Google Helps Launch Tech Incubator for Latinos

Manos Accelerator seeks to even playing field for Latino tech entrepreneurs.

This is not the right kind of 1-percenter.

Less than 1 percent of venture-backed startups feature a Latino founder or co-founder, according to the San Jose Mercury News. That's why Google is backing an effort to help "Latinos break into tech startups."

The example of Edward Avila is "sobering": as the tech veteran was promoting his startup a few years ago, he noticed "I was the only Latino in the room," the newspaper reported.

This is troubling in Silicon Valley, which has a large number of Latinos, the newspaper noted. So Avila is now working on the incubator, which has help from Google as wella s Jennifer Lopez, the newspaper reported.

Manos Accelerator begins today and has its first seven startups -- as well as the same set of challenges which threaten Latino entrepreneurship everywhere, the newspaper reported.

Despite a strong work ethic, young Latino tech leaders say that parents "tend to urge their children to land steady jobs" rather than dabble in the high-risk tech arena.

Further, "low numbers of Latinos... study science or business in college," and only half of Latino students test proficient in math, the newspaper reported.
 

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