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Meet the Mexicans Shaping Contemporary Culture

Luxury tequila is just one thread in the rich tapestry of Mexican history, culture, and innovation. In honor of the 80th anniversary of Tequila Don Julio, founded by one devoted Craftsman in Atotonilco in 1942, we’re celebrating the accomplishments of 80 other Mexican visionaries. Those who lead with the heart and not the head to achieve their incredible endevours. The vibrant legacies of Mexico’s many iconic artists, pioneers and innovators are carried on by Mexico’s brilliant journalists, creatives, public figures and musicians of today.

Captain of Escaramuza Flor de Gardenia

Elda Bueno

Fashion Designer

Victor Barragán

Glass Artist

Orfeo Quagliata

Creative Director

Tupac Martir

Ceramicist

Analuisa Corrigan

Photographer

Eunice adorno

Director & Photographer

Fernando Cattori

Investigative Journalist

Lydia Cacho

Singer-Songwriter

Lila Downs

Pastry Chef

Sofia Cortina

Music Producer

Camilo Lara

Interior Designer

Sofia Aspe

Music Curator & Events Producer

Moni Saldaña

Hospitality Entrepreneur

Rafael Micha

Fashion Designer

Montserrat Messeguer

Artist

Jorge Marín

Chef

Carlos Gaytán

Artist

Rodrigo de la Sierra

Illustrator

Ana Leovy

Artist

Victoria Villasana

Saskia Niño

de Rivera

Saskia Niño de Rivera is the co-founder and spokesperson of Reinstera un Mexicano, a non-profit organization that works with children and adolescents who have been traumatized or scarred by early exposure to the penitentiary system. Niño de Rivera’s own experience with the Mexican criminal justice system as a teenager helped inspire her lifetime of dedication to reforming the system. For her work as an activist, speaker, and author, Niño de Rivera has been honored with numerous awards and accolades.

Scientist

Maria Esther Orozco

Visual Artist

Esperanza Rosas

Architect

Fernanda Canales

Jewelry Artist

Daniela Villegas

Animal Rights Activist

Dulce Ramirez Islas

Art Promoter

Rodrigo Feliz

Activist

Daniel Alonso Rodriguez

Photographer

Cecy Young

Filmmaker

Amaury Barrera

Disability Activist & Motivational Speaker

Ferny Ruiz Aguilar

Textiles Designer

Emma Boomkamp

Chef

Fernando Martínez Zavala

Photographer

Alejandro Cartagena

Craft Artist

Raúl de Nieves

Activist & Social Anthropologist

Amaranta Gómez Regalado

Activist

Saskia Niño de Rivera

Architect

Michel Rojkind

Conservation Scientist

Diana Zendejo

NFT Artist

Jesus Martinez

Journalist

Enrique Acevedo

Cacho

Lydia Cacho has been described by Amnesty International as “perhaps Mexico's most famous investigative journalist and women's rights advocate.” Her fearless reporting, even when it involved some of Mexico’s most powerful business leaders and politicians, has earned her numerous international awards, including being named a World Press Freedom Hero of the International Press Institute in 2010. She has also been recognized for her work as a speaker and activist. Even though her work has also made her the target of violence and threats from those she works to expose, she has not slowed in her mission.

Lydia

Director

Monica Gonzalez Carter

Conservation biologist

Carla Ximena Neri Barrios

Global Brand Ambassador for Tequila Don Julio

Karina Sanchez

Activist

Mariana Ruenes

Photographer, Filmmaker, and Creative Director

Santiago Sierra soler

Astronaut

Carmen Felix Chaidez

Activist

Diego Alcalá

Artist & Designer

Sofía Elías

Skateboarder

Max Barrera

Fashion Designer

Alejandra Quesada

Athlete

Adriana Barraza

Fashion Designer

Nadia Albertini

Musician

Rodrigo SancheZ

Fashion Designer, Maker & Creative

Alex Leon

Fashion Designer, Maker & Creative

Alejandro Sandler

Actor

Marina de Tavira

Poet

Lupe Mendez

Fashion Designer

Alfredo Martínez

Artist

Jorge Tellaeche

Jewelry Artist

Daniela Villegas

Reyes

Sofia Reyes is a pop singer and songwriter whose collaboration with Jason Derulo on the song, “1,2,3,” in 2018 catapulted her to international fame. Today, Sofia is a regular on the Latin Billboard charts and just released her second album, Mal Des Amores. With her creative collaborations, and infectious bilingual pop tracks, the young artist is committed to broadening the reach of Latin music to reach a global audience.

