Who is Who
Luis Gutierrez-Prieto is a visionary financial services executive known for advancing financial inclusion across the Americas. As Regional Business Development Manager at Founders First Capital Partners, he empowers underrepresented entrepreneurs while serving on multiple advisory boards. His leadership blends innovation, integrity, and a lifelong commitment to inclusive economic growth.
A Vision Rooted in Inclusion and Leadership
When Luis Gutierrez-Prieto speaks about financial inclusion, it is not from theory but from decades of experience shaping the global financial landscape. His career reflects a deep conviction that finance, at its best, is a bridge to opportunity. Luis embodies a belief that real economic growth begins with people those who are given the tools and support to build, innovate, and thrive.
Today, as a Regional Business Development Manager at Founders First Capital Partners, Luis channels this philosophy into action, empowering underrepresented business owners across the United States. Through inclusive funding programs and strategic partnerships, he helps entrepreneurs particularly women, people of color, and veterans gain access to the capital they need to grow and sustain their businesses.
A Journey of Impact and Innovation
Luis’s journey began long before his current leadership roles. His early work at Banco Azteca marked the start of a lifelong mission to expand access to financial services. Beginning as Dinero Express Director and later serving as Latino America Director, he spearheaded the expansion of money transfer and microloan operations across Latin America, managing six subsidiaries in countries such as Spain, Bolivia, Peru, Brazil, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and Panama.
Under his leadership, Banco Azteca’s microloan portfolio grew to over $600 million, serving countless small business owners and individuals. His Dinero Express remittance program became a model of efficiency and reach, achieving a record-setting 45,000 transactions per day, far surpassing the industry average.
This early success showcased Luis’s ability to combine operational rigor with a human-centered vision qualities that would define his career in the years ahead.
Driving Financial Innovation
Before founding his own consulting firm, Luis served as Vice President of Financial Services at Brightstar Corporation, a global telecommunications leader with revenues exceeding $14 billion. There, he led the design of financial instruments that enhanced purchasing power and improved balance sheets, including the introduction of a Price Put Option, a Buy-Back Program, and an innovative Leasing Program built on a B2B2C model.
These initiatives not only optimized financial performance but also reflected Luis’s talent for integrating financial engineering with business growth strategies.
Entrepreneurial Leadership and Strategic Consulting
Building on this expertise, Luis established 12/21 International LLC, a consulting firm dedicated to helping Latin American businesses reach new levels of efficiency and profitability. As Managing Partner, he implemented a transformative cell phone financing program that saved a Bolivian telecommunications company $300 million in working capital.
He also revitalized a 20-year-old family-owned money remittance business, increasing its revenue by 150% through diversification, new service development, and workforce training. Luis continues to serve on the Board of Advisors of 12/21 International LLC, offering strategic counsel on growth and innovation.
His consulting success reflects a guiding principle: that leadership is about creating systems that empower others to succeed.
Expanding Influence Through Community and Thought Leadership
In addition to his corporate achievements, Luis remains deeply committed to community and professional development. He serves on the Board of Directors of the North San Diego Business Chamber, where he advocates for local business growth and fosters sustainable community relationships.
Luis also contributes his expertise as a Consulting Member of GLG (Gerson Lehrman Group) and as a Board Advisor for Célula Azteca, an organization focused on financial inclusion for the more than 40 million Mexicans living in the United States.
Through Talkching, Inc., a personal development platform he founded, Luis inspires individuals and organizations to pursue excellence at work and in life. His talks often emphasize that true organizational change begins with personal transformation.
A Vision for the Future
In a recent reflection on his LinkedIn profile, Luis shared insights that mirror his lifelong values. After visiting his daughter at Indiana University, he wrote about witnessing the next generation of leaders 45,000 students preparing to shape the nation’s economy.
“These young people are actively cultivating powerful networks of connections, fully aware of the importance of this moment and savoring every minute. Nowhere else do I see the value of youth education being prioritized as it is in the United States.”
This sentiment captures his enduring optimism and faith in the potential of future leaders. For Luis, the resilience of the U.S. economy is not built solely on numbers or institutions, but on people who believe in learning, collaboration, and purpose.
The Foundation of a Visionary
Luis’s academic foundation was built at IPADE Business School, where he completed the AD1 in Alta Dirección de Empresas, and at Universidad Intercontinental, where he earned his Bachelor of Business Administration. These institutions shaped his strategic mindset and commitment to leadership with integrity.
Outside the boardroom, Luis finds balance through running, tennis, and time spent with his three children a reflection of his belief that success is most meaningful when it’s shared.
Conclusion
Luis Gutierrez-Prieto’s career tells the story of a leader who merges financial expertise with compassion, innovation, and inclusion. From international banking to community development, his impact has spanned continents and touched lives.
Through every role executive, advisor, mentor, and father he continues to exemplify what it means to lead with vision and humanity. His journey reminds us that finance is not only about capital; it’s about creating value that lasts.
Editorial Note
Luis Gutierrez-Prieto’s story serves as a model of inclusive leadership and sustainable innovation. His journey encourages emerging leaders to approach finance as a force for empowerment and growth, proving that visionary thinking combined with genuine care for people can transform industries and strengthen communities worldwide.
