About
Adriana Gallardo is a Mexican‑American entrepreneur best known for turning a single auto‑insurance storefront into the multi‑company AGI Business Group, which spans more than 30 years of steady growth. Dubbed the “queen of insurance,” she oversees Adriana’s Insurance, AGNC Media, and several education and coaching ventures, all while championing Latino empowerment in the United States. In 2023 she stepped onto television as one of the new investors (“tiburones”) on Shark Tank México, bringing her straightforward, upbeat style to the beloved startup show. Forbes once listed her among the 100 most powerful Mexican women, underscoring the influence she wields far beyond the insurance sector.
Before Fame
Gallardo grew up in Mexicali, Baja California, where money was tight but dreams ran high. In her late teens she crossed the border with no English, few resources, and a fierce work ethic. She flipped burgers at a fast‑food franchise, saved every spare dollar, and listened when her mother, Doña Rosy, pointed out a gap in the local market for low‑cost auto policies. In 1990, at a modest office in Pomona, California, Gallardo opened Adriana’s Insurance. She answered phones, sold policies, and cleaned the floors herself. Word of mouth in the Spanish‑speaking community fueled early success, and her one‑room venture snowballed into dozens of branches across the Southwest.
Trivia
- Reality‑TV credentials: Before joining Shark Tank México, Gallardo appeared on the Spanish‑language series Rica, Famosa, Latina, where she shared screen time with other high‑profile businesswomen.
- Literary side hustle: She penned Cómo ser una mujer chingona… ¡y no morirse del miedo!—a motivational book that blends personal anecdotes with simple business tips.
- Heart‑health advocate: After a stress‑related cardiac scare in her forties, Gallardo became the first Latina Ambassador for the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women campaign and even helped translate the AHA website into Spanish.
- Nickname origins: Spanish‑language media coined “la reina de los seguros” (“insurance queen”) because her billboards blanket Southern California freeways.
- Estimated fortune: Celebrity Net Worth pegs her wealth near $20 million—built largely from commissions on the hundreds of thousands of policies her firm writes each year.
Family Life
Gallardo often says her mother’s encouragement was “the spark that lit everything.” Doña Rosy not only urged her to start the agency but joined the early staff, reinforcing a family‑first culture. Today Gallardo and her husband, leadership coach Richard Martínez, raise three children while co‑running personal‑development initiatives like Now Rise Business and The Business Circle. The couple’s social‑media handle, Power Couple Lifestyle, chronicles school drop‑offs, board meetings, and Sunday soccer—reminding followers that entrepreneurial ambition and family time can coexist.
Associated With
On Shark Tank México Gallardo invests alongside seasoned moguls such as Marcus Dantus, Rodrigo Herrera Aspra, and Arturo Elías Ayub, adding a U.S.‑Latina lens to the deal table. Online, she swaps encouragement with motivational speaker Daniel Habif and entertainer‑turned‑entrepreneur Diego Schoening, both of whom share her passion for uplifting Spanish‑speaking audiences. By pairing mainstream TV visibility with deep community roots, Gallardo keeps proving that bold ideas—and a little insurance know‑how—can open doors on both sides of the border.
