planning and brainstorming portion. Develop a plan and use your creative foresight to make it a reality. Use your networks, seek advice from your trusted colleagues, talk to entrepreneurs, and, most importantly, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Collaboration is vital when it comes to making a plan into a successful reality.
Nathalie Rayes
Continue following Nathalie’s work on her Twitter and share her story to encourage other Latinos in the U.S. to stay engaged and mobilized throughout the country.