The people behind Etniko are Gina and Ramiro Estrada. Gina Estrada, who grew up in Domat/Ems, has a degree in business and is a curator. Ramiro Estrada from Acapulco (Mexico) studied art and art history at the University of California in Santa Barbara (USA) and works as a freelance artist.

The Estrada couple founded Etniko over 25 years ago. After the beginnings in Untervaz and in the old town of Chur, the store is now located at Ringstrasse 22, where it forms a small microcosm together with the cultural space Cuadro22.