When Sandra Velasquez, a single mother of Mexican descent, was at her nadir in 2019, unemployed and caring for a teenage son, she did what any smart person in dire straits would: plant seeds.
These seeds would grow a beauty business called Nopalera, the Spanish word for prickly pear cactus. One of the most versatile, sustainable and regenerative plants in the world, prickly pear cactus served as the star ingredient to a lineup of hydrating skincare products that eventually caught the attention of “Shark Tank.”
In this Happi Podcast, Velasquez opens about how her dogged determination to build a beauty business from scratch led to a burgeoning Latina-owned enterprise.
