HL | Milestone Series – Honors Paleta Planeta

Jun 7, 2026 | Milestone

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HL | Milestone Series – Honors Paleta Planeta

Family • Vision • Impact

Some businesses begin with a business plan.

Others begin with family.

For brothers Luis Salazar, Mauricio Salazar, and Gabriel Salazar, the journey that would become Paleta Planeta started during one of the most uncertain periods in recent history. What began as an idea during the COVID-19 pandemic—selling handcrafted paletas from their parents’ garage—has grown into one of downtown San José’s most recognized entrepreneurial success stories.

Today, Paleta Planeta stands as a testament to perseverance, family values, and the power of community.

Paleta Planeta will be recognized during our HL | Milestone Series – Silicon Valley event, taking place on June 17, 2026. This invitation-only reception brings together a curated audience of executives, entrepreneurs, and community leaders for an evening of connection, conversation, and recognition.

👉 Event details & RSVP: https://bit.ly/41B5Z3J

The Salazar brothers, all products of the San José educational community, built their business on a foundation that reflects the experiences of many first-generation entrepreneurs. Mauricio attended Evergreen Valley College, where he also played soccer. Gabriel graduated from Evergreen Valley College before earning a degree in Finance from San José State University and becoming a Certified Public Accountant. Luis attended both San José City College and Evergreen Valley College before completing his degree in Health Science at Cal State East Bay.

Their educational journey reflects a commitment to personal growth that would later become instrumental in building a successful business.

Inspired by family members with deep roots in the paleta tradition of Tocumbo, Michoacán widely recognized as the birthplace of the modern paleta the brothers embraced an opportunity to learn the craft while creating something uniquely their own. Armed with knowledge, determination, and support from family members who believed in their vision, they launched Paleta Planeta in 2021.

There was no storefront.

No large investment.

No guarantee of success.

Only three brothers working together with a shared belief that they would build something meaningful for their community.

Selling through social media, community events, and neighborhood gatherings, they steadily grew their following one customer at a time. Their commitment to quality, creativity, and customer experience transformed a small family operation into a destination that continues to attract visitors from throughout Silicon Valley.

A defining milestone came on September 21, 2024, when Paleta Planeta opened its first brick-and-mortar location in downtown San José, directly across from City Hall.

For the Salazar family, the opening represented far more than a new business address.

It represented years of sacrifice, countless hours of work, and the realization of a dream that began in a garage.

Today, Paleta Planeta offers more than handcrafted paletas. It creates experiences, celebrates culture, and brings people together through flavors that honor tradition while encouraging discovery and creativity.

Milestone Moments

• Built a family-owned business from a garage operation during the COVID-19 pandemic

• Leveraged the educational opportunities provided by Evergreen Valley College, San José City College, San José State University, and Cal State East Bay

• Grew from direct-to-consumer sales and community events into a recognized Silicon Valley brand

• Opened its first storefront in downtown San José in September 2024

• Created a destination that celebrates culture, entrepreneurship, family, and community

• Demonstrated how education, family support, and determination can transform an idea into a thriving business

The Salazar brothers’ story reminds us that entrepreneurship is often about more than building a company. It is about creating opportunities, honoring family sacrifices, and investing in the communities that helped shape our journey.

Their journey from garage to storefront, from vision to reality serves as an inspiring reminder that some of the most meaningful milestones begin with family, faith, and the courage to take the first step.

The HL | Milestone Series is a national platform designed to celebrate leadership across business, community, education, and innovation.

The 2026 HL | Milestone Series is made possible through the support of Wells Fargo, the series’ funding partner, whose commitment to community engagement and financial empowerment helps bring these important conversations and recognitions to life.

← HL | Milestone Series – Honors Hilda Ramirez HL | Milestone Series – Honors Jazmin Diaz →

Small Business Month: A Surviving to Thrive Story

May 28, 2026 | Business, The Business of Surviving to Thrive

Small Business Month: A Surviving to Thrive Story

by Richard Sandoval, for HL | Culture & Influence

The journey from uncertainty to opportunity and the entrepreneurs building legacies that extend beyond a single generation.

