Serial Entrepreneur, Co-Founder of OTC Global Holdings, Chairman of GETCHOICE!, Minority Owner of the Houston Texans, Former College Football Player
Yearsactive
2007–present
Knownfor
CEO of OTC Global Holdings, Minority Owner of Houston Texans
Spouse
Lucinda Vincent-Loya
Children
2
Enrique Javier Loya[2] (born February 2, 1969) is a Mexican-American business entrepreneur, and former college football player. He is a minority owner of the NFL's Houston Texans.[3] Loya was also the co-founder of independent commodity broker OTC Global Holdings, which was acquired by BGC Group in April of 2025, and is the current Chairman of GETCHOICE!, a technology company serving the utilities industry.[4][5]
Loya was born to Ana and Miguel Loya in El Paso, Texas. His family moved permanently to El Paso at his birth, while older siblings spent time in Juarez, fostering a sense of an intertwined border community and influencing his cultural identity. Loya was the second-youngest of seven children. Many of his siblings attended prestigious universities, including Ivy League schools. His oldest brother Mike earned an MBA from Harvard.[6][7][8]
Loya's father, Miguel Loya, was born in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico, to a cattle ranching family, immigrated to the United States, and worked at Farah Manufacturing Co. in El Paso, rising from truck loader to plant supervisor. Miguel and Ana had limited formal education (Miguel eighth grade, Ana elementary school), but were self-educated through reading, instilling a strong value of education and discipline in their children, which shaped Javier’s drive for academic and professional success.[7][9][10][11][12][8]
Javier Loya is married to Lucinda Vincent-Loya, a prominent interior designer in Houston whom he had met just as the energy executive was starting his own company.[13] Lucinda Vincent-Loya, founded Lucinda Loya Interiors in 2003, with her work featured in Houston’s cultural scene and including high-profile design projects, such as collaborations with brands like Lladró.[14][15][16][17][18][19]
Loya graduated from New York City's Columbia University with a Bachelor of Arts in political science in 1991.[14]
Football career
Loya played for the Columbia Lions as a linebacker and a defensive end.[23][24][25] On October 10, 1988, a five-year losing streak was broken against Princeton. Loya, as the Spectator reported the next day, contributed two sacks and eight tackles.[14] He was a varsity letterman in all three of his varsity seasons[24] and was named an Honorable Mention All-Ivy League Selection in 1990.[26] He is tied with several other players for the fourth-most career fumble recoveries while playing for the Columbia Lions.[26] Loya contributed to Columbia’s 16-13 victory over Princeton on October 28, 1990, where his defensive efforts were noted in media coverage.[23][9]
In 2002, Loya became the first Hispanic owner in the NFL after he purchased a minority stake in the Houston Texans.[3][27][28][29] Loya also served as a member of the NFL’s diversity committee. As a proponent of the Rooney Rule he was involved in developing and recommending DEI policies to increase minority representation.[30] Since 2002, Loya has advocated for policies to increase minority representation in NFL front offices and coaching staff, as highlighted in discussions during the 2020 NFL Quarterback Coaching Summit.[31][32][33]
Professional career
Loya interned at Amerada Hess, a commodity brokerage firm, where he was exposed to the energy trading industry; this experience, sparked by a market boom following Saddam Hussein’sinvasion of Kuwait, led to a full-time position offer, influencing his decision to enter the commodities sector.[34]
In 1994, Loya co-founded Choice! Energy LP Choice, an energy brokerage firm specializing in natural gas.[35][36] He later acquired full control of the company in 2000.[14] After Texas deregulated the power market in 2002, Loya launched a new company, Choice Energy Services.[37][8] Choice Energy Services played a role in bridging wholesale and retail energy markets post Texas deregulation, which was a pivotal strategy for its growth.[38]
In 2007, Loya co-founded OTC Global Holdings as a commodity brokerage. The company acquired Choice Natural Gas, Choice Power, and Choice Energy.[39][40][41][42][43][44] OTC Global Holdings employs over 350 employees, including 200+ brokers, and operates offices in Houston, New York, Chicago, London, Singapore, and Geneva (with plans for Shanghai); it transformed from a single office to a global leader in commodities trading, including agricultural products and metals.[21][45] Under Loya, OTC Global Holdings developed EOXLive, the first hybrid voice/electronic platform for brokered commodity markets, which gave the company a competitive edge.[46]
