It’s clear that Trillo has already warmed snackers’ taste buds up to novel tastes and textures that, at the same time, still feel familiar. One reviewer who tried Nemi’s smoky chipotle variety called it a “healthy hot Cheeto,” while another compared the chile turmeric flavor to a rice flour-based snack, called murukku, which they grew up eating in India. “[It] reminds me of the murukku but better with organic, holistic ingredients that make my taste buds dance with its amazing flavors,” they wrote.
But Trillo, who’s also a human rights attorney by day, believes concocting crave-worthy cactus snacks is just one of her duties as a female Latina small business owner.Trillo says she’s seen firsthand that her experience launching a company from the ground up and scoring funding has been different than that of men. That’s why she’s focused on collaborating with women like herself throughout the supply chain, and she’s currently partnered with a women-owned manufacturing facility and a female customs agent to bring Nemi to market, she says.(BTW, these Latinx-owned beauty brands will give you a proper glow-up.)
On the same token, Trillo sources Nemi's ingredients from small, independent Mexican farmers who use sustainable growing techniques, she explains. "I think as a business owner and as a snack company, we have an opportunity to create more than snacks," says Trillo. "…So when I work with vendors, when I partner with my advisors and anyone, I'm just very thoughtful of finding a way to open the door to female Latinas."
And at the end of the day, the rave reviews her cactus snacks have received so far makes that extra effort well worth it. "It's just like Mexican music to my ears."