For many Americans, May is recognized as Small Business Month.
For us at HL | Culture and Influence, it represents something much deeper.

It is a reminder that behind nearly every neighborhood, every family story, every growing community, and every cultural movement, there are entrepreneurs taking risks most people never see.

2024 Connecting Laitnas of Influence | Los Angeles

Small business owners are not simply selling products or services. They are creating opportunity, building influence, preserving culture, generating jobs, supporting families, and investing back into the communities they call home.
And in many cases, they are doing it without massive teams, institutional backing, or headlines.

They simply keep showing up.

Across the country, we continue to witness entrepreneurs redefining industries in real time. Some are first-generation business owners. Others are building on family legacies. Many are balancing business ownership with parenting, caregiving, mentoring, and community leadership.

What often goes unnoticed is how deeply personal entrepreneurship really is.
For many small business owners, the business is not separate from life it is life.

It represents sacrifice.
It represents identity.
It represents belief in something bigger than a paycheck.

Over the years, HL has had the privilege of telling the stories of restaurant owners, financial professionals, creatives, nonprofit leaders, real estate experts, retailers, attorneys, wellness advocates, media entrepreneurs, and founders from a wide range of industries. What connects them is not simply revenue or visibility.

It is resilience.

Especially within Hispanic and multicultural communities, entrepreneurship has long been part of the economic engine that helps families move forward. Small businesses often become gathering places, employers, mentors, sponsors, and trusted voices within the community.

They become part of the cultural fabric.

Today’s business environment, however, is far more demanding than it once was.

Entrepreneurs are navigating inflation, rising operational costs, technology shifts, AI disruption, changing consumer behavior, social media pressures, and an economy that often feels unpredictable. At the same time, they are expected to constantly market themselves, create content, manage teams, and remain visible in increasingly crowded digital spaces.

The pressure is real.

Yet despite those challenges, many continue to evolve, adapt, and grow.
That spirit of reinvention may be one of the defining characteristics of modern entrepreneurship.

At HL, we understand that evolution personally.

Our own platform has gone through transformation rethinking not only how stories are told, but why they matter. We have shifted toward deeper conversations around culture, leadership, influence, business, wellness, travel, and aspiration because today’s audience is looking for more than headlines.

People are looking for connection.
For insight.
For inspiration.
For examples of what’s possible.
Small businesses provide exactly that.

As we look ahead, we believe the future belongs to entrepreneurs who understand the value of relationships, authenticity, adaptability, and community trust. The businesses that will continue to grow are the ones that recognize consumers are no longer simply purchasing products.

They are investing in experiences.
Values.
Stories.
And people they believe in.

That is especially true within affluent and emerging multicultural markets, where influence extends beyond economics and into lifestyle, identity, and community impact.

Small Business Month should not simply be about celebrating survival.

It should be about recognizing vision.
The vision to create something from nothing.
The vision to employ others.
The vision to build legacy.

And the vision to continue moving forward even when the path is uncertain.

To every entrepreneur working long hours behind the scenes…
To every founder funding a dream with personal sacrifice…
To every family-owned business adapting to a changing world…
And to every small business owner still believing in what’s possible…

We see you.

And your story matters.

Because long before corporations discover trends, communities are often shaped by the entrepreneurs already doing the work at the local level building influence one relationship at a time.

That is worth recognizing not just in May, but throughout the year.

HL | Culture and Influence
Defining Culture and Influence… in our community.

Small Business by the Numbers

Why Entrepreneurship Continues to Matter

Small businesses account for 99.9% of all U.S. businesses, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Small businesses employ nearly 46% of the American workforce, representing millions of jobs across every industry and community.
Latino-owned businesses continue to be one of the fastest-growing segments of entrepreneurship in the United States, contributing hundreds of billions of dollars annually to the U.S. economy.
Studies continue to show that business ownership remains one of the strongest pathways toward building generational wealth, particularly for first-generation entrepreneurs and multicultural families.
Family-owned businesses often create more than income — they create:
- Homeownership opportunities
- College funding for future generations
- Employment within the community
- Long-term financial stability
- Legacy and economic influence
According to multiple business and financial studies, entrepreneurs are more likely to create transferable assets that can be passed down through generations compared to wage-based income alone.
Today’s entrepreneurs are increasingly building businesses around:
- Culture and community
- Digital influence
- Specialized expertise
- Lifestyle-driven brands
- Relationship-based trust

The Bigger Picture

For many families, entrepreneurship is no longer simply about owning a business.