In 2015 he founded GETCHOICE!, a nationwide energy, telecom, and utility management company.[47][48] GETCHOICE! offers technology-based solutions to help companies become "smarter and greener" by driving cost-efficiency and sustainability. Their services include strategic procurement, utility bill payment, risk management, budgeting, telecom & IT solutions, tax studies, and sustainability initiatives. They leverage proprietary technology to provide insights into infrastructure, consumption, usage patterns, pricing trends, and sustainability progress.[49][50]
In September 2019, Loya, his wife Lucinda, and other Houston entrepreneurs launched a tequila brand called Veneno Tequila. Actor Danny Trejo served as master of ceremonies, signifying it as a cultural and business venture.[51][52][53][54][55][56]
Philanthropy
Loya is a sponsor and member of the board of directors for the Greater Houston Senior Football Showcase, a charitable organization that organizes high school football scouting events. Since 2008 it has generated over $100 million in scholarships for more than 4,000 high school athletes.[24][57][58]
In 2011, Loya founded the Greater El Paso Football Showcase Combine, which provided over $9 million in scholarships to over 100 high school senior athletes.[3][24]
Loya has a personal connection to League of United Latin American Citizens; the organization helped his father regain a job after an unjust firing. His story embodies LULAC’s mission to fight for equity and justice.[59][60] Loya made a significant donation to support LULAC's 90th anniversary celebration and provides ongoing support for their mission to empower Latino communities through education and advocacy.[61][60][62]
In 2025, Javier Loya served as advisor for the Hosting Committee of the Official Hispanic Inaugural Ball for President Trump, held at the Omni Shoreham Hotel. The event, hosted by Bienvenido US, celebrated the significant contributions of Hispanic voters to President Trump's re-election and highlighted the growing influence of the Hispanic community in American politics, alongside the presence of Donald Trump Jr., Senator Ted Cruz and Argentina's President Javier Milei among many others.[63][64][65][66]
Loya and his wife Lucinda contribute to charitable causes focused on protecting children, promoting the arts, and sustaining strong families.[67][13][68]
In 2015, Choice Energy filed a lawsuit against nine brokers for breach of contract; the brokers countersued, alleging unpaid commissions and a hostile work environment, with all but one settling out of court.[72] During this period, Loya was accused of high-stakes gambling, prompting an NFL investigation due to his ownership stake in the Houston Texans, as NFL guidelines prohibit owners from gambling. There is no record of the NFL uncovering any wrongdoing in their investigation.[73][74]
In late December 2019, John Klosek, one of the founding members of OTC Global Holdings, filed a lawsuit against the CEO Javier Loya, COO Joseph Kelly, and several employees. The lawsuit was over extravagant personal spending decreasing the company's value to a negative net worth.[75] Loya and the other accusees denied the allegations.[75] The lawsuit was dismissed in May 2021.[76][77][78]
In August 2023, Loya was charged with multiple counts in Kentucky and was temporarily suspended from Houston Texans activities. In April 2024, all counts were dismissed, and he entered an Alford plea to a misdemeanor harassment charge. To date, Loya maintains his innocence.[79][80]
Awards
In 2002, Loya received the “Entrepreneur of the Year” Award from the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.[81]
In 2004, Javier was given the John Jay Award for distinguished professional achievement by his former university, Columbia University.[82][83]
In 2007, Javier received the “Emerging Leader” Award from the Greater Houston Partnership for his contributions to Houston’s business community.[84]
In 2010, Loya was recognized as the “Hispanic Businessman of the Year” by the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.[87][67]
In 2017, Loya was honored as a distinguished graduate by the Ivy Football Association at its bi-annual dinner at the Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel.[24][88]
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