How the founder of Josefina Inc. is building a sustainable tequila brand and reshaping the narrative around representation, legacy, and capital in the spirits industry.
During the global pandemic, CEO and founder Katherine Tinsley found herself grieving two things: her grandmother, and her early 20s. While many of her peers spent their 21st birthdays celebrating in clubs and traveling, Katherine marked the milestone in lockdown, as COVID-19 disrupted life and paused plans around the globe.
Amid this solitude and reflection, she began visiting Binny’s Beverage Depot, walking the aisles to self-educate on the world of spirits. Her introduction to tequila wasn’t through social settings — it was quiet, methodical, and deeply intentional. This journey sparked an unexpected love for the category and planted the seeds for Josefina Inc., the company she would go on to build.
Named after her late grandmother, Josephine Rivera Banos — born Josefina in Carolina, Puerto Rico — Josefina Inc. is both a tribute and a vision. The brand exists at the intersection of sustainability, small-batch craftsmanship, and cultural storytelling. As a Black Puerto Rican woman, Katherine is infusing her Caribbean heritage into a Mexican spirit, while also addressing a critical gap in ownership. To her knowledge, Josefina Inc. is positioned to become the first tequila brand founded and owned by a Black Hispanic woman.
Tinsley brings years of media experience from publications such as Good Housekeeping, OK! Magazine, and Grazia USA, but launching a tequila brand has revealed deeper systemic challenges. Like many Black, Hispanic, and female founders, she does not come from generational wealth, and does not have access to a friends-and-family round — a step that many startups rely on to gain early traction.
These gaps are especially felt across Black and Hispanic communities, where historic disparities in wealth accumulation continue to impact access to capital today. In 1983, the average wealth of white families was about $320,000 higher than that of Black and Hispanic families. By 2022, the average wealth of white families had grown to $1.4 million — more than $1 million higher than the average for Black families ($211,596) and Hispanic families ($227,544).
While these communities are rich in wisdom, culture, and love, the capital required to circulate within them — to help families thrive and catapult founders forward — has too often been out of reach. These disparities don’t just affect individuals; they affect the ability of entire communities to be represented in industries like spirits, where ownership remains overwhelmingly homogeneous.
With less than 1% of venture capital going to Black women, traditional fundraising paths quickly proved inaccessible. So, Katherine turned to equity crowdfunding: a growing avenue for underrepresented founders to raise capital on their own terms. Through a $250,000 SAFE agreement hosted on WeFunder, she is building community momentum to fund Josefina Inc.’s first production run.
Despite being pre-launch, Josefina Inc. is already resonating with consumers and the spirits community alike. As the founder, Katherine has built a loyal and engaged following around Josefina Inc., with over 36,000 supporters across TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn, and beyond. The company is not just a tequila brand — it’s a cultural bridge between Puerto Rico, Mexico, and the U.S., built on values of transparency, sustainability, and representation.
While many may hope to maintain the status quo in the spirits industry, Tinsley is clear: Josefina is here to disrupt. For her, this company is more than a brand — it’s an ancestral offering.
