Today we’d like to introduce you to Beatriz (bea) Stotzer
Hi Beatriz (Bea), thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Beatriz Olvera Stotzer’s – Background
I grew up in a modest 700-square-foot, one-bedroom home in Boyle Heights. Growing up with seven family members in our small home, I experienced a childhood of stark contrasts—extreme poverty alongside boundless love, hunger coexisting with laughter, violence, drugs and mental/physical illness sharing space with music and art.
My formative years taught me invaluable lessons about resilience and perspective. To this day, I cannot eat “huevos con papas”—eggs and potatoes—as it was our primary dinner for years during the most difficult times. My brother and sister, who lived with muscular dystrophy, approached each day as a gift, conquering challenges with remarkable dignity and humor. Their relentless life force showed me that obstacles could be overcome with the right mindset and gratitude for life.
When my family needed to accept welfare assistance, my mother transformed what could have been perceived as charity into a powerful lesson about reciprocal obligation. Her social worker had wisely framed welfare not as charity but as an “obligation check.” My mother would often express amazement at living in a country where government assistance allowed her to fulfill her obligation to be present for her children. In turn, she instilled in us an investor mentality and our corresponding obligation: to obtain good education and repay this country through civic engagement and good citizenship.
These early experiences formed my core philosophy: poverty is merely a temporary state of mind, not a permanent condition. I learned to give voice to those who could not speak for themselves, to challenge assumptions, especially about poverty—and to always consider alternative perspectives.
As a graduate of the prestigious CORO Public Affairs Leadership Program, for which I later received the coveted Crystal Eagle Award for my “demonstrated contributions to the community and remarkable impact on the public good,” I found the platform to begin translating my philosophy into action. I also hold a master’s degree and am a graduate of the Harvard University Senior Executive Program, educational experiences that further equipped me for building my entrepreneurial skills.
During my CORO fellowship, I helped establish New Economics for Women (NEW), a Los Angeles-based nonprofit agency engaged in housing and economic development. Starting with an initial $97,000 United Way grant, I have helped grow the organization to generate more than $350 million in investments for the Los Angeles area. As the current Board President of NEW and CEO of NEWCapital, a real estate development firm, I have dedicated my professional life to finding creative economic solutions that work for poor families, with particular focus on women and children.
Our first enterprise was Casa Loma, a $20 million project providing 110 units of affordable housing with on-site childcare and services designed to meet the specific economic and educational needs of families. Rather than taking a one-dimensional approach, we recognized the critical roles women played in community health and designed comprehensive programs that used housing as a catalyst for economic transformation.
The Fannie Mae Foundation has acclaimed our housing developments as “models for the nation” and recognized NEW as one of ten exceptional community development corporations nationally—the only Latina organization to receive such recognition. NEW has won the Fannie Mae Maxwell Award of Excellence under the “Most Successful Public/Private Partnership” category for the Tierra del Sol housing development in Canoga Park, CA, and the Charles E. Edson National Award in the Urban/Metro category from the Affordable Housing Tax Credit Coalition.
I served as Chair of the County’s Women & Girls Initiative, and on the Board of the Children’s Planning Council for Los Angeles County. I was named a recipient of the CPC “Leading Boldly Award” in recognition of leadership and courageous work on behalf of children and families. The California State Senate honored me as “Woman of the Year.”
Throughout my career, I have been privileged to be a founding Board member of several influential organizations, including Hispanas Organized for Political Equality (HOPE), Inner City Arts, California Women’s Law Center, Central City Neighborhood Partners, Comision Femenil Mexicana National for San Fernando Valley, and Chicanos for Law at CSUN and CSLA. I have also had the distinguished honor of serving on President Bill Clinton’s Council on Sustainable Development and was named one of six national James A. Johnson Community Fellows by Fannie Mae for significant contributions to providing decent and affordable housing in urban neighborhoods.
My professional recognitions include the Pursuit of Justice Award from the California Women’s Law Center, the Francisca Flores Community Service Award from the Latina Lawyers Bar Association, Outstanding Latina Business Woman of the Year Award for the State of California, Woman of the Year from the LA County Commission for Women, the Deborah Award for Outstanding Service to Women & Families from the Anti-Defamation League, and Hispanic Woman of the Year from the Mexican American Bar Association.
I have a simple yet powerful vision: to prove that poverty could be reduced for generations by changing the mindset of women, especially when it comes to money and investments. The results speak for themselves. Just this last year, NEW has created over $36 million in increased income and resources, helping 24 families to purchase their homes – $16 million in increased assets. We have learned that if women have the right mindset – within five years of participating in NEW’s programs, families can increase their income by an average of 38%, with 3-5% purchasing homes.
As I look back on this journey that began in that small Boyle Heights home, where I now reside in Sherman Oaks with my husband Samuel – we have two successful married sons and two wonderful grandchildren., I can confidently say that the obligation my mother spoke of is being fulfilled. Not just through my own efforts, but through the transformed lives and economic independence of thousands of families who have discovered that poverty is indeed a temporary state when approached with the right mindset.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
sexism, bias against me because we were on welfare by my teachers and classmates, teachers telling me I was not college material because I was Mexican and the struggle would be too much for me to get a college degree.
being underestimated and having rules changed just to make sure I wasn’t promoted or considered.
Lack of funding/capital to be able to grow my business because I didn’t have enough debt history for my business.
trying to be my mother – fulfilling her expectations
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Property Management and business/real estate development firm.
We are a socially invested Property Management Company dedicated to the socioeconomic advancement of women & their families.
Tenants have free access to customer-focused, age-appropriate programs for the entire family. All residents are encouraged to participate in after-school enrichment programs, supportive and financial services referrals, and workshops on family cohesion and parenting, technology, financial asset-building, and homeownership.
Every level of management, from our CEO to the building superintendent, is dedicated to ensuring the success and opportunities for the upward mobility of our tenants.
NEW Capital’s level of diligence in attracting and signing the right tenants and our process of evaluating resident communities and providing customized services for every building reduces the risk to property owners and protects their investments.
These asset-building services stabilize occupancy and maintain excellent compliance. We are experts in federal, state, and local regulatory compliance and specialize in tax credit properties.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
helping others succeed, be a good listener, be humble, know when you are wrong and apologize, be accountable for your actions and know when to lead or when to follow.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.newcapital-llc.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beastotzer/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bea.stotzer
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/beatriz-stotzer-51981411/
- Other: https://neweconomicsforwomen.org/