It is about creating freedom.
Creating opportunity.
And creating a legacy future generations can build upon.

Source | U.S. Small Business Administration

The Sleeping Giant Has Awakened

Feb 10, 2026 | Money, Finances & Wealth

The Sleeping Giant Has Awakened

The U.S. Hispanic Market Begins to Flex Its Muscles and Stretch Its Influence

By HL | Culture & Influence, Richard Sandoval

For decades, the U.S. Hispanic market was described as emerging, promising, or one to watch. Those labels no longer apply.

What we are witnessing today is not emergence it is arrival.

Across business, culture, media, and consumer spending, U.S. Hispanics are no longer waiting for permission to influence the mainstream. They are shaping it through purchasing power that rivals entire national economies, entrepreneurial momentum transforming local markets, and cultural authority redefining what America watches, listens to, eats, and aspires to.

The sleeping giant has awakened.

From Demographic to Economic Force

The U.S. Hispanic population now exceeds 63 million people, representing nearly one in five Americans. But population alone does not explain the shift underway.

What matters is economic gravity.

U.S. Hispanic buying power now surpasses $2 trillion annually placing it among the world’s largest economies if measured independently. That spending stretches across housing, automotive, travel, financial services, healthcare, education, luxury goods, and digital media.

Equally important is how that spending is deployed. Hispanic consumers today are increasingly intentional rewarding brands, institutions, and platforms that demonstrate understanding, respect, and long-term commitment.

HL Perspective

A Question Asked in 1997, Answered Today

When Hispanic Lifestyle launched in 1997, the caption on our very first cover asked a simple but uncomfortable question:

“Are Hispanic consumers taken for granted?”

Inland Empire Hispanic Lifestyle Magazine Cover – 1997

At the time, the U.S. Hispanic market was often described as emerging or as the “sleeping giant.” The phrase acknowledged a growing population, rising buying power, and a critical labor force. But it also revealed a deeper truth: our community was recognized in theory, yet rarely treated with urgency or respect in practice.

Nearly three decades later, that question has answered itself.

The U.S. Hispanic market has grown into a $2 trillion economic force, become a majority population in multiple states, and emerged as one of the most influential drivers of American culture and commerce. What was once framed as potential is now power.

In a time marked by national frustration and uncertainty, the Super Bowl halftime moment featuring Bad Bunny felt deeply symbolic. What some labeled controversy became education. Millions were reminded that Puerto Rico is part of the United States, that Spanish is a domestic language spoken by millions of Americans, and that Hispanic culture is not adjacent to the mainstream it is embedded within it.

The sleeping giant did not wake up that night.

It simply reminded the country that it has always been here building, contributing, and influencing.

The Rise of the Affluent U.S. Hispanic Consumer

One of the most underreported dynamics in today’s economy is the rapid growth of affluent Hispanic households.

Latinas and Latinos are increasingly represented among:

Six-figure household incomes
Business owners, investors, and senior executives
Competitive homebuyers in urban and suburban markets
Consumers of premium, luxury, and experience-driven products

This is largely earned wealth, built through entrepreneurship, education, and multigenerational sacrifice. With that wealth comes a shift in mindset from access to agency, from visibility to ownership, and from consumption to legacy.

Brands still relying on outdated assumptions about price sensitivity or entry-level positioning are already behind.

Culture as an Economic Engine

Culture has always been the connective tissue of the Hispanic community. Today, it has become a powerful economic lever.

Hispanic influence is unmistakable across:

Music and live entertainment
Film, streaming, and bilingual storytelling
Food, hospitality, and experiential dining
Fashion, beauty, and lifestyle branding
Social platforms where culture travels faster than advertising

What has changed is control. Hispanic creators, founders, and executives are no longer just contributors they are owners, investors, and decision-makers.

