Our Story
Abeja Reyna, a female-founded family business, was born from the passion and commitment of our founder, Hilda Cortés—a mother of seven, grandmother of ten, visionary, and lover of nature and the sacred animal: the bee. Hilda proudly identifies as a Mexican woman who cherishes her homeland.
In 1987, while living in her hometown of Guadalajara, Jalisco, she embarked on this extraordinary journey following a chance encounter in the Mexican countryside with a young man selling 150 beehives as he pursued the American dream. This meeting marked the beginning of our dedication to excellence in bee care, helping with pollination and promoting sustainability for our planet. Hilda purchased those beehives, despite having no prior knowledge of beekeeping, and immersed herself in the craft, mastering it through study, advice, and hands-on experience. Her mission was clear: to create jobs primarily for women, in particular older than forty, fostering cooperativism and collaborating with landowners in rural areas. With her entrepreneurial spirit, she recognized the potential of beekeeping, seamlessly blending tradition with innovation.
That same year, Hilda established our first apiary to supply high-quality honey to major industries like Heinz and Sanborns. As she delved deeper, she discovered honey's extraordinary properties, inspiring her to create innovative formulations for health, nutrition, and skincare.
Despite facing family and economic challenges, Hilda's dedication never wavered. In 2015, her all seven children, each with their own professional careers, rallied around their mother’s vision, bringing in the third generation of grandchildren. They formed a family business that innovates with organic bee products, reviving the family tradition of beekeeping. Her eldest daughter, Santa Maria, played a crucial role as an early financial backer, while her eldest son, Luis Valentino, helped exceptionally in directing and revitalizing the business alongside another daughter, Milagros, who has remarkable talent in public relations and sales. The business was reborn in a garage, fueled by the hard work and passion of the entire family, each taking on important leadership roles and utilizing their skills and talents in their respective areas.
The undeniable quality of our products led to remarkable success, allowing us to expand across Mexico and beyond. In 2018, we opened our first official store in Providencia, Guadalajara, followed by another in Polanco, Mexico City, in 2021. Since then, we have continued to grow, opening stores in various cities and some within major shopping centers. The extraordinary efforts of our female distributors and brand ambassadors have ensured that the benefits of our bee products are available in every city throughout Mexico.
In 2024, we launched the brand in the United States, in Los Angeles, CA, under the vision and guidance of Santa Maria, Hilda’s eldest daughter. She honored and refined her mother’s vision while bringing her expertise in health and wellness to Abeja Reyna USA, collaborating with a specialized team from Mexico and the USA, primarily composed of women, as the founder always envisioned. Santa Maria is a master in meditation and yoga, having trained annually in the Himalayas, India for over 11 years, and has lived in California since 2001.
We are committed to continuing to innovate and develop our care for bees, delivering the purest formulas from nature to you. We are proud recipients of several awards and recognitions, including The 30 Promises of Forbes, Entrepreneur, and Mass Challenge LATAM. Our dedication has also earned us recognition in prestigious global magazines as a leading company in beauty and innovation, including Forbes, Vogue, and Cosmopolitan.
Thank you for choosing Abeja Reyna! We appreciate your support for our mission to care for and save bees for a greener, more sustainable planet.
From nature to you with love!
Abeja Reyna
Your support is the sweetest nectar to us!🐝
stay tuned to your email to know our promotions and discounts before anyone else