The Woman’s Way Business Awards are more than a celebration, they are a reflection of the extraordinary women shaping the future of Austin. Inside these pages are the stories of innovators, leaders, entrepreneurs and changemakers who are building businesses, strengthening communities and creating lasting impact across every industry.
Each applicant, finalist and winner represents the ambition, resilience and brilliance that make Austin such a powerful place for women in business. Their journeys remind us that success looks different for everyone, but courage, vision and determination are qualities they all share.
We are honored to celebrate these inspiring women and the incredible influence they continue to have on our city, our economy and the next generation of leaders.
Conni Reed Founder & CEO Consuela
Congratulations on 20 fabulous years!
Maker
Winner
Finalists
SAWA SAWA Anne Drane
Studios apmanRoss
PinkHairProductions ZuzuPerkal
Rising Star Winner
Fresca da Govaz alists
FEATURED WINNER: CELZO AGUA FRESCA
Fernanda Govaz | CEO & Co-Founder
When Fernanda Govaz looked at the beverage aisle, she didn't see herself or the communities she represents. So she built something that did.
As co-founder and CEO of Celzo Functional Agua Fresca, Govaz is modernizing one of the most culturally iconic drink formats in the country, transforming the traditional agua fresca into a low-sugar, functional, ready-to-drink experience built for today's consumer. The concept is rooted in a simple but powerful conviction: that culturally iconic products deserve the same innovation, premium positioning and mainstream visibility as any major beverage category Celzo is her answer to that gap.
Recognized by Forbes as the "Next Big Thing," Celzo sits at the intersection of cultural authenticity and mainstream wellness. The brand is designed to serve two high-value consumer bases simultaneously Latino consumers seeking genuine representation in modern consumer packaged goods, and mainstream consumers looking for bold, differentiated flavors beyond traditional soda alternatives. That dual-consumer dynamic is structural, not accidental, and it's what Govaz believes gives Celzo a scale potential that reaches well beyond ethnic market positioning.With more than 62 million Latinos representing 20% of the
U.S. population, the cultural moment is here, and Celzo is building to lead it. The brand's foundation is deeply personal. Govaz has spent her career navigating industries where women especially Latina women remain underrepresented in leadership, capital access and consumer brand ownership Rather than treating that reality as a barrier, she turned it into a blueprint, building Celzo on the principles of authenticity, emotional connection and community from the ground up. Her leadership style reflects that same orientation. She approaches growth through relationships, long-term trust and culture-first storytelling, while maintaining the operational discipline and competitive ambition required to earn visibility and credibility in a crowded, fast-moving industry. Co-founded with her partner Cat, Celzo carries a mission that extends beyond the beverage category. The brand serves as a platform for representation and empowerment, actively amplifying the voices of Latinas, LGBTQ+ individuals and women For Govaz, every can of Celzo is a statement about what modern, multicultural consumer brands can and should look like in America — bold, authentic and built to last. She isn't replacing soda. She's making agua fresca mainstream, functional and aspirational, one fiesta at a time.
celzodrink.com | @celzodrink
Health and Wellness ner
ann e Kocher
Dr. Nahal Delpassand
PsyD, PLLC
Nahal Delpassand
Empowered Beginnings
Ciarra Morgan KoreKollective ModernPilates
JoyDomingues-Torres
FEATURED WINNER: TRADEVERIFYD
Karyl Fowler | Chief Growth Officer
When an investor ghosted on wire day just before the Silicon Valley Bank collapse while new enterprise clients were simultaneously onboarding Karyl Fowler didn't spiral She rebuilt the plan.
That kind of composure is baked into how the Austin-based tech executive moves through the world. She even has the word "reframe" tattooed on her arm as a reminder of her personal mantra: perspective is the only thing we truly control
As Chief Growth Officer of Tradeverifyd, Karyl leads commercial strategy, enterprise partnerships and federal sales for an AI-powered supply chain intelligence platform that gives companies and governments real-time visibility into who makes their products, where, and under what conditions The problem it solves is deceptively simple to describe and enormously complex to fix. "Most companies can't see past their first layer of suppliers, which leaves them exposed to forced labor violations, tariff miscalculations, sanctions risk, and disruptions they never saw coming." That blind spot is expensive
Tradeverifyd is the trade intelligence platform built for enterprises that can't afford to guess. Right data, right context. Delivered in plain language to any team, without training or analyst overhead.
Its clients include Fortune 500 enterprises and federal agencies like DHS and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Karyl's path to this work was anything but accidental. After earning her MS in Technology Commercialization from UT Austin's McCombs School of Business, she moved through biotech, semiconductor manufacturing and economic development at the Austin Chamber of Commerce, accumulating a working fluency in how geopolitics shape global trade. In 2018, she co-founded Transmute, a Techstars Austin-based software company, and spent eight years building it into an acquisition-ready company before it combined with mesur.io in January 2025 to form Tradeverifyd.
She's done all of it as a woman in deep tech, a space where women-led companies receive less than roughly 2% of venture funding Rather than shrink from that reality, she names it and builds around it - recruiting women into technical and leadership roles, mentoring early-stage founders through the Techstars Austin alumni network and Capital Factory, and carrying Austin's voice into national policy rooms as a Bridge49 founding member at the US-Mexico Foundation or a Leadership Council member at the Women's Foreign Policy Group in Washington DC. Tradeverifyd is growing fast and well-positioned to capitalize on the opportunity of this moment: at the intersection of global trade and agentic AI For Karyl, the bigger picture hasn't changed; global trade should be traceable, ethical and secure. She's just building the tools to get it there.
When Yisel Guerrero arrived in the United States from Colombia in 2013, she had only $200 in her pocket, but she carried something far more powerful: vision, resilience, and an unshakable determination to build a future for herself, her family, and her community.