Sofia

Singer

Kaia Lana

Design Researcher

Miguel Cervantes

Recording Artist

Sofía Reyes

Bartender

Julio Xoxocotla

Founder & Business Owner

Hector Saldivar

Eric D-Lux

Food Business Owner

Maya Jacquez

Hat Designer

Maria Mejia

Business Owner

Bianca Kea

Fashion Designer

Marisol Catchings

Chef & Entrepreneur

Fany Gerson

Artist

Claudio Limon

501c3 Nonprofit Co-Founders

Othón Nolasco

Director & Photographer

Mau Sierra

Multidisciplinary Artist

Carlos Amorales

Spoken Word/ Performance Poet

Alejandro Jimenez

Tequila Distiller

Antonio Abarca

Bartender

Marco Aurelio Dorantes

Entrepreneur

Lucy Angel Camarena

501c3 Nonprofit Co-Founders

Damian Diaz

Don Julio Gonzalez began distilling tequila in his hometown of Atotonilco, Jalisco. Don Julio spent 40 years cultivating and perfecting his craft, and as the quality of his product grew, so did its popularity. What began as a few bottles shared amongst friends & family eventually became the global brand we know today, still produced in the highlands of Jalisco.

Gonzalez

Don Julio

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THIS CONTENT WAS PAID FOR BY AN ADVERTISER AND PRODUCED BY TIME’S BRANDED CONTENT TEAM.

80 Years of devotion

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Honoring the Mexicans leading with the heart to achieve their true potential.

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Elda Bueno (She/Her), Captain of Escaramuza Flor de Gardenia The coach who pours her soul into keeping the Mexican tradition of Escaramuza alive.

This is paid content on behalf of our sponsor. TIME editorial staff was not involved in its creation of productions.

Victor Barragán (He/Him), Fashion Designer The designer bringing the previously under celebrated elements of Mexican culture into the fashion spotlight.

Tupac Martir (He/Him), Creative Director The multimedia artist who’s pushing boundaries and going against the grain to create thought-provoking visual art.

Orfeo Quagliata (He/Him), Glass Artist The self-described alchemist who’s constantly pushing the physical constraints of glass art.

Analuisa Corrigan (She/Her), Ceramicist The experimental artist who found her true calling in ceramics.

Eunice Adorno (She/Her), Photographer The photographer who uses imagery to document Mexico’s unnoticed communities.

Fernando Cattori (He/Him), Director & Photographer The photographer who first picked up a camcorder at age 9 and hasn’t stopped making videos since.

Lydia Cacho (She/Her), Investigative Journalist The fearless and courageous journalist who continually strives to help others and uncover the truth.

Lila Downs (She/Her), Singer-Songwriter The award-winning musician who’s spent three decades keeping indigenous Mexican music alive.

Sofia Cortina (She/Her), Pastry Chef The chef who strives to use indigenous ingredients to connect Mexican flavors with classic pastry techniques.

Camilo Lara (He/Him), Music Producer The DJ and producer who has always defied convention to forge his own path.

Sofia Aspe (She/Her), Interior Designer The passionate designer who has become one of Mexico’s most prominent design leaders.

Moni Saldaña (She/Her), Music Curator & Events Producer The pioneer who goes the extra mile to champion new talent and gender equality in music.

Rafael Micha (He/Him), Hospitality Entrepreneur The entrepreneur who helped reshape hospitality in Mexico despite no previous hotel experience through sheer will, talent and vision alone.

Montserrat Messeguer (She/Her), Fashion Designer The fashionista living her lifelong pursuit of becoming a fashion designer, showing another side to Mexico through her clothes.

Jorge Marín (He/Him), Artist The well-known sculptor who has spent his life pursuing his artistic endevours.

Carlos Gaytán (He/Him), Chef The chef who is re-introducing what Mexican food means to the world through unexplored fine dining concepts.

Rodrigo de la Sierra (He/Him), Artist The sculptor who’s committed to spending the rest of his life exploring his craft.

Ana Leovy (She/Her), Illustrator The illustrator who focuses on empowerment and celebrating diversity through her drawings.

Victoria Villasana (She/Her), Artist The textile and street artist who is dedicated to exploring history, tradition, and social issues through her craft.

