Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Laura Villa. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Laura , thanks for joining us today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

My name is Laura Villa, I am wife and mother of 3 beautiful boys. I was born and raised in Cuernavaca Morelos, Mexico until I was nine years old. In 2001 my family and I migrated to the U.S. looking for the “American Dream”. Now I am a proud DACA recipient, a Dreamer who is pursuing her American Dream of becoming a small business owner.

La Frida Gummies is the result of my aspiration to start a small business, I wanted to embrace my culture and take traditional candy to another level. “An artisanal touch with a Mexican twist”. We started selling our candies to family and friends during the pandemic soon after we started vending at local pop ups or “mercaditos” in our area. Our products became a hit everywhere we went!
My husband has been my biggest motivator, we decided to take our business to the next level, become wholesalers and bring our products to local grocery stores. We are currently in 50+ stores in Chicago area and suburbs, our mission is for our products to go nationwide in the market.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

The name and colors of my logo reflect my roots and my culture. When I think of Mexican food or even candy, the first thing that comes to mind is “it has to be spicy”. La Frida Gummies gives an explosion of flavors in your mouth, where you are able to taste sweet, sour and spicy all at once. Our candies are coated with 5 different layers of chili, one of them being the special touch which is made from scratch.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

Going back to 2020 it was a year hardship and uncertainty for many however during that time my husband was our backbone for my family and was able to continue working and provide for our family. The stimulus checks we received were the initial capital to start our business.

Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.

We started selling our candies to family and friends, the word started spreading out and soon after we were vending at local pop ups and “mercaditos” around the area. It went from a side-hustle to a full time business as we became wholesalers. We prepare, package and distribute to 50+ stores in the Chicago land area and suburbs.

Contact Info:

• Website: Lafridagummies.com
• Instagram: La_frida_gummies
• Facebook: Lafridagummies

Image Credits
Guillermo Urbina