Influence has moved upstream.

The Super Bowl Moment: When Culture Moves Markets

The Super Bowl has long been America’s biggest shared cultural moment. What stood out this year was not just viewership, but who activated around it.

Bad Bunny

Bad Bunny’s presence connected directly with U.S. Hispanic audiences sparking watch parties, family gatherings, social engagement, and a surge in digital conversation. Streaming activity spiked. Spanish-language and bilingual content surged in visibility. Communities turned a broadcast moment into a shared cultural experience.

This was not simply entertainment.
It was an economic multiplier.

In minutes, culture moved markets demonstrating that when Hispanic audiences engage, they do so collectively, intentionally, and at scale.

Business, Media, and the Cost of Standing Still

There is now a widening gap between organizations that engage the U.S. Hispanic market and those that merely acknowledge it.

The leaders are investing in:

Long-term relationships, not one-off campaigns
Leadership visibility, not surface-level representation
Storytelling and experiences that respect nuance, ambition, and influence

Those who fail to adapt risk more than missed opportunity they risk irrelevance.

The U.S. Hispanic market is no longer asking to be included.

It is deciding who earns access.

What Comes Next

The awakening of the U.S. Hispanic market marks a defining chapter in American business and culture one shaped by confidence, capital, and cultural authority.

For business leaders, media companies, and institutions, the question is no longer if this market matters.

The question is whether they are prepared to meet it at its current level of sophistication, scale, and influence.

The giant is awake and it is moving with purpose.

The U.S. Hispanic Market: 1997 → Today

From Overlooked to Unmistakable

1997 | The Question

“Are Hispanic consumers taken for granted?”

U.S. Hispanic population: ~29 million
Buying power: under $500 billion
Hispanic media largely niche and underfunded
Spanish-language marketing treated as “add-on,” not strategy
Latino influence acknowledged but rarely prioritized

Hispanic Lifestyle launches amid questions of visibility and respect.

2000–2010 | The Foundation

Population growth accelerates nationwide
Hispanic labor force becomes essential to:
Construction
Agriculture
Hospitality
Manufacturing
Latino homeownership rises sharply
Spanish-language television gains national scale

The giant is building but still underestimated.

2010–2019 | The Shift

U.S. Hispanic population surpasses 50 million
Latino-owned businesses grow at 2–3× the national average
Buying power approaches $1.7 trillion
Streaming, music, and digital platforms amplify Latino voices
Younger Latinos reshape pop culture, language, and trends

From participation to influence.

2020–2024 | The Acceleration

Hispanics drive:

Workforce recovery
Small business creation
Housing demand in key markets

Spanish becomes a dominant language in U.S. digital culture
Latino creators and entrepreneurs move into ownership roles
Cultural moments increasingly originate from Hispanic communities

Influence moves upstream.

Today | The Reality

Population: 63+ million (nearly 1 in 5 Americans)
Buying power: $2+ trillion annually
Latinos represent a majority population in multiple U.S. states
Hispanic consumers span:
- Entry-level to affluent
- Blue-collar to executive leadership
- First-generation to multi-generational wealth

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Hispanics are now one of the most influential demographic, economic, and cultural forces shaping America’s future.

2026 and Beyond | What’s Different Now

The market is no longer asking to be seen
Brands no longer control the narrative
Cultural relevance now equals economic power

The sleeping giant hasn’t just awakened it has learned how to move markets.

Salsa Over Ketchup

Oct 30, 2025 | Business

Salsa Over Ketchup

How Latin Food Reshaped America’s Palate and Economy

By Richard Sandoval | Hispanic Lifestyle

When I first began sharing stories about our community, one of the most memorable moments took place in a small church in Riverside, California. I was attending a presentation featuring community business leaders when John Hope Bryant, the founder of Operation HOPE, delivered a powerful cultural insight: salsa had officially overtaken ketchup in sales across America.

