Say hi to Roxana & Josefina!
About Reishi & Health
I am 50 years old and I am from Rosario, Argentina. I was raised in a family that has been running a Health Care Business for more than forty years. My father Francisco was born in Murcia, Spain, and moved to Argentina when he was 8 years old by ship. He traveled with my grandmother Adelina and my uncle Jose Luis, who was 3 years old. The journey lasted fifteen days. My grandfather, also called Francisco, was waiting for them in Buenos Aires, as he had moved a couple of months before.
Nowadays, both Francisco and Jose Luis are very successful physicians and entrepreneurs. They run a Hospital that is known for its excellence in Orthopedics, Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine.
In my case, I started Medicine School in March 1992. It was in ‘Anatomy’, my first class, that I met Hernan. We went through University together and graduated the same day six years later. We got married in 2000 and we had three children: Renzo, Josefina and Sofia. He used to be a Spine Surgeon and I worked as her neurophysiologist. In 2016 he was diagnosed with a very rare type of lymphoma. He died in 2017 despite all medical treatments. I was knocked by this sudden event in my life and I decided to make a change. Looking for new alternatives, I got into the Functional Mushrooms world. All of a sudden I understood that this was my new commitment: to grow functional organic food, as a natural way to promote health and longevity. I wanted to build healthcare solutions from natural, free of chemicals, preservatives or artificial flavoring products.
But that was not the only change; I wanted to build this new project in another country, following the experience of my grandfather Francisco. This time the trip was easier than his; just ten hours of flight brought me to Houston.
When did you first get started?
We arrived in Katy in January of 2021 and the new adventure started. I founded Reishi & Health, a farm where we produce edible and medicinal mushrooms and microgreens indoors. All under organic conditions.
When everything was running, we still had to arrange our legal status to stay in the country, as I found it very hard to run the business from Argentina. The American Embassy in Buenos Aires was closed due to Covid-19, but that did not stop me. We tried in Chile first, which was delayed for 6 months. I later thought about Spain. My attorney said it was too far away from Argentina to go with my children there. I felt that was not totally true…my DNA told me I could do it. I finally made the decision and I was able to use those canceled tickets
I had from before the pandemic, two years later!
We got our Visa on March 15, 2022; 30 years after I had started the University and met Hernan. That was really meaningful for me.
We moved to Houston on March 25. As another meaningful event, we started our journey to America from Barcelona; the port from where my grandparents’ ship left Spain 70 years ago.
What inspired you to start your business?
I was very disappointed with the traditional medicine. So many years studying and practicing it and when I really needed it did not help. Not only for the results, that honestly could not have been changed anyway, but for the quality of life during the treatment. I wanted to keep helping people to stay healthy, but from another perspective. I was looking for natural alternatives to traditional medicine.
What is your favorite thing to make/produce?
My favorite blend is the Anti-inflammatory Tea, it is a great alternative for the medication for pain management in cases of inflammation, pain, chronic diseases. And also helps for Diabetes and High Blood Pressure.
Where are you from/where did you grow up?
I am from Rosario, Argentina
Share a fun fact about yourself you’d like your customers to know!
I have been a physician since 1997. I am specialized in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Pain Management and Neurophysiology. I am well known as an intraoperative and clinical neurophysiologist. I have had my own practice at my family ‘s Hospital in Rosario; Sanatorio Mapaci SA. I am proud to have been a pioneer on intraoperative neurophysiology in Rosario since 2002. On the other hand, I started my business experience in 2013, being a member of the board of Sanatorio Mapaci SA, and later becoming vice-president in 2017.
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