Meet Danae Nunez | Sr. Art Director, artist, small business owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Danae Nunez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Danae, maybe we can start at the very start – the idea – how did you come up with the idea for your business?
The idea actually came from an advertising brief. Every time Hispanic Heritage month comes around, brands always want to “celebrate Latino creators” by showcasing them on their projects. But time and time again I found that brands only want to *say* they support Latino creators without actually doing so. So after one such brief where we were sent to find cool Latino artists and the particular brand backtracked, I became so incredibly frustrated that I wanted to do something about it.

I wanted to make a platform that actually celebrated and showcased Latino creators from all backgrounds, and all of whom were proud of where they came from. As someone who has a love for print and design, a magazine seemed like the best option. So I launched the magazine with a website to go with it, and that was the beginning of everything.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I consider much of what I do as art, including my business since it has so much design and creativity involved. But I think between my art and business what sets it apart is that it has an opinion and takes risks to support that. I think so much art and many brands now are so scared to take risks and have an opinion due to the fear of lash back that they end up bland and saying nothing. With the magazine, it’s unapologetically Latino and we’re proud of it, and that’s why people loved it. I try to do that with everything I do, including my art.

In terms of how I got here professionally, I think it was through stubbornness and hard work. I saw people doing what I wanted to do and even though I didn’t have the experience for it I was stubborn on getting there. And that took a lot of hard work. Being told that I can’t do something is what motivates me, and having that ambition to prove people wrong and push boundaries is what keeps me going. And if you do that for a good cause, people will support you.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I love food. Best restaurant hands down in Miami for me is Platu. It’s a small family owned restaurant that has the most delicious food, and it’s not ridiculously expensive. Technically they’re Thai tapas, and having tried almost everything on the menu I’m never dissapointed.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
So many people have helped me get to where I am today. Starting with my mom and dad. Everything I know about creativity and art comes from my mom, I owe her all of that and I wouldn’t be in the creative world if it wasn’t for her. And my business and ambitious mindset is straight from my dad, who always pushed my brother and I to pursue what we wanted. My brother is also very supportive and always entertains all my business ideas. And then my partner Gabe, who puts up with all my business ventures and annoying questions and supports everything

Website: https://www.hecho-en.co/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hechoen_co/

Other: https://www.mocosa.co/ https://www.instagram.com/_mocosa/