Exclusive photos by Richard Sandoval

That moment stuck with me. It wasn’t just about condiments it signified a larger truth. Nearly 30 years ago, America was changing, both culturally and economically. Today, Latin food is no longer an “ethnic” niche; it’s part of the everyday American experience.

America’s Appetite for Latin Flavor: A Billion Dollar Transformation

What began as a cultural curiosity is now a culinary and economic powerhouse. Here are a few stats that tell the story:

Mexican restaurants generated over $105 billion in U.S. revenue in 2025, according to IBISWorld.
There are over 52,000 Mexican restaurants across the country, making up more than 11% of all restaurants in the U.S.
In the grocery sector, Latin food and beverage sales topped $4.3 billion, driven by products like tortillas, beans, rice, spices, and salsa.
Tortillas are now more popular than white bread in many parts of the U.S., and salsa continues to outsell ketchup in dollar volume.
These numbers confirm what many of us have known for decades Latin food has become central to the American table.

Meet the Giants: The Largest Latin Food Producers in the U.S.

As Latin flavors took over supermarkets and dinner tables, a group of dominant producers rose to meet demand. These brands have become household names:

Mission Foods – The largest U.S. producer of tortillas and wraps.
Old El Paso – Owned by General Mills, it has supplied American pantries with taco kits and canned beans for over 80 years.
Pace Foods – A pioneer in mainstream salsa, now under Campbell Soup Company.
La Costeña – A Mexican import brand found in most U.S. Hispanic households.
Ruiz Foods (El Monterey) – One of the largest frozen Mexican food companies in the nation.
José Olé, Hormel, Tostitos, and Herdez also contribute to the billions in Latin inspired grocery revenue.

These companies not only meet demand they help shape it by investing in product innovation and national distribution.

State by State: The Economic Impact of Mexican Restaurants

The influence of Latin food isn’t limited to the coasts or border states. Across the 50 states, Latin and Mexican restaurants are fueling local economies:

California leads the nation, home to over 10,000 Mexican food establishments, with major hubs in Los Angeles, San Diego, and the Central Valley.
Texas follows closely, driven by a strong Tejano culinary heritage.
Florida, New York, Arizona, Illinois, and Nevada have also seen explosive growth in Latin food offerings.
From taco trucks in Portland to taquerías in Omaha, the Latin food economy creates over 1 million jobs, according to the National Restaurant Association.

In smaller cities and towns, Latin-owned food businesses are often the backbone of Main Street, supporting entrepreneurship and local supply chains.

The Chains That Changed the Game

While mom and pop shops play a critical role, large national chains have helped normalize Latin flavors for the general market:

Taco Bell – Over 6,000 U.S. locations and counting.
Chipotle Mexican Grill – Fast casual pioneer with 2,300+ outlets.
Qdoba Mexican Eats – Serving made-to-order burritos and bowls across 700+ locations.
Moe’s Southwest Grill – Known for its TexMex twist.
Del Taco – A Southern California staple now expanding eastward.

These brands, alongside growing regional players like Rubio’s, Baja Fresh, and Café Rio, have introduced Latin food to new demographics and regions.

What’s Next? The Growth Potential of Latin Cuisine

With all this success, what lies ahead?

Regional Exploration: Consumers are now asking for authenticity dishes like birria, mole, arepas, pupusas, and ceviche are gaining mainstream traction.
Food Trucks & Ghost Kitchens: Low startup costs allow new Latin food entrepreneurs to test markets quickly and innovate without huge risk.
Health-Conscious Offerings: Latin flavors are being incorporated into vegan, gluten-free, and organic options.
Cultural Integration: Non-Hispanic chefs and restaurateurs are embracing Latin flavors, often collaborating with Latino culinary experts.
Demographics Drive Demand: With Latinos accounting for over 18% of the U.S. population—and growing—Latin food consumption will continue to expand in both volume and influence.

What started with a salsa vs. ketchup stat turned out to be a forecast for the future. Today, Latin food is deeply woven into the fabric of American life culturally, socially, and economically.

If the past is any indication, the next generation of Latin food entrepreneurs, chefs, and food lovers will continue redefining what it means to eat and live Latino in the United States.