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Jennifer Lopez celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month with Grameen America’s “Raising Latina Voices” event. On September 17, the Puerto Rican descent singer, actress, and businesswoman spoke to over 400 Latina entrepreneurs about her philanthropic project Limitless Labs. A program created to empower Latina-owned small businesses.
“What I saw growing up was that it was very, very difficult for people like me, low-income Latinos, especially women, to get access to capital,” Jennifer told the crowd. “In fact, we remain sixty percent less likely to get loans from national banks, and that is fundamentally unfair and fundamentally un-American, and it made the promise of the American dream feel partly hollow. That’s why I’m here today, alongside Grameen, to change that.”
The Marry Me star guaranteed to “make that promise real for everyone” and ensure “people who look like me or come from places like where I come from have the same opportunity to borrow money to start their own business and make their dreams come true.”
“Don’t give up, ever. Listen but be strong. Be kind but be resolute. Be generous but be firm. Be caring but be professional. Be open but have boundaries. Above all, be honest. We don’t need a handout; we need a hand up.”
Jennifer is mom to 14-year-old twins Max and Emme, who she shares with ex Marc Anthony. During the event, she shared the “best advice” she gives her kids: “you can be whoever you believe you can be.”
“Find that in yourself, and don’t give up. Learn from people who have done it well, then take those ideas and innovate and refine them and make them your own. And listen to your parents; we aren’t quite as clueless as we seem when you’re 14,” she noted.
Last year, JLo returned to her roots, lending a helping hand to Latina small business owners in her hometown of The Bronx.
The “Jenny From The Block” singer made an appearance in New York City to support her fellow Latinas, which marked the first part of a new philanthropy push for Lopez.
The 52-year-old stopped by independent bookstore The Lit. Bar alongside Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon and Isabella Guzman, the administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration, where they announced a new partnership with Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses meant to help elevate and support Latina entrepreneurs.