Moneda Moves (161): How A Mexican Staple Can Create the Future of Snacking | Nemi Founder Regina Trillo
You may not have all the skills, proper background or job title, but what is important is to just START. Take it from Regina Trillo, Founder and CEO, Nemi Snacks who started her company while still working in legal. She saw an opportunity in using a classic Mexican food and incorporating it into snacks. Nemi Snacks are crunchy sticks made from seeds and nopales (also known as the prickly pear cactus) in Mexican-inspired flavors like Mexican Lime, Smoky Chipotle, Chile Turmeric and Churro.
Originally from Mexico City and now based in Chicago, Regina felt unrepresented the moment she stepped foot in Chicago grocery stores. Regina found well-established brands portraying Mexican cultura in a stereotypical way, brands that were unlikely to upgrade their ingredient list and innovate in the marketplace.
Nemi Snacks was founded with a mission to elevate Mexican cultura in the U.S. through high-quality Mexican snacks in sombrero-free branding. Nemi works directly with Mexican farmers, uses real chiles and spices and no artificial colors or ingredients. Regina has spent her legal career advocating for human rights by providing legal services to immigrants and implementing programs on a range of global human rights issues in Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa and the United States.
I’m so excited to share the interview with you today. This is Regina Trillo, Founder and CEO of Nemi Snacks.
Con poder,
Lyanne
Fearless Fund is being sued and what it means for DEI: The VC firm, Fearless Fund, which focuses on investing in women of color led businesses seeking pre-seed, seed level or series A financing, is being sued by the group behind the Supreme Court affirmative action case. The conservative nonprofit is called American Alliance for Equal Rights and how this lawsuit resolves could mean a lot for the future of DEI. In the Business Insider article linked, we learn that the lawsuit is calling the fund racially discriminatory because Black women are the only eligible participants. (We were just as floored to learn this.)
In a press release, Fearless Fund wrote:
"Their motive is clear: they want to disrupt the vital work of Fearless Fund and similar institutions and organizations whose primary mission is to provide underrepresented communities with an economic engine to build, sustain and scale their businesses.”
We will be following the story further as this could have big implications on not just corporate DEI but the future of funding and support for entrepreneurs of color.
Shifting Mindset and Building Wealth: Welcome to “Hay Dinero”: A fellow journalist in the space, Cindy Rodriguez is highlighting Latina personal finance educators to help Latinos better understand their personal money journeys. The series, running on WNET, features creators like Jannese Torres, Linda Garcia, and Yanely Espinal.
Thank you for joining us! Until next time, catch us here on Moneda Moves.