Though Latinos currently represent 17% of the population in the United States, they are vastly underrepresented in the tech industry, where they only make up roughly 8% of the workforce. That’s why we teamed up with Lexus to shine a light on tech entrepreneurs who are defying these odds, and taking new routes to enter this sector.

In our second episode of New Route, we talk to Bronx native Julian Rodríguez, who co-founded Bazaar, a digital start-up that supports neighborhood bodegas.

Bazaar is a one stop shop that allows small businesses like bodegas to vet multiple wholesalers, compare prices, product, and inventory, and make the best purchase decisions for their businesses. Rather than have to commute to far away warehouses where inventory is often kept, small business-owners can simply order products through the Bazaar service and have it delivered – like Amazon Fresh, but for small businesses. Rodríguez, who is of Dominican descent, was inspired to create the company by observing some of the challenges his uncle, who runs a bodega, faced with his business.

Below, learn more about Rodríguez’s journey as an entrepreneur, and Bazaar became one of the first venture-backed tech start-ups in the history of the Bronx.