Ponte Labor: Connecting Hispanic Immigrants to Jobs via WhatsApp

Addressing the Labor Gap for Hispanic Immigrants

During their MBA studies at Harvard Business School, Stephanie Murra and Lorenza Vélez, both Colombian immigrants, observed a significant trend. A majority of the cafeteria staff were of Hispanic origin.

Conversations with these workers revealed a recurring difficulty: the challenges faced by legally immigrated individuals from Spanish-speaking countries in securing initial employment within the U.S.

A primary obstacle was, predictably, limited English proficiency or a complete lack of English language skills.

Identifying a Disconnect

Murra noted a striking contrast while following news reports. The U.S. was experiencing an unprecedented shortage of labor, particularly in roles typically filled by low-skilled immigrant workers.

This led the founders to recognize a clear discrepancy – a need for workers existing alongside a population of qualified individuals unable to access those opportunities.

Their research indicated that conventional job boards, such as Indeed, were not effectively serving the needs of Hispanic immigrants.

Traditional Methods Fall Short

Many potential employers rely on these platforms, which are not designed with the specific needs of this demographic in mind, according to Murra.

These workers frequently depend on word-of-mouth referrals from friends and acquaintances when seeking employment.

Online applications often prove confusing, and the prospect of an English-language interview can be daunting.

The Birth of Ponte Labor

From this insight, Ponte Labor was conceived.

The duo, previously collaborators for two years at Colombian fintech Addi, established the Miami-based company in April 2023, while completing their final semester at Harvard.

Vélez highlighted the difficulties employers face in filling hourly positions within industries like hospitality, construction, and retail.

Simultaneously, millions of work-authorized Hispanic immigrants struggle to find stable employment due to linguistic and cultural barriers.

Bridging the Communication Gap

“We possess the ability to locate workers, communicate in their native language, and engage with them through their preferred communication channel, WhatsApp,” Vélez explained.

Therefore, they developed Ponte to effectively connect these two groups.

The founders assert that their platform streamlines the process of pre-vetting, matching, and onboarding legally authorized hourly workers more rapidly and efficiently than traditional recruitment methods.

Direct Hiring and Expanded Access

Workers are hired directly by employers, bypassing staffing agencies.

This approach not only reduces costs for employers but also expands their potential employee pool.

Conversely, workers gain access to job opportunities that would otherwise be difficult to obtain, as Vélez pointed out.

Focus on Legal Authorization

Ponte exclusively collaborates with documented immigrants.

Each candidate undergoes thorough pre-vetting to confirm legal work authorization before being presented to employers.

Leveraging AI for Efficient Recruitment

The startup has developed an internal AI recruiter that conducts pre-vetting via WhatsApp and voice-based AI interviews.

Currently, the platform focuses on the hospitality sector, with plans for future expansion into areas such as construction and elder care.

Rapid Expansion of Ponte

Since its official launch in November 2023 by Murra and Vélez, Ponte has experienced consistent growth, successfully registering over 60,000 job seekers and filling approximately 800 positions within the hospitality sector. The company’s annual net revenue has increased significantly, rising from $70,000 in February 2024 to a current total of $550,000. While currently operating at a loss, the founders emphasize their high contribution margins, indicating a highly scalable business model. To this point, they report having utilized less than $1 million in funding.

Currently, Ponte collaborates with 14 employers utilizing its platform for recruitment, including prominent names like Omni Hotels & Resorts, alongside substantial hotel management firms such as Pyramid Global, Peachtree Hotel Group, and Atrium Hospitality.

The company recently secured $3 million in seed funding, spearheaded by Harlem Capital, resulting in a valuation of $15 million, as exclusively reported to TechCrunch. Additional participation in this financing round came from Better Tomorrow Ventures, The 81 Collection, and Wischoff Ventures. Previously, Ponte had raised a combined $1.5 million through Better Tomorrow Ventures’ The Mint accelerator, NFX’s FAST Competition, and The 81 Collection.

Ponte’s revenue is generated through a performance-based model. A monthly fee, equivalent to 10% of a worker’s monthly salary, is charged for a duration of up to 12 months. Given the industry’s inherent turnover rate, hotels incur no cost if an employee departs within the first month of employment.

The startup currently employs a team of 15 full-time personnel.

Due to the utilization of Spanish-language social media and recruitment channels, over 95% of Ponte’s candidate pool consists of Hispanic immigrants, as highlighted by Murra. The platform leverages WhatsApp alongside advertising on Facebook and Instagram.

“This targeted approach has been instrumental in fostering strong community trust and enabling us to customize our services to meet their unique requirements,” she explained. “However, the tools we are developing are designed to be language-independent and could readily be adapted to serve other immigrant groups, including Portuguese-speaking Brazilians, in the future.”

Furthermore, she noted that the startup has also assisted native English speakers who discovered Ponte, a name derived from the Portuguese word for “bridge.”

Looking forward, the founders articulate Ponte’s objective as “establishing a resource to empower Hispanic immigrants in the U.S. to realize their career aspirations.”

“Our ambition extends beyond simply securing entry-level positions; we aim to facilitate their professional advancement within those roles,” Vélez stated. “A significant opportunity lies in assisting candidates with English language acquisition, as this often presents a barrier to promotion and career progression.”

Henri Pierre-Jacques, managing partner at Harlem Capital, shared that he had been following Ponte’s progress since its pre-seed stage.

“I was particularly impressed by Lorenza and Stephanie’s prior collaboration at Addi…and their subsequent co-residence at HBS before launching Ponte,” he conveyed to TechCrunch. “We received overwhelmingly positive feedback from clients who praised their product. Their ability to achieve substantial traction in a short timeframe was evident, demonstrating the potential of Stephanie and Lorenza to accomplish significant results with limited resources.”

Pierre-Jacques also underscored the importance of Ponte’s focus on Hispanic hospitality workers as “a key competitive advantage.”

In fact, data from the U.S. Department of Labor indicates that Hispanics comprised nearly half, or 47.6%, of the foreign-born workforce in the U.S. in 2023.

“When evaluating talent marketplaces, we consistently consider how founders manage the supply side,” he said. “We’ve observed the effectiveness of WhatsApp within this community, and Stephanie and Lorenza recognized that integrating the recruitment process through WhatsApp was the optimal channel for identifying and connecting with potential workers.”