mission statement

With the goal to deliver health, culture, impact and reggaeton in one drink, Andres and his co-founder created a beverage that celebrates the LatinX community while delivering positive vibras. Inspired by the ancient recipe from their home country of Ecuador, this tropical water comes from Vilcabamba (known as "The Valley of Longevity"). Chiki's tropical water is like "Reggaeton In A Bottle" that is made of an antioxidant botanical blend delivering hydration and supporting gut health.

The early El Merkury days were filled with fun catering events and pop-ups around Philadelphia before it expanded into a brick-and-mortar establishment where Sofia was able to share Central American street food delicacies with her community. Her made-to-order-with-love churros was the most popular item on the menu, and El Merkury is continuing to expand with more locations.

Born out of deep respect and passion for agave spirits, designing, collaborating and producing beautiful items, Gabriel and his wife, Sabrina, started TUYO NYC offering handmade porcelain drinkware and agave-focused products. Incorporating his culture, heritage and love of agave spirits, his products are designed to elevate drinkers’ sipping experiences and encourage celebration.

In search of “green beauty” options, new moms Ann and Christina researched ingredients and products to use but were worried with their findings. Research found that Latinas have more hormone disrupting chemicals and higher rates of fertility issues, which is why green beauty is critical to this community. They founded Vamigas to offer clean and green beauty products created using ancestral secrets and wild harvested ingredients from their Latin American homelands of Chile and Mexico - and other magical places.

There is nothing Abel loves more than creating art, sharing his art to help others and impacting people’s lives in a positive way with his work. Through his art, he has been able to give back to his Dallas community, hometown in New Mexico and several charity and non-profit organizations. He has been disrupting the art world for over a decade and his fun, urban style of art marries graffiti inspired elements with traditional art concepts.

As a fifth-generation coffee farmer from Columbia, Maria witnessed firsthand the struggle to maintain a living through coffee. When she moved to the U.S., she strived to help her community back home by creating the next big coffee company that takes care of its farmers. With the devotion and strong work ethic instilled in her, Maria co-founded Progeny Coffee and has already helped increase the income and opportunities for more than 25 Colombian coffee farmers.

When Hector moved to San Francisco he yearned for a taste of home and asked his mother, known affectionately as Tia Lupita, to send him bottles of her special hot sauce. Too good to keep to himself, Hector asked for his mother’s blessing to bottle the sauce for everyone to enjoy. His determination in honoring the legacy of this family recipe has helped bring the bright, bold flavors of his Mexican home to dinner tables everywhere.

While originally envisioning a different career path, Jennifer used her knowledge and experience from apprenticeships to start Jen Contracting Group, paving the way as one of the very few females in her field. Through persistence and consistency, Jen immersed herself into the construction world to learn everything she could to achieve success, and is now making a name as a top woman-owned company within a male-dominated industry.

Growing up eating empanadas every Sunday in Chile, Polo started cooking these traditional pastries for friends and family when he moved to Texas and received rave reviews. With commitment to creating the perfect empanadas that go the extra mile to bring out tradition, love and enjoyment, YAPA Artisan Empanadas was born to share the classic foods Polo grew up with while creating a memorable experience for customers.

Born in Guanajuato, the hat capital of the world, Maria dreamt of making her own hats and providing job opportunities for those in her hometown. She believes a hat completes the perfect outfit and, through hard work and determination, started MARME with the mission to empower women everywhere. Inside each MARME hat is the printed quote and her motto, “She believed she could, so she did” as a daily reminder that anything is possible once you believe in yourself.