To conquer the dynamic U.S. food and beverage market, a good product isn’t enough; it requires a strategic “Power Mix” that masters every facet of the business. In this special March edition, Abasto Media brings together the insights of five exceptional female leaders who are redefining the rules of the game:
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Logistics and Internationalization
SYLVIA MENÉNDEZ, International Business Manager at Yaesta, represents the evolution of legacy into global professionalization. The daughter of the creator of the iconic Tortrix in Guatemala, Sylvia began her journey selling snacks from her garage; today, she is an engineer and strategist driving products across borders. Her approach to the B2B market is clear: talent opens doors, but only standardization and regulatory compliance (FDA) allow you to stay inside. For Sylvia, the “nostalgia” market has matured into a high-quality cultural experience that competes with global brands. Her leadership, built on the faith and consistency she learned from her mother, prioritizes data-driven decision-making and traceability systems over mere intuition. Heading into 2026, Menéndez is a female leader who defines the industry through adaptability. She maintains that true success isn’t just “arriving” in the U.S., but achieving shelf rotation through purposeful discipline and a deep respect for cultural identity.
Marketing and Retail Strategy
LETTY GONZÁLEZ, CEO of Conzeptos Marketing, is a leading figure in retail marketing with over two decades of experience. Alongside her partner and sister, Paty González, she has built an agency that transforms commercial goals into consistent execution strategies. For Letty, a food brand’s success on the shelf depends on storytelling that is clear and credible: while first-generation immigrants connect through memory and nostalgia, bicultural Gen Z looks for identity and current relevance. With a 2026 vision centered on adaptability, González argues that the Hispanic market, though diverse, is easy to navigate through active listening. Her competitive advantage lies in proprietary technology: an exclusive Conzeptos app that allows clients to monitor activations in real-time, providing total operational transparency. Her advice for Latina entrepreneurs is blunt: to play in the big leagues of retail, you must change how you operate, professionalize your processes, and, crucially, learn to delegate to sustain growth.
Strategic and Logistic Focus
GEORGINA MACÍAS, CEO and Founder of Geommag, has spent 22 years leading logistics and 3PL (Third-Party Logistics) services between Mexico and the United States. Her story is one of perseverance and breaking paradigms; supported from the start by her mother, Georgina transformed her entrepreneurial dream into a pillar of the international supply chain. For her, the key for a Hispanic brand to scale in U.S. retail is differentiation: “The market is vast, but a clear value proposition and strict adherence to certifications (such as Non-GMO or Organic) are what allow you to compete globally without losing your cultural essence.” Looking toward 2026, Macías, a natural female leader, promotes the adoption of AI and automation as critical tools for agility amidst logistical fluctuations, though she maintains that an entrepreneur’s “instinct and heart” is a signature that no technology can replicate. Georgina is a firm voice in demystifying the size of the Hispanic market, noting that its $2 trillion in consumption positions it as an economic giant. Her ingredient for success? Collaboration: establishing strategic partnerships that provide the necessary support for solid growth.
Execution and Point-of-Sale
SANDRA CORTÉS is the CEO of Innercia, a firm with over 25 years of experience in Latin America and a robust expansion into the U.S. market. A specialist in retail display design and production, she aims to transform the point-of-sale into a real sales engine. For Sandra, the great challenge for Hispanic brands in the U.S. is not just distribution, but shelf rotation: “Many fail by saturating the shelf with volume without communicating the benefits and attributes that differentiate the product.” Her vision for the bicultural ecosystem focuses on innovation and adaptability. She maintains that the Hispanic consumer is savvy and moves beyond the “nostalgia market”; therefore, the key to success lies in impeccable execution that seduces the shopper through creativity and market knowledge gained from 25 years of working with Latino brands. Inspired by her mother’s discipline, Sandra leads with organization and teamwork, convinced that to stand out in an “ocean of brands,” it is vital to connect emotionally through Well-Thought-Out Design at the last meter of the sale.
Association Leadership and Access to Capital
YAMILET RIVAS, Founder and President of the U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce, serves as a strategic bridge for Latina entrepreneurs within the U.S. corporate ecosystem. Under her philosophy of “agility and action,” Rivas argues that scaling to the retail big leagues requires leaving “operational loneliness” behind and surrounding oneself with consultants and experts. As a trade and female leader, she emphasizes that Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB/MWBE) certifications are master keys to accessing exclusive contracts and closing capital gaps through key alliances, such as her partnership with SALCHAM to strengthen the food and beverage sector. Looking ahead to 2026, Yamilet defines the industry through the concept of the “niche,” warning that today “every company is, in essence, a tech company” and must rely on data intelligence to compete. For her, breaking the myth of Hispanic market homogeneity is fundamental to capturing real opportunities. Inspired by the early support of her Aunt Noris, Rivas promotes a vision where institutional structure and specialized knowledge transform individual effort into scalable, sustainable success.