Hanford entrepreneur becomes first Latina to raise $1M

HANFORD, Calif. ( KSEE/KGPE ) – From humble beginnings in Hanford California, to becoming the first Latina to raise a million dollars in capital, Kayla Castaneda is no stranger to hard work and perseverance.

“Growing up in Hanford, I learned that you just need to be scrappy and innovative to make something come to life, right? And it doesn’t matter where you’re from. If you have that talent in that drive, you can make it happen,” said Castaneda.

As a child, Castaneda had big dreams, along with an entrepreneurial spirit, and at just 18 years old she left her hometown and moved to New York.

It was a decision that gave her confidence while she learned about the food and beverage business.

Both her upbringing in Hanford and her time in New York influenced her own brand called “ Agua Bonita ” which she says is a traditional Mexican beverage but with a healthier twist.

“It’s an all-natural drink,” said Castaneda. “Honestly, if you’ve ever had an agua fresca, you know it can be overwhelmingly sweet. We just turn that down but still have 100% of that flavor.”

The drinks come in four flavors that are not only better for people’s health but also for the environment. By using 65% of so-called “ugly” fruit, or fruit that’s unable to be sold in stores because of blemishes.

It’s the fruit that otherwise would have gone to waste, something she saw too much of growing up with her grandparents who were migrant farm workers.

In fact, it was her Grandfather who inspired her business, and in July 2020, she launched Agua Bonita. But it wasn’t until a year later that her Agua Bonita cans hit the shelves.

“I was fulfilling orders through my garage. My family was just helping me pack cans. So it took a while to really see them out in the wild,” said Castaneda. “And when we first got our first retail account, which was like a small mom-and-pop store actually in San Diego, we drove down there to see everything and take the pictures and have all the happy tears because it was just such a huge milestone to go from something made in Hanford and then extending to other parts of the state and now all over the country.”

Agua Bonita is now in Whole Foods , select Target locations in California with Walmart on board next spring.

She says it’s a major milestone that will also put Hanford on the map.

“We’ve accomplished something very big and are bringing a spotlight to the talent that we have in the valley and the talent that there is in towns like Hanford California,” said Castaneda. “Not everything needs to happen in LA or New York or San Francisco.”

Even when it gets tough, she inspires Latinas to take the leap and start their own business, reminding them nothing is out of reach.

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