, here are the May news from NAA members!

NAA Bears & Bulls Digest

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2021 May | II

Greeting from the CEO

Saludos! Our May newsletter brings a lot of great announcements. I’m sure you will be pleased!

Last month we had the first Dealmakers Forum with a stellar panel whose discussion covered topics from women leading innovation to value creation and impact. The Forum was introduced by a very special guest, California Assemblymember Sabrina Cervantes. If you were unable to attend the session, we invite you to view the Replay of the Dealmakers Forum -below.

Last year, as you know, was our first year creating virtual tour meetings with institutional investors – many of them friends whom NAA had visited in past. The support and welcome we received for these meetings have been beyond anything I could have expected. Your engagement, guidance, and financial support helped us continue with this effort adding new friends and expanding our reach. Continue perusing for what is coming!

Another relevant conversation will take place in June with a very special guest, the Honorable US Senator from NJ Bob Menendez. Senator Menendez will share his perspective, work, and views with the NAA membership. He is the highest-ranking Latino in the U.S. Congress, a son of Cuban immigrants, and a champion for American Latinos.

Senator Menendez recently introduced legislation, The Improving Corporate Governance Through Diversity Act of 2020. This transparency measure will shed light on the abysmal lack of diversity and inclusion in corporate America. Please save the date. More to come!

The next Dealmakers Forum is scheduled for June 16, from 3:00 to 4:00 PM where we will discuss diversity, inclusion, and ESG in this post-2020 world. The entire NAA family is invited. Please stay tuned for more information.

In closing, you should know that our Capital Campaign is on fire! The committee, headed by Leon Brujis,

has raised $1MM in 2 months. We have a couple of Padrinos – those whose donation is at $100,000 or more – and a couple more lined up. NAA relies on the support of generous donors such as you to continue with our initiatives. Your donation will help ensure the success of the NAA’s future in pushing the national agenda forward for American Latinos, women, and people of color. All are welcome and appreciated.

Les estoy muy agradecida . . .

Solange F. Brooks

Guest Speaker Sabrina Cervantes, CA Assemblymember

On April 29, Assemblymember Cervantes’ AB 890 was approved by the first Policy Committee without opposition. NAA testified in support of the bill alongside the Association of Asian American Investment Managers (AAAIM). AB 890 will reinstate and enhance transparency and accountability in how CalPERS and CalSTRS deploy their respective investment assets. We are continuing to build support for the measure from like-minded organizations as it makes its way through the California legislative process. AB 890 is a critical building block to creating a more equitable society for traditionally underrepresented populations.

Bill Text - AB-890 Public employee retirement systems: investment management: reports. (ca.gov)

Upcoming Events

RSVP to Jodi Martinez Towner, Director of Programs and Operations jtowner@naaonline.org

Best in Class

Joe Acevedo, Co-Founder & Managing Director, MoonSail Capital LLC

Joe Acevedo is Co-Founder and Managing Director of MoonSail Capital, LLC, a lower middle-market private equity firm based in Los Angeles, CA, and San Juan, PR. MoonSail invests primarily in founder-led healthcare/wellness and business services companies.

MoonSail closed its first committed “micro-fund” in 2019 with a mission to target small businesses that fall under the radar of larger institutional investors.

The first person in his family to attend college, Joe insists on paying it forward through mentorship and a commitment to increasing diversity in asset management.

MoonSail is proud to have a 100% Latino ownership, management, and employee base, with a dedication to funding diverse-owned businesses that are poised for growth with the benefit of a hands-on investor approach. MoonSail’s founders represent the first generation of emerging managers to have spun out of the original generation of successful emerging managers: a legacy made possible by the advocacy work pioneered by the NAA.

Joe’s 25-year professional career spans Wall Street, the media industry, and private equity, serving as board director/observer to ten (10) private companies.

Mr. Acevedo graduated from Harvard College with an A.B., cum laude, in Government, and holds an M.B.A. in Finance from the Wharton School, where he was a Robert A. Toigo Fellow. He is a Board Member and in the Executive Committee of the New America Alliance (NAA) and Board Member and Treasurer of the Toigo Alumni Endowment.

Joe is a native New Yorker (Queens) and resides in Los Angeles with his wife and his three children (triplets).

To contact the firm, please visit Moonsail Capital LLC

The Blue Chip Endeavor Ativo Capital LLC

Congratulations to Ativo Capital and Founder, CEO, & CFO Ricardo Bekin, for being selected as International Small-Cap Manager of the Year. The award was bestowed by Emerging Managers Monthly for their “2021 Emerging Manager Awards.”

“The judges were impressed with the firm’s consistency of performance, with one judge noting the firm’s ability to outperform despite their low beta profile and counter-cyclical approach in what another judge noted as a tough asset class.” To read more, please visit Emerging Managers Monthly. (subscription required)

Ricardo has over 25 years of financial and investment management experience. He led Callard, Madden & Associates through the creation of their asset management firm, which ultimately became Ativo Capital Management, LLC. He oversees all investment management activities at Ativo. Ricardo is responsible for establishing processes and procedures for stock valuation, financial modeling, and portfolio construction.

To contact the firm, please visit Ativo Capital LLC

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