Andy Unanue - Family Culture and Family Capital

Today we are traveling through one of the great family business stories, that of Goya Foods, the formation of their family office, and the creation of a free-standing private equity firm that focuses on family businesses called AUA Partners. Andy Unanue is the founder and Managing Partner of AUA Private Equity Partners, an operationally focused, lower middle-market investment firm with expertise in supporting and growing family-owned and demographic-driven businesses. Andy is a member of AUA Private Equity's Investment Committee, and under his leadership, AUA has deployed over $600 million of capital to date. AUA's business model is driven by Andy's own family background.  He is a member of the Unanue family, which owns and runs Goya Foods, the largest producer of Spanish- and Latin-American foods in the United States. Andy's grandfather, Prudencio, founded the company in 1936, and Andy's father, Joe, was a legendary CEO of the company himself. Andy was a leader of Goya for many years, ultimately serving as its Chief Operating Officer before founding AUA. Andy currently serves on several corporate boards, including Raymundos Food Group and Westminster Pet. Additionally, he serves on several not-for-profit boards, including his family's charitable foundation, The C&J Unanue Foundation. Andy is a member of the University of Miami's Dean's Advisory Committee, the New America Alliance, and is on the Columbia University Medical Center's Board of Advisors. Andy received his M.B.A. from the Thunderbird School of Global Management and his B.B.A. from the University of Miami.   Please enjoy my conversation with Andy Unanue. AUA Website: https://auaequity.com/ Circulus Substack: https://circulus.substack.com/   If you like these discussions, please subscribe or leave a review. NOTE: This podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. Anything said by the guests or host should not be construed as legal or investment advice. Thanks for listening. Joe Reilly is the head of Circulus Group, a family office network, and the host of The Inheritance Podcast.   FOLLOW JOE: https://twitter.com/joereillyjr WEBSITE: https://circulus.substack.com/ INHERITANCE PODCAST:   https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-inheritance-podcast/id1644964   If you like this show, do me a favor and send it to someone you think would enjoy it.  Just copy the link into an email or text.  I appreciate it.   S4E9 ©2025 Joe Reilly