Three Latin-American food brands saw the opportunity to go further, faster, together – so they took it. Stefanie Garcia Turner of Tuyyo, Jocelyn Ramirez of Todo Verde, and Regina Trillo of Nemi share how they met, why they decided to merge their businesses and brands, and what their vision is for the new brand, unified under Tuyyo. The three woman-and-minoroty-owned brands share a mission of amplifying their Latin-American food culture through authentic and innovative latin foods, representation food culture, and community impact . Learn how this strategic merger will allows each leader to lean into their strengths, and how collaboration aligned on shared values can accelerate growth in the challenger food brand space. Takeaways: The origins and individual missions of Jocelyn of Todo Verde, Regina of Nemi Snacks, and Stephanie of Tuyyo FoodsThe strategic process behind their merger—personality tests, role division, and cultural alignmentHow they’ll leverage their merger to reduce costs, expand categories, and innovate fasterTransition strategies for branding, retail placement, and consumer education across their unified brand Tuyyo FoodsSupply chain synergies and efforts to lower COGS by 35% or more through manufacturing and sourcing efficienciesThe broader vision: promoting Latin American flavors regionally and globally while supporting farmers and sustainabilityChallenges faced—costs of rebranding, education hurdles around regional products, and maintaining brand integrityThe importance of shared values, culture fit, and a growth mindset for successful mergersRecommendations for founders considering collaboration and merger as a growth pathwayBook and resource recommendations around exponential thinking, sensory storytelling, and personal spiritualityThoughts on building a healthier food system rooted in equity, community, and transparent ingredient sourcing Sound Bites: “We can create something that is even bigger, that is even more impactful, that really is going to make a dent in the food industry.” (Stefanie)“We went from, I'm holding this, this is my baby, to really egoless, like this isn't about me, this is about a brand.” (Jocelyn)“We all knew each other relatively well before the merger. Stephanie is better at this than I am, Regina is better at this than I am, you know, so there was already a sense of like, if we came together, we could split the work in that way.” (Jocelyn)“We are planning on bringing everything under the one Tuyyo brand.” (Stefanie)“We're moving towards standardizing our supply chain operations. It's been a constant conversation and communication with suppliers, both in the US and in Mexico to see what's going to be the best way to do it.“ (Regina)“As of right now, [cost of goods optimization has] been at least 35%, which is it's been a big amount. And based on some information that we have, it's probably going to be higher than that.” (Regina)“I think that it's really gonna be about putting our community first and building a brand that not only can we be proud of, but that is a reflection of our heritage.” (Stefanie)“It took me six years to figure out that I didn't want to continue doing it alone.” (Regina)“[A better world is one] with more representation of the reality of how the community and how that should be represented on shelf as well. Ideally with products that are actually better for us, that are made with real ingredients, that are also supporting the farmers that are producing those ingredients.” (Regina)“[A better world is one with] a food system that is actually catered to the betterment of people in their everyday lives. It would just solve so many issues. And with all of the problems that we have between preventable diseases and healthcare systems that don't work for the people, it goes beyond justice for the farmer, but justice for everybody in the food chain.” (Stefanie)“I think that that in an ideal world there are policies put in place that are protecting people [by regulating] what is allowed and what isn't allowed in our food system. And products, especially those we give to children, that allow us to really reshape our palates and create shortcuts for cooking without taking the cooking part away because that's an basic survival life skill that most people should have and it empowers people to like know what's in their food, and how to nourish their families.” (Jocelyn) Links: Stefanie Garcia Turner on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/stefanie-garcia-turner/ Jocelyn Ramirez on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jocelyncramirez77/ Regina Trillo on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/regina-trillo-a5055711/ Tuyyo - https://tuyyofoods.com/ Tuyyo on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/tuyyofoods/ Tuyyo on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/tuyyofoods/ Tuyyo on Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/tuyyofoods/ Tuyyo on TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@tuyyofoods Tuyyo on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4b_-VIdL7Yl7UQb91y5Vow … Tuyyo Wefunder - Coming soon… … Todo Verde (website will go away soon) - https://todoverde.org/ Nemi (website will go away soon) - https://neminative.com/ … Brands for a Better World Episode Archive - http://brandsforabetterworld.com/ Brands for a Better World on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/brand-for-a-better-world/ Modern Species - https://modernspecies.com/ Modern Species on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/modern-species/ Gage Mitchell on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gagemitchell/ … Print Magazine Design Podcasts - https://www.printmag.com/categories/printcast/ … Heritage Radio Network - https://heritageradionetwork.org/ Heritage Radio Network on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/heritage-radio-network/posts/ Heritage Radio Network on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/HeritageRadioNetwork Heritage Radio Network on X - https://x.com/Heritage_Radio Heritage Radio Network on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/heritage_radio/ Heritage Radio Network on Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@heritage_radio Timestamps: 0:00 - Introduction of guests and their brands 2:11 - The idea of merging to amplify Latin American food culture 3:14 - The role of Jocelyn as a connector 4:14 - Initial conversations and alignment of goals 5:09 - Personality tests and understanding team dynamics 6:18 - Personal insights and alignment of values 7:19 - Confirmation of shared vision and responsibilities 8:36 - Expanding vision and impact 9:23 - Egoless collaboration and shared goals 10:16 - Overcoming personal challenges in the merger process 11:33 - Open communication and external support 12:47 - Technical adjustments during recording 13:00 - Introduction and alignment of values and vision 13:29 - Discussion on dividing responsibilities among the founders 13:49 - Initial retreat and mission alignment 14:19 - Specific roles and responsibilities based on skills 15:16 - Transitioning responsibilities before the merger 15:57 - The natural fit of the founders' skills 16:18 - Pre-existing relationships and collaboration 17:27 - Importance of enjoying the process and having fun 19:20 - Branding and unifying product lines under Tuyo Foods 20:11 - Transition phase and retail placement 21:11 - Marketing strategies and community engagement 22:34 - Plans for easing the transition on retail shelves 23:28 - Supply chain synergies and manufacturing efficiencies 25:12 - Cost reduction strategies and shared resources 26:54 - New shared vision and broader goals 27:39 - Community focus and brand representation 29:28 - Expanding Latin American food representation 31:01 - Becoming a go-to platform for Latin foods 33:07 - Benefits and opportunities unlocked by the merger 36:30 - Challenges and unresolved issues 37:37 - Fundraising and rebranding costs 38:20 - Advice for other founders considering mergers 41:58 - Future of the industry and collaboration 45:26 - Fun questions about favorite Latin American foods 53:51 - Book recommendations and personal insights 60:10 - Influential voices and brands to watch 65:17 - Vision of a more representative, equitable, and sustainable food system 71:13 - Upcoming plans and ways to connect with Tuyo Foods For more insights on food innovation, community building, and scaling purpose-driven brands, subscribe and stay tuned for future episodes. 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