Inside LV4D: Key Insights & Learnings from the First US-based Accelerator for Latino-led Media

At New Media Ventures (NMV) and New Rising Ventures (NRV), we’ve always believed that people power isn’t built solely at the ballot box. It’s shaped by the systems that govern our lives—and by the stories that tell us who we are, what’s possible, and who gets to lead.

For over 15 years, we’ve backed early-stage innovation at the intersection of media, technology, and democracy. From civic tech like ActBlue to narrative-shifting media platforms, our investments have always been about fueling infrastructure and imagination in equal measure.

That belief feels especially urgent now.

Disinformation is moving faster than ever. Attacks on Latino and immigrant communities are intensifying. And public trust in institutions is breaking down in real time. But alongside that erosion, we see a profound opportunity—if we’re bold enough to invest differently.

Why We Launched Latino Voices For Democracy

At the end of 2023, we partnered with the Valiente Action Fund to launch the Latine Voices for Democracy Accelerator (LV4D)—a first-of-its-kind, bilingual accelerator built for Latino-led media organizations in the US.

In just five months, we identified a pipeline gap (particularly in the South and Southwest), designed a program from scratch, conducted deep diligence, and launched a full cohort of ten organizations by April 2024.

We didn’t realize it at the time, but we were building something special: a program built not just for Latino journalists, but for local media leaders operating at the intersection of civic life, culture, and community trust.

Our hypothesis was simple: If we gave trusted messengers capital, tools, relationships, and the autonomy to lead their own narratives, they would build something stronger than anything a top-down media strategy could dictate.

And they did.

How We Built It

The program blended capital, curriculum, and community. Each organization received non-dilutive funding, participated in two in-person gatherings and monthly virtual touchpoints, and worked with tools like Indiegraf, Legitimate, and Stylebot—products from our national portfolio, intentionally selected for their relevance to local media teams.

More than that, we curated a cohort experience. One where local media leaders could connect not just with each other, but with national platform founders, tech innovators, and funders—people they don’t usually share space with.

Because co-creation is more than just a buzzword. Today, messaging is shaped in comment sections, on livestreams, through remixes and memes. Culture isn’t dictated—it’s negotiated. And power is built in relationship.

That was our north star: create an ecosystem where connection—not control—drives impact.

What Happened

Over seven months, our ten participating organizations didn’t just expand their audiences or tech stacks. They expanded each other.

They shared strategies and content. They cross-promoted. They launched new projects together. They grew across platforms—TikTok, WhatsApp, radio, print. And they built trust: with each other, with their communities, and with their audiences.

The stats speak volumes. NotiVision Georgia doubled its reach. Factchequeado saw a 376% increase in platform engagement. palabra’s web traffic jumped 59%. Seventy percent of participants secured follow-on funding. And the majority collaborated across the cohort—something no funder required, but the community made happen anyway.

They didn’t just deliver metrics. They modeled what resilient, participatory media infrastructure can actually look like.

What We Learned

We learned that integrating tech is still a heavy lift. Tools like CMS platforms, AI workflows, and reader revenue models require time, training, and support, especially for lean teams operating on under $500K annually.

We learned that expert services—from fundraising strategy to legal navigation—aren’t luxuries. They’re lifelines.

We saw that platform experimentation across TikTok, podcasts, print, YouTube, etc., is key to future growth, but requires intentional support to do well and do safely.

And most critically, we learned that connection is infrastructure.

The biggest unlock wasn’t amplification—it was relationship. Across states, structures, platforms. Between trusted local outlets and emerging creators. Between what’s been and what’s next.

Where We’re Headed

In 2025, we’re doubling down.

LV4D will expand to include deeper tech integration, hands-on expert services, and more tailored support for platform experimentation. We’re continuing our convenings and adding more deliberate strategies to foster collaborations between cohort members, creators, civic technologists, and national networks.

However, LV4D is just one part of a broader strategy we’ve been building for over a decade—one rooted in full-spectrum infrastructure.

We don’t believe in investing in just one kind of platform or one type of messenger. We believe that newsrooms are creators, and that creators are institutions in the making. The real opportunity isn’t in choosing between the traditional and the emerging. It’s in bringing them together.

This belief shapes every part of our media strategy:

We diversify across the ecosystem, backing national outlets, local organizations, experimental platforms, and everything in between.

We let go of the myth of the “perfect messenger.” Impact isn’t about perfectly crafted talking points—it’s about trust, values, and alignment with community.

We expand the definition of what it means to be a creator. To us, that includes civic journalists, comedians, podcasters, beauty influencers, and cultural commentators alike. We invest in them not based on form, but on their ability to move people.

And we design capital structures that meet the moment. Because we know that as media leaders grow, the capital landscape gets thinner and the political risks get higher. So we’re building new models to help these leaders survive and scale.

Case Study: What This Looks Like

In 2021, we backed a small audio-first studio called SomeFriends. Over time, that studio evolved into @SubwayTakes, its first show and now a viral cultural platform reaching millions across TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram. Their content blends storytelling, humor, and lived experience—meeting people literally on the subway, and figuratively where they are.

Their growth didn’t come from following rules. It came from breaking molds. From being real. From experimenting.

It’s exactly what we mean when we say: diligence deeply, invest early, trust the builders, stay a partner through pivots.

The Bigger Picture

LV4D and our broader media strategy are about more than just fighting disinformation and media funding.

It’s about rebuilding trust, shifting narratives, and growing collective power at scale. It’s about investing in the connective tissue that holds communities—and democracy—together.

It’s about helping trusted messengers not just withstand disinformation, but build something stronger in its place.

And it’s about proving that when we center autonomy, culture, experimentation, and trust, we don’t just get better media—we get a better future.

We’re not just responding to the moment. We’re building what’s next.

And we’re just getting started.