Dulce Ramirez Islas (She/Her), Animal Rights Activist The activist tirelessly dedicated to ending cruelty to farm animals.

Rodrigo Feliz (He/Him), Art Promoter The art promoter who’s devoted to creating space for emerging artists in Mexico.

Daniel Alonso Rodriguez (He/Him), Activist Since childhood, Daniel has been focused on making positive changes in the world.

Cecy Young (She/Her), Photographer The photographer who strives to invent something new each time she picks up the camera.

Amaury Barrera (He/Him), Filmmaker The filmmaker who is constantly searching for ways to transcend himself and his art.

Ferny Ruiz Aguilar (She/Her), Disability Activist & Motivational Speaker The activist who defied expectations to use her voice to fight for the inclusion of people with disabilities.

Emma Boomkamp (She/Her), Textiles Designer The true creative who lives to make things purely for the love and sense of the craft.

Fernando Martínez Zavala, Chef The self-taught chef who is dedicated to painstakingly preserves and modernizes traditional Mexican dishes.

Alejandro Cartagena (He/Him), Photographer The photographer who uses his immense talent to investigate social, urban and environmental issues in Latin America.

Raúl de Nieves (He/Him), Craft Artist The self-taught artist who celebrates queer culture through life-sized sculptures.

Amaranta Gómez Regalado (She/Her), Activist & Social Anthropologist The trailblazer driving forward human rights and equality for minority communities.

Saskia Niño de Rivera (She/Her), Activist The activist helping women re-enter society after incarceration.

Michel Rojkind (He/Him), Architect The architect who pushes boundaries and the expected by constantly questioning current practices and ways of living.

Diana Zendejo (She/Her), Conservation Scientist The biologist who has dedicated her life’s work to saving Mexico’s black bears.

Jesus Martinez (He/Him), NFT Artist The up-and-coming artist who is passionate about the potential for storytelling through NFT art.

Enrique Acevedo (He/Him), Journalist The journalist who has covered the most important news around the world, with a commitment to raising the voices of immigrants.

Maria Esther Orozco (She/Her), Scientist The award-winning scientist who has dedicated her career to the study of cellular and molecular biology of pathogens.

Esperanza Rosas (Runsy) (She/Her), Visual Artist The artist who’s committed to challenging Mexican stereotypes.

Fernanda Canales (She/Her), Architect The architect committed to applying big budget residence approaches to the creation of low-income social housing.

Daniela Villegas (She/Her), Jewelry Artist The designer who uses jewelry to explore her deep fascination with the world around her.

Mónica G. Carter (She/Her), Director The director driven by a desire to tell visually rich stories with every film she creates.

Ximena Neri Barrios (She/Her), Conservation biologist The conservationist working tirelessly to ensure the revival of Mexico's wolf population, once extinct in the wild.

Karina Sanchez Huitron (She/Her), Global Brand Ambassador for Tequila Don Julio The ambassador with a deep-rooted connection to tequila.

Mariana Ruenes (She/Her), Activist The NGO founder who will stop at nothing to eradicate human trafficking in Mexico.

Santiago Sierra Soler (He/Him), Photographer, Filmmaker, and Creative Director The creative who marries groundbreaking techniques and a fascination with culture, nature, and indigenous traditions.

Carmen Felix Chaidez (She/Her), Astronaut The Astronaut and scientist who is living her childhood passion for reaching the stars.

Diego Alcalá (He/Him), Activist The entrepreneur and activist who is determined to give second chances to Mexico’s prisoners.

Sofía Elías (She/Her), Artist & Designer The experimental designer who dismisses the rulebook to express herself through miniature sculptures for the body.

Max Barrera (He/Him), Skateboarder The pro skateboarder who has spent decades immersed in his love for the sport.

Alejandra Quesada (She/Her), Fashion Designer The pioneering designer who brings innovative technology and new techniques to the Mexican market.

Adriana Barraza (She/Her), Athlete The triathlete who has dedicated her life to her sport.

Nadia Albertini (She/Her), Fashion Designer The designer who honed her craft learning embroidery and textiles from her grandmother in Mexico City.

Alex Leon (He/Him), Fashion Designer, Maker & Creative The duo behind Hermanos Koumori, a creative project that’s devoted to storytelling through fashion, art, and design.

Rodrigo Sanchez (Rodrigo y Gabriela), Musician From busking to world tours, the acoustic guitar duo has turned their deep love for music into an award-winning venture.

