Founder Feature: Maria Covarrubias of Cien Chiles

In this bonus episode of the Startup CPG podcast, Grace Kennedy sits down with Maria Covarrubias, the founder of Cien Chiles. Maria shares her inspiring journey from Guadalajara, Mexico, to becoming a chef in the USA, and the motivation behind creating her authentic, homemade-tasting salsa. They delve into her transition from a culinary career to launching Cien Chiles during the pandemic in August 2020, and how she balanced this venture with her corporate job until she took the leap to focus full-time on her startup in April 2022.Maria opens up about the emotional and logistical challenges she faced, as well as the significant growth and recognition Cien Chiles has achieved, including becoming a finalist at Expo West. She highlights the importance of customer and community engagement through product demos, social media, and strong relationships with retailers. Don’t miss Maria's insightful tips on brand development, visual identity, and deepening market penetration.  Tune in now!Listen in as they share about:Background of Cien ChilesBrand Development and LaunchExpansion and Retail PartnershipExpo West and Trade Show StrategyTechnical Issues and BreaksAdvice on SpendingBuilding Community and Customer EngagementFuture Plans and GrowthEpisode Links:Cien Chiles WebsiteMaria Covarrubias LinkedInDon't forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit http://www.startupcpg.com.Show Links:Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to “Transcript” at the top)Join the Startup CPG Slack community (15K+ members and growing!)Follow @startupcpgVisit host Daniel's Linkedin Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at [email protected] music by Super Fantastics