A spiky cactus and a crowded snack aisle sparked a bigger mission: rewrite the story of Latin flavors on U.S. shelves. We sit down with Regina Trillo to unpack how Nemi Snacks emerged from representation, health, and heart—and why money wasn’t the only thing that fueled the journey. From the first pitch to sweaty palms, she turns fear into a trigger for preparation and practice, showing how showing up—again and again—becomes a founder’s superpower.
We take you inside a funding path many overlook: grants. Regina shares how she treated applications like a pipeline, recycled strong answers, and paired checks with mentorship and networks from programs like Hello Alice and major CPG accelerators. Then we move into the financial toolkit: bringing in a fractional CFO, forecasting with clarity, rightsizing cases, reshaping supplier terms, and using PO financing to bridge production without giving up equity. It’s a practical playbook for founders navigating margins, trade spend, and the steep cost of distribution.
The story pivots in a powerful way: instead of fundraising solo, Regina chose partnership. She merged Nemi Snacks with Todo Verde and TUYYO to form a new, unified brand—TUYYO—built on shared mission, complementary strengths, and zero ego. We break down the merger architecture: legal and operating agreements, SKU and supplier consolidation, retailer collaboration on brand design, and a clear division of roles. Most importantly, we talk pacing with intention: 1,100 existing doors provide a solid base while the team upgrades packaging, aligns ops, and gathers data before expanding further.
Threaded through it all is a human operating system: self-awareness, boundaries at home that protect energy, and a mission-first rule where the brand outranks any one product. If you’re building a culture-forward, better-for-you company—or just need a blueprint for courage, cash flow, and community—you’ll leave with tactics to act on today and a mantra to carry you forward: llorando pero caminando. Subscribe, share with a founder friend, and leave a review to help more builders find this conversation.
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