Raise a Glass (of Baylor water)

After Jimmy Garza, Jr., B.B.A. ’97, ran into someone wearing a Baylor T-shirt in Washington, D.C., he saw it as a sign to reconnect with his alma mater. 

“We started talking and I thought — what a small world,” Garza said. “I felt this calling to reach out and ask about ways alumni can get plugged in.”

Garza got more involved and was eventually asked to speak at one of Baylor’s business classes. 

Since graduating, Garza embraced his gift as an entrepreneur. He began his college career on a pre-med track, but after taking a chemistry class, he realized it wasn’t for him. Instead, Garza turned to business and finance.

“I’ve always been kind of an entrepreneur. Now I consider myself a serial entrepreneur; I’m involved in a lot of different companies, a lot of different partnerships, a lot of different businesses,” Garza said. “And to me, finance is fundamentally the basis or the foundation of any and every business. No matter if you’re selling T-shirts or jewelry or newspapers, if you don’t know how your finances are and how your accounting systems are, then you can go south pretty quick.”

After graduating, Garza jumped into day trading in Miami ready to start his life and career. Unfortunately, things didn’t work out the way he hoped. 

“I tell everybody that I got a Ph.D. and a master’s in life immediately out of college. I had taken everything I owned, invested in some venture that I thought could be my future… and I lost everything,” Garza said. “I learned and was humbled, but it all led me back home joining my dad in the produce business and the family business.” 

And Garza paid attention to the business world, particularly when Topo Chico hit the mineral water scene. 

“When Topo Chico got bought out by Coca-Cola in 2018, it proved to me and the whole world that a Mexican mineral water could now be sold in the U.S., comparable to Pellegrino and Perrier, the European waters,” Garza said. “After that, I founded Tehuacán — the rest is history.” 

Today, Tehuacán is everywhere — Circle K, 7-Eleven and H-E-B, and is the primary mineral water sold at Buc-ee’s. After the Mark and Paula Hurd Welcome Center opened, Baylor reached out to Garza asking if Tehuacán would be a part of the one-of-a-kind experience offered to visitors and prospective students. 

“Now when students are considering attending Baylor, they receive a Baylor-
branded Tehuacán mineral water,” Garza said. “And I hope, when they hear the story of how the water got there, they know that the possibilities are endless when it comes to what they can do after school.” 

As the CEO and founder of Tehuacán USA, Garza is committed to continuing to learn and pivot as the business world continues to evolve. 

“You never know how ideas and perceptions can change. Think about Tehuacán being from Mexico — growing up, we were always battling the perception that you couldn’t drink the water in Mexico,” Garza said. “Look at us now! Tehuacán reverses those perceptions and people love our mineral water.” 

As Garza considers how his businesses may grow, he’s thankful to have an alma mater that invites alumni to be a part of future students’ experiences. 

“I’ve learned a lot from being part of the University,” Garza said. “And now, I’m excited to continue to be a part of Baylor’s community.”