Chingona Ventures Appoints Rocio Meza to Associate
Chingona Ventures is pleased to announce the promotion of our very own, Rocio Meza! She has been promoted from Senior Analyst to Associate.
Rocio first joined Chingona Ventures 6 months ago and has been deeply engaged in all areas of the fund — anywhere from the investment team, quarterly reports to LPs, and social media. Her interests include building on our five pillars (fintech, femtech, future of learning, health/wellness, and food tech), while also learning more about Web3.
Outside of work, Rocio also is a mentor for Chicago Blend’s Venture Fellows, was part of GET Cities’ inaugural fellowship, and is passionate about helping highlight underrepresented founders and overlooked industries within VC. Hailing from Little Village, as a first-generation college graduate from Columbia University, she understands the importance of mentorship and being brave enough to be the first to break the mold.
Read below to learn more about Rocio and her journey:
Samara Hernandez: Can you give us a background on where you grew up?
Rocio Meza: I grew up in Little Village in Chicago and I’ve pretty much only lived there until I went to school in NYC and stayed there for a bit working after college. My parents are from San Luis Potosi and immigrated to Chicago when they were in their teens. I loved growing up in Little Village (and I still live there for the time being until I move soon) since I could get fresh pan dulce every week in the winter and grab a raspado whenever I want in the summer. There’s something really special about knowing all your neighbors, feeling a real sense of community, and celebrating your culture all year around.
Pictured: Little Village Neighborhood
Samara: Why did you want to get into VC and what advice would you give to those that want to get into this industry?
Rocio: I think I’ve always been drawn to spaces where I feel like there are opportunities to change the way we do things and impact the future. Having worked in the business departments at Kraft Heinz and McDonald’s, these bigger brand names, you really see the whole gamut of how things are run — but for me, instead of working for the companies of today, I wanted to help support the companies of tomorrow. Startups can inject so much innovation and creativity into traditional ways of doing things, and I see VCs as the movers and shakers that support those companies along the way. And not only did I know that VC was the space to help disrupt processes, but I also knew I wanted to work with a team that actively funds diverse spaces and founders.
As for getting into VC, It’s definitely a long-game approach. It’s not for those who are impatient! I thought about getting into VC almost a year and a half before I joined Chingona Ventures and I carefully considered a bunch of opportunities to get more exposure to the space. I ended up doing the TechStars Ventures Deals course in 2020, got into the VC University program in 2021, and that same year I ended up doing the GET Cities fellowship. Aside from immersing myself in every program I could do, I started to shift my mindset from a regular consumer to an investor while listening to everyday news. If there was an exit or a new product out, I would ask myself what considerations a founder might have taken to make their next move.
Pictured: From left to right, Kit Chow (Internship On Demand), Shawn Park (P33), Sara Agate (Munitask), Rocio (Chingona Ventures)
Samara: What’s been the biggest surprise so far?
Rocio: Coming from a world of big data, I assumed there wasn’t much data in the pre-seed investor world. Sometimes all founders have is a PowerPoint and an idea — that’s it. However, there’s actually so much data and information out there (for instance, how is the market and what’s the need for something like this?) that investors can use to feel confident about an investment. I like to coin the term “idea traction” instead for founders that haven’t had much traction given their stage. It’s definitely a sign of confidence when founders are able to show their ideas and plan on paper, know exactly where their money is going towards, and have really laid out the plan for execution. Iterating ideas and constantly updating roadmaps is something that every founder will do, especially during the early stages.
Samara: Where do you see the biggest opportunity to invest in right now, what deals should everyone send you?
Rocio: At Chingona Ventures, we are big supporters of fintech 😊 with more transactions moving online every single year, spending has gone up — especially within the Latino community (Hispanic household spending is projected to reach $978 billion in 2020, making Hispanics the single largest and highest-spending minority group in the United States). Along those same lines, femtech is something we are definitely bullish on and want to make even more investments in this year. Personally and professionally, I’m really interested in the Web3 space, which can touch almost every industry.
Samara: What are your overall thoughts on your first 6 months on the team?
Rocio: I started the role knowing I would be exposed to all aspects of the fund and learn a lot. The team allowed me to leverage all my skills and skills that I didn’t even know I had. There’s never a dull moment or the same day twice, each day comes with an opportunity to dive deeper into a new industry, get the opportunity to listen to founders’ stories, and be able to support an incredible fund with a portfolio that speaks for itself. I joined at such a pivotal time as well, when Samara was raising her second Fund, resulting in the largest raise for a sole Latina GP. With leadership and support from chingonas like her and other VCs, it’s been a rewarding journey that I hope to continue as an Associate. Super excited for what’s to come!
Congrats on the promotion to our fellow Chingona, Rocio!
