BIENVENIDO

¡Saludos! Happy Friday, and welcome to the 56th edition of comprende. Last week, we mentioned that some changes were coming–and today, you’re seeing the first one in action.

Rather than our usual three shorter stories, we’re trying something new: each edition will now center around one in-depth story. This shift gives us more space to go deeper; whether it’s an interview with a Latino founder (like today), a cultural reflection, or a personal essay.

We’ll still rotate across the categories you know–but with more breathing room to tell each story with the depth and care it deserves, as well as explore new categories and topics.

So, grab your cafecito or cervecita (depending on where you are), settle in, and if you enjoy it, please forward the newsletter to friends or share it on social media! ☕️ 🍺

Latino Founder Omar Alvarez is Using Storytelling to Build Connection, Memory, and Healing

When Omar Alvarez thinks about his roots, he doesn’t just see where he came from–he sees a roadmap for building something meaningful, something lasting. Born and raised in Chicago to a Puerto Rican mother and stepfather, with Guatemalan lineage through his biological father, Omar’s story is stitched together by the same threads that define many Latino families: resilience, reinvention, and the deep importance of staying connected.

“Even though Puerto Rico is part of the U.S., my parents experienced what many would call the immigrant experience,” Omar shares. “They were only 18 when they moved to the mainland, barely spoke English, and had to start over. That shaped everything.”

Their sacrifices set the foundation for Omar’s journey, one that would lead him from the world of product and growth at brands like Nike and Levi’s to founding Kinnect, a memory-keeping platform built to help families preserve their stories with intention, dignity, and joy.

From Personal Loss to Purpose-Driven Innovation

Kinnect was born out of loss, grief, and a realization that there has to be a better way. Two life defining moments, in particular, carved out Omar’s mission.

The first was his grandfather’s battle with dementia. “Even now, I wish I had been older and more aware — I never had the chance to ask him basic things about our family history. That absence is real for me.”

The second was the passing of his close friend Brandon, who tried to use social media to stay connected during a long battle with cancer, but found it lacking. “It showed me how hard it is to maintain meaningful relationships through the stages of life — especially in a world where one in four people reports feeling lonely.”

Omar knew this wasn’t just personal, it was a problem many families face. A problem he is determined to solve.

Enter Kinnect: More Than Just Memories

Kinnect is a modern storytelling tool that makes it easy, and healing, to share and save meaningful family stories. At its heart are two offerings:

• The Kinnect App, available on the Apple Store, creates digital spaces for shared memories through guided prompts, daily questions, voice recordings, and private groups.

• Kinnect Books, transforms our stories into stunning physical keepsakes that can be passed on for generations–and is the first in the space to offer a Spanish-language experience.

“We asked ourselves: what keeps a family bonded? Stories. And stories come from good questions,” Omar says.

But Kinnect is doing more than digitizing memories. It’s reimagining what legacy looks like, especially for communities that haven’t always seen themselves reflected in traditional memory tools.

That includes Latinos, Black families, queer folks, caregivers, other minority groups, and those navigating aging and end-of-life care.

“What makes us different is our lens,” Omar explained. “We’re building for privacy, for underrepresented groups — for people who want a safe, sacred space to share.”

Cultural Pride at the Core

Every Kinnect feature, from voice-to-text storytelling to QR-coded pages that come alive with video, is designed to feel intuitive, respectful, and real. And that’s no accident.

Kinnect is shaped by Omar’s lived experiences, growing up in a Latino household, navigating the world as a gay man, a first-gen founder, and his commitment to designing for those too often overlooked.

“I think back to family dinners, to hearing my parents on the phone telling stories,” he says. “There’s so much richness in our culture — our music, our food, our memories. That deserves to be honored and passed down.”

Kinnect is that vessel. Whether you’re capturing your abuelita’s childhood stories or chronicling your child’s firsts, Kinnect makes it easy to preserve life’s moments in both English and Spanish, with beauty and care.

On Life as an Entrepreneur and the Vision Ahead

Like many Latino founders, Omar wears many hats and sometimes, all of them. As a solo founder, he juggles everything from product design to fundraising, marketing, partnerships and beyond. “The biggest hurdle has been figuring out how to build something meaningful while growing the business efficiently,” he says. “It’s a lot, but it’s worth it.”

In May, Kinnect got the green light on its first physical book print runs, marking a major milestone. As Omar looks ahead to closing their pre-seed round, he’s already planning deeper storytelling collaborations and new ways to support senior care and emotional wellness through memory work.

One of his proudest moments? Seeing Kinnect in the hands of people with early-onset dementia. “That level of trust is incredibly personal, and it motivates everything we do.”

Advice for Aspiring Latino Founders

Omar is candid about the extra layers Latino founders often navigate. “Be prepared to code switch,” he says. “It’s frustrating, but part of navigating certain rooms — especially if you’re seeking venture capital.”

His advice: show traction before you raise money, and show up prepared not just as a founder, but as a strategist. “VCs don’t just fund ideas — they fund businesses that work. Understand the game, and grow first.”

Building “Kinnections” That Last

Kinnect is more than a product, it’s a movement to reclaim storytelling as a powerful act of connection and healing. It’s about honoring the past while building the future and remembering the joy of the present.

In a world that often rushes past the moments that matter, Omar Alvarez is helping us slow down, ask better questions, and listen, really listen, to the people who made us who we are.

“Your stories are the legacy. Kinnect just helps you save them.”

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