14 Founders
Turning their visions into
launch-ready brands
12 Weeks
Building Latina-owned businesses
Summit
July 11, 2026 •
Founder Pitches • $1,500 Prize
2026 COHORT
Meet The 2026 Jefas
Meet the founders currently building, refining, and preparing to pitch their businesses through 12 weeks of business mentorship, hands-on guidance, and community support inside Jefas on the Move.
2026 Cohort Participant
Silvia Speyer
Silvia is building businesses that combine equestrian culture, marketing strategy, and AI-driven growth to help small businesses increase visibility, innovation, and long-term impact.
2025 Cohort Participant
Maria Hernandez
Maria is building Eventos Texas to create spaces where the Latin community can gather, celebrate culture, support local businesses, and feel connected through music and shared experiences.
2026 Cohort Participant
Monica Torres
Monica is building a travel and event planning business designed to help people create meaningful memories while bringing more joy, connection, and celebration into the community.
2026 Cohort Participant
Giselle Martinez
Giselle is building Matera™, a modern motherhood brand designed to help women feel more supported, confident, and empowered throughout the breastfeeding experience and beyond.
2026 Cohort Participant
Cateryn Añez
Cateryn is building CATE, a sculptural jewelry brand using art and storytelling to create bold statement pieces that help women feel seen, expressive, and unapologetically themselves.
2026 Cohort Participant
Teresa Palma
Teresa Palm is building bilingual workforce training programs that help professionals strengthen communication skills, expand career opportunities, and feel more confident navigating the workplace.
2026 Cohort Participant
Malibu Starr
Malibu is building a fashion and lifestyle brand rooted in creativity and self-expression while learning how to turn her vision into a sustainable business with community support.
2026 Cohort Participant
Zaira Cruz
Zaira is building a mobile coffee catering experience rooted in hospitality and bilingual community connection while creating spaces where people feel welcomed, represented, and connected.
2026 Cohort Participant
Jessica Vences
Jessica is building Howdy Clicks Photo Booth to create meaningful experiences while helping people celebrate culture, connection, and life’s most memorable moments together.
2026 Cohort Participant
Gabriela Mendoza PHD
Gabriela, PhD is building SAVI Wellness Center to help women better understand hormonal health, energy, and wellness through science-backed education and accessible support.
2026 Cohort Participant
Tep Arriola
Tep is building wellness products designed to help families reduce exposure to everyday toxins while making healthier living feel more intentional, accessible, and empowering.
2026 Cohort Participant
Priscilla Aragon Kenny
Priscilla is building EntrePOP®, a dessert brand inspired by classic French pastries while creating joyful experiences that bring creativity, culture, and community together.
2026 Cohort Participant
Andrea Carrasco
Andrea is building culturally inclusive workforce training programs that help bilingual professionals strengthen communication skills and access greater career opportunities.
2026 Cohort Participant
Katarina Minich
Katarina is building workforce development solutions focused on helping bilingual professionals gain stronger communication skills, career confidence, and long-term professional growth.
What This Program Is
More Than a Business Accelerator
Jefas on the Move is a 12-week, fully sponsored business accelerator for Latinas in Austin, Texas, designed for women at the idea stage or within their first two years of building, generating under six figures in revenue.
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This entrepreneurship program for Latinas in Texas gives women the structure, community, and knowledge to turn their idea into a real business. They leave with a business and pitch delivered to a live panel, competing for a $1,500 award.
Founders spend 12 weeks turning ideas into launch-ready businesses before revealing them at Pitch Day during the Jefas Summit.
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Why This Program Exists
Built by a Latina for Latinas
Latina business owners receive less than half the funding they request from banks. Nearly twice as many Latinas struggle to access credit compared to white women. The gap isn't ambition. It's access to the knowledge, structure, and support that turns an idea into a business that gets taken seriously.
Jefas on the Move was built to close that gap.
Our founder Bessy Martinez saw this firsthand. She moved to Austin during the COVID pandemic and, in spite of its large Hispanic population, couldn't find her community. So she built it. Through partnerships with brands like Coca-Cola Southwestern Beverages and Frost Bank, The Latina Foundation has grown into a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
Since its conception, Foundation has helped launch ten Latina-owned businesses in Texas and distributed over $30,000 in grants. We built this program because we know what it costs to figure it out alone. No Latina should have to.
The Latina gap isn't due to a lack of ambition. It's due to a lack of access. We built this program so that women like you don't have to figure it out the hard way.
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PROGRAM EXPERIENCE
What Founders Walk Away With
Marketing
In today's landscape, visibility is everything. Learn what works for your business.
Financial Literacy
Understand your numbers, plan your revenue, and know what it costs to run your business.
Business Setup
Get set up the right way and avoid the mistakes that shut businesses down before they start.
Your Offer
Leave with an offer that is defined, priced and ready to market.
Mental Resilience
Building a Latina-owned business without a network or capital can be hard. Learn what it takes.
Your Pitch
Walk away with a pitch built, practiced, and delivered in front of a real panel of expert judges.
Be Part Of The 2026 Jefas Summit
One sentence communicating the value of being a part of the summit.
Sponsor
Your support helps us create transformative experiences for women building businesses while navigating real-life responsibilities, barriers, and big aspirations. Whether through sponsorships, partnerships, mentorship, or community support, you are directly investing in the next generation of Latina leaders, founders, and changemakers.
Donate
Your donation to Jefas on the Move helps fund programming, educational resources, mentorship opportunities, event access, and community experiences for Latina entrepreneurs and emerging leaders. Every contribution, big or small, creates ripple effects that impact women, families, and entire communities.
The Latina Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to empowering Latina women through community-building, personal development, and entrepreneurship. Donations are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.