About

Entrepreneur. Designer. Strategist.

Throughout my life, the common thread of travel + impact + culture has inspired me and shaped who I am. Growing up in funky Austin, Texas with a Mexican poet mama and entrepreneur dad, I was always encouraged to find and follow whatever made me happy.

This turned out to mean graduating early from high-school and moving to Costa Rica at age 17 to work with an NGO in a small coffee-growing town. There, I thrived by living side by side with incredibly hard-working families. They always told me their dream was to go to the US, but I would look around and see the true wealth they had around them - family, nature, and natural resources.

From Costa Rica, I went on to work with various NGOs in Ecuador, Guatemala, and Peru. I became immersed in my Sociology studies at the University of Texas, enthralled with the questions of social justice, race, class, and life-opportunities. These studies showed me that though where you are born does have an impact on your circumstances, there are things that can be done to open opportunities for people to thrive where they are.

I always knew that I wanted to work in Latin America and do something that created opportunities for people to thrive. At the same time, I had always loved collecting textiles, clothing, and treasures on my world-wide travels growing up. The jolts of bright patterns and colors from my Mom's homeland, Mexico, sparked inspiration and joy in me.

After graduating from college, I decided rather than wait to get hired at my "dream job", I should just create it myself instead. I combined my love for travel, Latin America, social impact, economic development, and fashion into the company Teysha. Since the beginning, the idea has been to enable people to use the resources around them (natural, cultural), to create beautiful things that spark conversation, inspiration, and connection.

Building a handcrafted shoe business from the ground up, alongside my amazing team, has been the thrill of my life so far. Humbling, incredibly challenging, exhilarating, and non-stop, the journey of entrepreneurship is one that I know I will pursue forever.

Today, Teysha produces in our own shoe workshop in Guatemala where we employ traditional artisans, as well as working with women's cooperatives throughout Guatemala to create amazing textiles.

Beyond Teysha, I have also brought my operational and marketing talents to ethical-fashion companies including VOZ Apparel and Visible Clothing. I am also a Registered Yoga Teacher and love helping people incorporate mindfulness and activity into their lives. I look forward to many more adventures in the world of social entrepreneurship + wellness.

I recently graduated with my MBA from the University of Virginia Darden School of Business and was honored to be a Batten Entrepreneurial Scholar. It has been a thrill to learn through the case method and apply my own insights from my past journey as well as learn so many new things. I now live and work in New York City.

Please reach out to me if I can support you in any way with strategy, business planning, business operations refinement, your entrepreneurial journey, or anything else!