Our Genesis
Our two founders go way back. They met and became friends in high school and have consistently partnered to test new ideas in the market, from software to apparel goods. Born to immigrant parents and embodying the spirit of entrepreneurship, they never gave up.
One Sunday morning, one of our founders read La Raza Cósmica, an essay by Mexican philosopher and 1929 presidential candidate José Vasconcelos. The essay envisions a future "fifth race" in the Americas—an amalgamation of all races, transcending color and number, to create a new civilization. Inspired, he immediately called his friend, his future co-founder, to share his thoughts.
With that spirit of wonder, Raza Collective was born. The mission: to fill the gap through a two-pronged approach:
- Forming a community influenced by Los Angeles culture, art, and fashion.
- Partnering with non-profits to tackle educational reform, improve access to resources and generational wealth, and enhance financial literacy among Hispanics globally.
When the founders met, one was an Account Executive for Oracle, and the other was a Computational Researcher at Stanford University and a member of the Stanford Venture Studio. Together, they successfully fused the Los Angeles street and urban scenes with Silicon Valley and New York culture to create Raza Collective.
Raza Collective launched in the winter of 2019 as a full-stack, vertically integrated media and streetwear startup. The brand has built unparalleled equity with its audience, achieving over 55% peak engagement and 180,000 peak impressions.
The organization offers a unique community, showcasing the true meaning of hustle and drive. Raza is more than just a brand; it’s a mentality and lifestyle choice.
Raza spends months finding the best partners and non-profits around the world—organizations that fight for human rights. They visit these partners often, building strong personal relationships. Their goal is to contribute 10% of their profits evenly to these causes. Some of the organizations they support include Homeboy Industries, Teach For America, and RAICES. This initiative has significantly fueled their organic growth, leading to five-figure sales within three months of launch, with only ~$100 in ad spend and zero inventory remaining.
In September 2020, they launched Drop #1, their first product collaboration, which sold out within 48 hours. This collaboration was with “The L.A. Six,” a group of renowned Los Angeles street photographers: Estevan Oriol, Frankie Orozco, Merrick Morton, Angela Boatwright, Gilberto “Bam” Gidoy, and Suitcase Joe.