Inside the Latina-Led Brand Turning Agua Fresca Into a Symbol of Cultural Power
When you ask Fernanda Góvaz what a great drink should do, she answers with a story. She moved from Mexico City to the U.S. eight years ago to pursue an MBA at UT Austin’s McCombs School and kept bumping into the same problem every time she tried a drink: Endless choices. No joy. “I couldn’t find anything that I could stick with,” she told FIERCE. Soon, she realized people around her felt the same.
Americans drink a lot. Four to six beverages a day, according to Góvaz’s market watching. Yet satisfaction felt rare. So she went home to what always worked: Aguas frescas. And that’s when the idea hit her. She built Celzo Agua Fresca to make it functional, modern, and proud.
A Latina entrepreneur with a purpose
Góvaz was born and raised in Mexico City. She owned advertising agencies before business school. The work was good, she said, but she wanted meaning. “I was… looking for that purpose,” she told us. She started by observing habits. Asking questions. Listening. Then she set a clear mission for Celzo: show that our cultura is premium and that better-for-you can taste like home.
Celzo Agua Fresca started in a kitchen
Góvaz designed Celzo the way many JEFAS solve problems: she cooked. “I created Celzo in my kitchen,” she said. “I crafted the flavors there.” She pulled in family and neighbors as tasters until the profile felt right. She wanted zero “eh, it’s fine.” Only real enjoyment. According to Góvaz, that standard still guides every flavor call.
Premium isn’t a price tag. This Latina entrepreneur defines it as purpose
“Premium isn’t just about price. It’s about purpose,” she said. “It is about the craftsmanship, it’s the authenticity behind the product.” She points to Latino foodways as proof. “Our culture carries depth, heritage, and a lot of soul, no matter where we go,” she told us. She framed mole as a masterclass: hundreds of ingredients, hands, time. and community. That is the bar Celzo aims to honor.
Agua fresca, made functional for a new generation
Góvaz wanted an everyday drink Latinas could actually reach for. “I wanted a healthy agua fresca that I could enjoy every day because, as Latinos, that’s what we do. We hydrate with flavor,” she said.
Her solution was simple and smart: vitamins. “The truth is that vitamins are essential for our daily performance. So I asked myself: why not put them into a drink that we already love?”
She studied with maestras of aguas in Oaxaca and Mexico City, learning method and balance. Celzo flavors mirror that mercado logic. It includes two fruits and one herb. Think limón, ginger, basil. Or hibiscus, strawberry, mint.
The Latina entrepreneur who treats culture as premium, not prop
“Our mission is to challenge and change the outdated perception that Latino products are cheap,” Góvaz said. Authenticity lives inside the can as much as on the label.
“The most important is what is inside,” she told us. Her goal is respect, flavor, and pride. Products “made with care, with wisdom passed through generations.”
The Latina entrepreneur scaling without losing her roots
Startups test conviction. Góvaz was candid about that and admitted that confidence is a hurdle. So is constant proof-of-authenticity. “I think, as Latinos, we have a lack of confidence in who we are and how valuable our culture is to the world,” she said.
Yet, timing helps. Demand is here, she argued. “Latino culture is rising, it’s hot, it is trending, and people want more of it.” The lesson she takes from category leaders is steady: stay true. Build from the inside and lead with the voices of the community.
Celzo Agua Fresca is a brand and a bridge
Góvaz does more than ship cases. Each year, she runs a program that mentors ten Latinas in business and finance.
The idea came from her own path. “I realized that the biggest barrier to scaling great ideas isn’t the lack of creativity or drive. It’s the lack of access to business education, business models, financials, and go-to-market strategies.” The pattern was clear to her. “They just needed the tools to play the game.” Her program pairs knowledge with a network so founders can grow real, profitable companies.
What Góvaz wants every sip to say
“What I want is that every time you open a can of Celzo and drink, you feel like you are part of that empowerment that you’re choosing yourself,” she said.
She wants Latinas to feel seen by the product and the person behind it. “I really want Latinos to feel proud because when we feel proud, there are no barriers.”
Finally, her ask is collective: “To all the Latinas and women out there, walk with me. Let’s walk together. Let’s lift each other up and support one another’s dreams and businesses.”
