From Rico's Tacos to a New Media Model: Retail, Faith and Family on the Vertical Screen
From Rico's Tacos to a New Media Model: Retail, Faith and Family on the Vertical Screen
What can a vertical series reveal about new models for entertainment? This conversation begins with Rico’s Tacos, a brand-supported vertical series that offers a real-world case study in bringing together storytelling, commerce, and values-driven programming. The discussion explores how the series came together, what made its model distinctive, and lessons from its launch before expanding to the larger opportunities around retail media, brand-supported entertainment, and faith-and-family programming.
Saturday, October 17, 2026
12:00 PM · AMC 19th Street, Theater 6
Manny Ruiz
CEO · Minivela
Manny Ruiz is CEO of Minivela, a bilingual microdrama company creating and distributing original, family-friendly stories for U.S. Hispanic and Latin American audiences. He also co-founded Brilla Media Ventures, whose portfolio includes Minivela and Nuestro Stories. Manny leads Minivela’s content strategy, partnerships, distribution, and growth. A pioneer in Hispanic media for more than 30 years, he previously founded Hispanicize and Hispanic PR Wire, building platforms that elevate Latino creators and connect brands with multicultural audiences.
Photo credit: Minivela
