The narrative of the United States has always been shaped by the ambition, energy, and hard work of individuals that begin a new life in this country. Today is no different.

Many of us have seen, first-hand, the drive that can transform local economies. We’ve seen members of our community that are educators, business owners, doctors, contractors, tackling both full-time and part-time jobs. 

These communities are at the forefront of the new American economy. And at Alza, we are providing the financial tools & technology that can continue to power this growth.

My name is Arturo Villanueva, and I am the Founder / CEO of Alza. I am originally from Monterrey, Mexico, but I grew up in the most remarkable border town in the southernmost tip of Texas - a town full of promise, opportunity, and wonderful people - Mission, Texas.

My family moved to the U.S. when I was 6 in search of new horizons. At an early age, we were instilled with an audacity to dream big. I grew up with the notion that if you work really hard in this country, you’d be able to achieve great things. I went on to attend Harvard for my undergraduate degree, Oxford for my graduate program, and started a thrilling career that I feel fortunate to still be shaping. I worked in international development as part of the World Bank in Brazil and then joined Stripe, a payments technology company, in California as the company’s international expansion was really taking off.

Through these experiences, I was able to see how technology, when carefully crafted, can really be an enabler of change.

Alza

From a macro perspective, U.S. Latinos are transforming the U.S economy across so many industries. With ~60 million individuals & counting, and GDP contributions exceeding $2T, this alone would rival most global economies by size and projected growth. This demographic is dynamic, contributing profoundly to the economy of the U.S. 

Despite these stunning contributions in the U.S. (and abroad), U.S. Latinos experience unique friction points when interacting with financial services - some explicit and some more implicit.

With Alza, we’re excited to make it easier to embark on your financial journey in the US. With Alza, individuals can be connected to an FDIC-insured bank account¹, send money to friends and family in the U.S. and abroad to 20+ markets in Latin America². 

At Alza, we’re all about stories, and are excited to help you write your next big chapter. 

Seguimos,
Arturo Villanueva

¹ Alza is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided by First Internet Bank of Indiana, Member FDIC. Your money is FDIC insured up to $250,000 per depositor per ownership category by our banking partner, First Internet Bank of Indiana, member FDIC.

² International money transfer services are powered by The Bancorp Bank, N.A., Member FDIC.

Sources: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/us-latino-economic-output-rank-5th-world-gdp-according-new-study-rcna48740  https://www.census.gov/newsroom/facts-for-features/2023/hispanic-heritage-month.html#:~:text=63.7%20million,19.1%25%20of%20the%20total%20population