Xero expands partnerships with U.S. Latino community

Cloud accounting software developer Xero announced new collaborations with the U.S. Latino business community this week, anticipating the rise of Latino-owned businesses across the country.

Citing a Stanford University study that showed a 44% increase in Latino-owned businesses in the U.S. over the last decade — the "fastest-growing demographics in the US small business economy" — Xero will look to boost its support across that business sector through collaborations with the Association of Latino Professionals For America (ALPFA), the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC) and B2B marketplace Negozee. Xero previously launched a U.S. Hispanic specialty team in 2020, as well as an employee resource group, dubbed "Los Xeros," last year.

"It’s inspiring to see how the entrepreneurial spirit of the Hispanic community closely aligns with Xero’s values to innovate and solve challenges," said Jackie Valez, director of the U.S. Hispanic market at Xero, in a statement. "I am proud to see these partnerships and the opportunities they provide to help us support even more Hispanic small business owners throughout the U.S."

With ALPFA — the first national Latino professional association in the U.S. — Xero will focus its efforts on "building Latino leaders and supporting the next generation of talent," as well as give its Los Xeros group more access to the professional development opportunities available at ALPFA. Xero will further support ALPFA with scholarships and co-marketing opportunities.

Xero will collaborate with the USHCC through the latter's corporate partner membership program. Xero will support "the chamber’s mission and efforts to build an ecosystem to accelerate Hispanic business growth throughout the U.S." and raise awareness of Xero with more accounting professionals in the Hispanic community.

Lastly, Xero will work with Negozee to provide small businesses and accounting professionals within Negozee’s community various professional resources, including educational materials, webinars and workshops.

"As a company, we strive to create a positive environment where everyone feels like they belong," Valez added. "Our people-focused culture resonates from the ‘inside-out,’ allowing our people to thrive and do their best work, and it impacts everyone from employees to our millions of customers. While we’re still in the early days of our ERG and building out the U.S. Hispanic team, I am looking forward to seeing our impact and what we aspire to bring about in the Hispanic small business community."

More information on the collaboration is available on Xero's blog here.