Lideres Latinx! Hispanic Heritage Month Spotlight: Edwin Valencia

Founded 8 years ago, Edwin Valencia started Grow Financial after spending the first 11 years of his career working at Fortune 100 companies, such as Toyota/Lexus Motor Corporation and Accenture, the world’s largest consulting firm. Edwin cherished his experience in Corporate America while working on projects such as conducting market and economic analysis for the Lexus brand launch in Mexico. That experience peaked his interest in working on financial issues that involve the public. Edwin left his comfortable position and launched Grow Financial to apply his business and financial acumen on projects that are not only socially responsible but also economically feasible.

Grow Financial is a team of financial professionals that serve as CFO’s & Controllers by overseeing some or all aspects of an organization’s finance department, including accounting, regulatory, reporting, budget and forecasting, as well as internal controls. Grow Financial, whose goal is to help clients stay audit ready, combines operations and strategy to deliver financial advice for sustainability and growth. For nearly 8 years Grow Financial has focused on providing financial services to organizations focused on the common good. Currently serving 15 nonprofit clients in Southern and Northern California, Grow has had the privilege of working with nonprofits like Plaza Community Services, which provides free daycare to hundreds of low-income families on the eastside or California Environmental Voters, who fight for climate justice. The most unique project Grow worked on was advising the Puerto Rican government and mayors on fiscal oversight and financial recovery of the island in 2018 after Hurricane Irma.

Before the pandemic made it cool, Edwin had a deep love and appreciation for plants. The name of the company, Grow Financial, comes from his affinity for plants and constant growth. Although Edwin has a Bachelor’s degree in Public Policy from USC and MBA from Georgetown University, he considers himself a lifelong learner.