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Shark Tank season 14’s upcoming episode will feature the award-winning Nopalera, a Mexican botanical bath and body care line. The company's founder, Sandra Velasquez will pitch a deal for $300,000 for 5% equity in her company.
Sandra grew up in South California with her Mexican immigrant parents and the one thing she saw a lot was cacti. She founded the company to celebrate her culture and make the next “Latin legacy brand.”
Her website states:
"Our products are inspired by the beauty and richness of Mexico. We take our inspiration from the nopal cactus, an ancient symbol of Mexican culture and one of the most sustainable, nourishing, and versatile plants in the world."
It continues:
"You can eat it, make textiles from it, and use it to hydrate your skin and hair. It is strong, resilient, beautiful, and has always been here. Just like us."
Shark Tank’s upcoming episode will air on Friday, January 20, at 8 pm ET on ABC.
Shark Tank: Sandra Velasquez began making soaps as a hobby when she was unemployed
Sandra Velasquez, the founder of Nopalera is currently gearing up to appear on Shark Tank season 14 episode 12. She launched the company in 2020 with no outside funding while working three jobs. The project kick-started in Brooklyn during the pandemic when Sandra was 44 years old.
Sandra’s brand has been featured in multiple publications including Beauty Independent, Forbes, Women’s Health, and Cosmopolitan. It was also named Latino Startup of the Year at the 2022 L’Attitude Conference and earned more than half a million dollars in revenue the previous year.
Sandra told Cosmopolitan:
"Here in this country, it’s like, Oh, if it’s from France, it can be expensive. If it’s from Italy, it can be expensive. Why is it that we have been conditioned to aspire to all of these Western European brands? I really wanted to position our culture as aspirational."
She further stated that she began making soaps as a hobby when she was unemployed in 2019. This led her to recognize the lack of “culture-forward” Latin brands in the market. She then decided that she was going to create a high-end brand that would sell at premium retail shops and disrupt the “eurocentrism.”
The Shark Tank product is sold at over 350 independent retailers, including Nordstrom, Credo, and Free People. The line consists of exfoliants, soaps, bars, and merchandise as well. The soaps cost $14, while exfoliants cost $32, and the bars sell at $30. The products can be purchased as bundles for $130 and as sets that cost $71. The products are also available on Amazon for the same price.
Sandra Velasquez impresses guest shark Daniel Lubetzky
Sandra will appear on Shark Tank season 14 episode 12, which will feature guest shark Daniel Lubetzky. During her pitch, she tells the sharks that she is seeking a deal for $300,000 for 5% equity in her company.
Daniel is impressed with her moisturizing bars, which eliminate the use of plastic bottles. He tells the entrepreneur that he loves what she’s doing since young people these days sell sustainable products, but in reality, consumers continue to buy more plastic bottles.
Tune in on Friday, January 20, at 8 pm ET to see what happens next on Shark Tank on ABC.