Gabriela Lopez (Rodrigo y Gabriela), Musician From busking to world tours, the acoustic guitar duo has turned their deep love for music into an award-winning venture.

Alejandro Sandler (He/Him), Fashion Designer, Maker & Creative The duo behind Hermanos Koumori, a creative project that’s devoted to storytelling through fashion, art, and design.

Lupe Mendez (He/Him), Poet The performance poet who has devoted his life to the spoken word for the past 20 years.

Alfredo Martínez (He/Him), Fashion Designer A leader in contemporary design, Alfredo is committed to putting Mexican fashion on the map.

Jorge Tellaeche (He/Him), Artist The artist who has been exploring different art forms for years, using his work to evoke dialogue.

Daniela Villegas (She/Her), Jewelry Artist The designer who uses jewelry to explore her deep fascination with the world around her.

Kaia Lana (She/Her), Singer The singer who is living her childhood goal of expressing herself through song.

Miguel Cervantes (He/Him), Design Researcher The Design Researcher who highlights and promotes Mexican design & creatives through art, stories & events.

Sofía Reyes (She/Her), Recording Artist The pop star whose talents are taking the world by storm.

Julio Xoxocotla (He/Him), Bartender The mixologist with an unwavering desire to innovate.

Hector Saldivar (He/Him), Founder & Business Owner The entrepreneur so enamored with his mother’s homemade hot sauce, he’s now sharing it with the world.

Eric D-Lux (He/Him), DJ The songwriter, producer and DJ who has dedicated his life to music.

Maya Jacquez (She/Her), Food Business Owner The entrepreneur who is driven by reinvigorating an ancient Aztec meal for the 21st century.

Maria Mejia (She/Her), Hat Designer The designer whose love for the art of hat making has never waned.

Bianca Kea (She/Her), Business Owner The entrepreneur determined to acknowledge and celebrate Afro-Latinidad.

Marisol Catchings (She/Her), Fashion Designer The self-taught artist and designer committed to representing Afro-Latinx heritage in fashion and art.

Fany Gerson (She/Her), Chef & Entrepreneur The chef who has turned her lifelong sweet tooth into thriving, iconic New York businesses.

Claudio Limon (He/Him), Artist The artist committed to approaching art in his own way through a process of “unlearning.”

Othón Nolasco & Damian Diaz (He/Him), 501c3 nonprofit Co-Founders The entrepreneurs who have made it their mission to provide food security to undocumented workers across Los Angeles County.

Mau Sierra (He/Him), Director & Photographer The multidisciplinary artist who uses intuition and experimental techniques to create groundbreaking visuals.

Carlos Amorales (He/Him), Multidisciplinary Artist The artist who develops his own languages to push the limits of communication.

Alejandro Jimenez (He/Him), Spoken Word/Performance Poet The writer using his poetry to humanize immigrant narratives and explore intersectionality.

Antonio Abarca (He/Him), Tequilla Distiller The tequila distiller who has dedicated his life to both preserving and pushing the boundaries of his craft.

Marco Aurelio Dorantes (He/Him), Bartender The bartender whose fascination for flavor and gastronomy has turned him into an award-winning mixologis

Lucy Angel Camarena (She/Her), Entrepreneur The entrepreneur committed to spurring economic growth and investment within the Mexican community.

Karina Sanchez Huitron (She/Her), Global Brand Ambassador for Tequila Don Julio The ambassador with a deep-rooted connection to tequila.

Ximena Neri Barrios (She/Her), Conservation biologist The conservationist working tirelessly to ensure the revival of Mexico's wolf population, once extinct in the wild.

Mónica G. Carter (She/Her), Director The director driven by a desire to tell visually rich stories with every film she creates.

Antonio Abarca (He/Him), Tequilla Distiller The tequila distiller who has dedicated his life to both preserving and pushing the boundaries of his craft.

Alejandro Jimenez (He/Him), Spoken Word/Performance Poet The writer using his poetry to humanize immigrant narratives and explore intersectionality.

Carlos Amorales (He/Him), Multidisciplinary Artist The artist who develops his own languages to push the limits of communication.

Mau Sierra (He/Him), Director & Photographer The multidisciplinary artist who uses intuition and experimental techniques to create groundbreaking visuals.

Othón Nolasco & Damian Diaz (He/Him), Charity Founders The entrepreneurs who have made it their mission to provide food security to undocumented workers across Los Angeles County.