Cafecito and Connection: How Ventanitas Can Redefine Networking

By: Celia Chomón Zamora, Ph.D., CAE

Step up to a ventanita, the small, walk-up coffee windows iconic in the Cuban neighborhoods of Miami, and you’ll find more than espresso. You’ll hear laughter, old friends catching up, someone sharing job news, and others giving advice between sips of cafecito. At first glance, it may seem like just a local coffee stop, but it’s actually something much deeper. These windows are cultural touchpoints, gathering spaces where stories, community, and connection brew together.

Cafecito, that sweet, strong Cuban espresso made with whipped sugar, is the fuel, but the ventanita is the heart. These informal spaces are where generations have come together to pass down wisdom, celebrate wins, and offer support. In many ways, they are the original networking lounges of Latinx culture, rooted in belonging.

In Miami, coffee is a ritual, a daily rhythm, and a symbol of warmth and hospitality. The ventanita reflects the city’s unique blend of Latin American and Caribbean influences, where cafecito is shared freely with coworkers, family members, neighbors, and strangers alike. It is customary to offer a cup to anyone nearby. The act of offering cafecito becomes an invitation to engage, to linger, and to talk. It sets the tone for a conversation that is as much about connection as it is about caffeine.

Too often, the concept of networking in the professional world feels transactional. It becomes an awkward handshake at a conference or a quick message sent more out of obligation than genuine interest. There is often a performance involved, such as putting on our most polished selves and making sure we say the right things to the right people. But what if we reimagined networking not as a strategy, but as a cultural practice? What if we allowed our identities, our language, our stories, and our warmth to guide how we connect, and maybe even include a sweet, caffeinated treat in the process?

The ventanita offers us that model. It shows us that networking can be relational and grounded in authenticity and mutual care. It doesn’t have to be cold or formal. No one needs a title or resume to belong at the coffee window. You show up, you share, you listen. Over time, that trust builds.

For many Latinx professionals, particularly those navigating spaces where we are underrepresented, this kind of networking feels more natural. It mirrors how many of us were raised, building community through conversation, exchanging wisdom through storytelling, and seeing success as something communal, not just individual.

The ventanita reminds us that you don’t need a suit or a formal introduction to build a relationship. Sometimes, all it takes is a shared moment over a cafecito. It encourages a more human way to connect, one where listening and generosity matter more than self-promotion. These windows serve as equalizers. At the ventanita, people from all walks of life stand shoulder to shoulder. Stories emerge. Opportunities are passed on through casual chats, not through exclusive invitations. It is a system of connection that favors the generous, the present, the engaged.

In a world that often rewards individualism, the ventanita teaches us that success can and should be shared. Our greatest professional growth may not come from traditional networking events, but from building circles of genuine support. From mentoring the next generation the same way our elders once offered us guidance on a bench, in a kitchen, or at a ventanita.

Reimagining professional networking through the lens of Latinx culture challenges dominant norms and opens the door to something more sustainable and soul-nourishing. It asks us to slow down, to listen deeply, and to make space for one another. Just like the perfectly brewed cafecito, where balance is everything, we are reminded that building a career doesn’t mean leaving behind who we are. It means leaning into it.

So perhaps the next time we think about networking, we won’t picture a sterile conference room or an online portal. Maybe we’ll picture a breezy corner in Little Havana, the smell of espresso in the air, the sound of someone telling their story with their whole chest, and someone else truly listening. Maybe we’ll think of the ventanita, where coffee meets culture and connection always comes first.

Because that, more than any elevator pitch or business card, is where real community begins. A place to network and belong. And, of course, caffeinate!