Today I’m welcoming back Hector Saldivar, founder of Tia Lupita Foods. I last spoke to Hector in November of 2020, and I’m excited to find out how he and his company have progressed since then.
Tia Lupita Foods are inspired by Mexican recipes from Hector Saldivar's Mom and her family kitchen. Their flavorful sauces and snacks use healthy, sustainable ingredients, and Tia Lupita was the first company to introduce nopales (the highly sustainable Mexican prickly pear cactus) to the U.S. market. The four product lines currently produced by Tia Lupita are hot sauce, tortillas, tortilla chips, and salsa macha. They focus on cutting out preservatives, using gluten-free ingredients, no sugar, and very little salt. Tia Lupita is “On a mission to help save the world, one taco at a time."
In our discussion, you’ll hear what has been happening since we spoke last, pandemic challenges with shortages of ingredient supplies and glass for bottles, and most recently the scarcity of sunflower oil because of the war in Ukraine. Hector will explain some of the tips and tricks that they employed to get people to buy their products during a time when in-person sampling was not happening, and he shares his thoughts and experiences with fundraising, investors, and crowdfunding.
The “NexxtLevel Brands Podcast’ is hosted by G. Steven Cleere, Founder and “Chief Pot Stirrer” of NexxtLevel Brands. This show focuses on disruptors and thought-leaders from the Entrepreneurial Food, Beverage, and CPG Industry, but we also share tips from veterans and key suppliers that may help fellow CPG professionals achieve their goals.
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