José Villafañe, Founder of Nueva Network, an independently owned multi-platform audio media company, last week announced that he sold his interest in Nueva Network to his partner, Carlos Moncada, owner & principal of MLCMedia & North Atlantic Media. Villafañe’s last day at Nueva Network will be June 30, as he will help with the transition and continue serving on the company’s advisory board. Portada asked Villafañe to reflect on his last five years leading Nueva Network as an entrepreneur.
UPDATE: Villafañe’s new venture Audio Treehouse launches with 3,000 audio channels
Jose Villafañe Nueva Network: Reflecting on the Last Five Years
“Reflecting on the last five years, I am filled with gratitude for the opportunity we had to build a brand from the ground up—without a safety net—during one of the most challenging periods in our history, ” Villafañe says.
Reviewing his early records, Villafañe remembers how Nueva Network began. “While I was personally looking for my next chapter, this journey was made possible when both Entravision and Katz passed on the 300 radio stations that came to me through MLC Media and Carlos Moncada. Carlos and I chose the name “Nueva,” derived from De Novo Media One Group, meaning “New.” We launched with a singular mission: to hire the best people, develop the best audio products, and take care of our clients. We did exactly that.”
“ We launched with a singular mission: to hire the best people, develop the best audio products, and take care of our clients. We did exactly that.”
Villafañe reminisces that following the launch on March 1, 2021, He secured agreements with Nielsen Nationwide and Act Research, “along with our first three affiliates: Lotus, Lazer, and Bustos Media. We launched with El Show de Chiquibaby and later added Alex Lucas, Los Jefes with Alvaro Morales, Jugada Nueva, Final Jugada, and Jimena Aguilar. Today, the company has 600 radio affiliates, six syndicated shows, 75 million unique digital audio impressions across streaming and podcasts, and the QueOnda distribution platform.
According to Villafañe, “Since our inception, we have made history and outpaced the market. A defining moment was our visit to the White House for live broadcasts of the Chiquibaby and Alex Lucas shows, where we interviewed President Biden and Dr. Jill Biden. Sitting in the China Room, I realized we had built something truly remarkable. While many assumed those broadcasts were the work of a major network like Univision-Uforia or iHeart, our small company was leading the way.”
Villafañe cites many similar milestones, “such as our audio panel at Cannes last year and the press coverage highlighting Nueva alongside iHeart. We have heart, passion, and grit. Our sales staff is the best I have ever worked with; you have made me better, and I hope I have done the same for you. I’d like to personally thank Jose Mateo, who returns as president, Grace Agostino, Alex Hernandez, Maria Castillo, Dominic Amarito, and Benjamin Finley. These talents are second to none in every way, and I would put them against anyone in the business. I take my hat off to them.”
Jose Villafañe Nueva Network: Advice for Entrepreneurs
Villafañe’s advice for entrepreneurs starting new companies is to “stop waiting, stop making excuses, there is never a good time to launch a business. It’s tough, and it will be challenging. But the reward is worth everything you put into it. Just do it.” He also highly recommends “surround yourself with good people with the same work ethic who are smarter than you. It will make the journey a lot smoother.”
“Surround yourself with good people with the same work ethic who are smarter than you. It will make the journey a lot smoother.”
Villafañe concludes that, while he is excited for what lies ahead, he knows he has left a piece of himself in Nueva: “These ventures continue with or without us, but I will forever carry the spirit of Nueva with me.”
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Feature Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