Today, she is the founder of two successful jewelry brands in Austin, Texas, each created with a distinct purpose and identity
Yisel Jewelry,became the foundation of her entrepreneurial journey, a community-driven brand rooted in accessibility, trust, and deep connection with Austin’s Spanish-speaking community. Built through years of hard work, live sales, customer relationships, and cultural understanding, the brand became known for making people feel welcomed, valued, and celebrated.
Eterna Jewels boutique, located at The Domain, represents the evolution of that vision into the luxury space, an elevated boutique experience focused on fine jewelry, diamonds, high jewelry, timeless design, craftsmanship, exclusivity, and legacy. While both brands share the same heart and commitment to people, each serves a different audience and purpose, reflecting Guerrero’s ability to connect authentically with diverse communities and lifestyles The boutique attracts a diverse clientele including professionals, entrepreneurs, collectors, couples celebrating milestones, and clients seeking a more elevated and personalized luxury jewelry experience. But behind the entrepreneur is also a mother and community leader.
As a mother of three, Guerrero has balanced the demands of business ownership, leadership, and motherhood simultaneously building companies while raising a family and continuing to lead with strength, discipline, and compassion. She often credits motherhood as one of the greatest influences on the way she leads: with resilience, intuition, empathy, and purpose. For Guerrero, jewelry has never simply represented luxury. It represents identity, milestones, memories, and the emotions people carry through generations. That belief became the soul of both brands and the reason clients from different cultures and backgrounds connect so deeply with her story.
In an industry often driven by transactions, Guerrero built something different: businesses centered around human connection, trust, elegance, and empowerment As a Latina entrepreneur, she openly embraces every part of her journey,her accent, her roots, her struggles, and the lessons learned through sacrifice and perseverance. Rather than changing who she was to fit into the business world, she built brands powerful enough to reflect exactly who she is.
Today, Yisel Guerrero is recognized not only for her entrepreneurial success, but also for her growing impact as a community leader in Austin,supporting women, mentoring entrepreneurs, creating opportunities for others, and using her platform to inspire people to believe that humble beginnings do not limit extraordinary futures.
Her story is not simply about building businesses from the ground up. It is about building legacy, family, community, and purpose, all at once. And her journey is only beginning. eternajewels.com
F d d Beverage
I am Austin Woman Winne
Kathleen Lucente Red Fan Communications
DoloresDavis CG&SDesign-Build
Finalists
EvelynMcLean WilliamsonCounty JusticeCourtPct. 3
JannaPaulson Peel PaulsonDesign Studio, LLC
FEATURED FINALIST: VIOLET PLUMBING
Leticia Valdez | Vice President
Leticia Valdez has never followed a straight line. Her path has wound through classrooms and construction sites, graduate school and job sites, teaching awards and multimillion-dollar contracts. And at every turn, she has carried the same conviction: that with hard work and the right opportunity, anything is possible.
Today, Valdez serves as co-owner and vice president of Violet Plumbing, a women-owned commercial plumbing company operating across multiple markets. What began in 2018 as a small residential repair operation generating $15,000 in annual revenue has grown into a trusted commercial trade partner closing multimillion-dollar contracts and nearly doubling its revenue year over year. But for Valdez, the numbers only tell part of the story.
Valdez describes herself as a walking billboard for "¡Tú puedes!" you can do this! Whether earning her citizenship, finishing her degree or putting herself through graduate school during a pandemic, she has consistently chosen the harder, more purposeful road. Her roots in the trades run deep.
Long before she held a business title, she was a young girl spending summers on construction sites alongside her father, learning to weld, plumb, frame rooms, install sheetrock and negotiate with clients. Those early lessons shaped a work ethic and grit that would follow her into every chapter of her life Before joining Violet, Valdez built an accomplished career in education. She was named Teacher of the Year in her second year of teaching, later earned a master's degree in education with a specialty in special education and became a certified educational diagnostician. She was also recognized as Mentor of the Year for her dedication to guiding fellow teachers. Her background in psychology and her passion for serving students and families drove her to keep growing, keep learning and keep finding new ways to show up for her community.
That same mindset carried her into the world of commercial plumbing Alongside co-owner and husband Richard Valdez, who oversees construction management, Leticia leads project management, hiring, networking and business development. Together, they have built Violet into a company that competes on quality, integrity and purpose.
One of Violet's proudest milestones has been its partnership with Habitat for Humanity in Austin, helping build a low-income apartment complex that will provide safe, affordable housing for families in need. Now in its third year of that partnership, Violet is also part of the 2026 10x10 Women Build team a reflection of the company ' s deep commitment to community over profit Valdez has not forgotten her roots in education, either. She regularly contributes to local education funds, supports teacher GoFundMe campaigns and donates to classroom wish lists, particularly those stocked with books. Having spent years as a reading teacher, she understands firsthand what access to books can mean for a child.Beyond giving back, Valdez is actively working to change the culture of her industry. Violet engages with local high schools and workforce conventions, speaking with students and job seekers about careers in the skilled trades answering the questions, she says, that many young people do not even know to ask In an industry facing a serious shortage of skilled tradespeople, Violet is investing in the next generation.
For Valdez, advocacy and leadership are inseparable. She is proof that a career in the trades can be sophisticated, entrepreneurial and deeply meaningful and that women belong in every corner of the industry, from the office to the job site.
Her message to the next generation is simple and familiar: Sí Se Puede. It can be done.
2026 NOMINEES
ActionCOACH Central Texas
Jodee O’Brien actioncoachcentraltx.com
Austin Community College
Kelly Torrico offices.austincc.edu
Austin Community Wellness
Dr. Sarah Duke austincommunitywellness.com
Austin Simply Fit Kristin Bergeron austinsimplyfit com
