When Ana Nuñez launched her hand-crafted shampoo and conditioner business called Vida Bars in April 2020, she said she didn’t start it to make money. She has two degrees, but they aren’t in business, and she doesn’t come from a chemistry background, either.
Instead, Nuñez approached Vida Bars from the perspective of “impact first, dollars second.” A self-journey beginning in 2018 to embrace the natural curls of her hair soon led her to noticing an overlapping set of issues — from the hair care industry overlooking Latina demand, to a broken recycling system allowing an overabundance of plastic to pile up in landfills — that needed a solution, and she felt she could provide it.
Now, three years and thousands of customers later, Nuñez believes she has.
“Vida is ‘life’ in Spanish, so it’s giving life to women’s hair, but it’s also giving life to the planet in that we provided an eco-friendly, sustainable option for them,” Nuñez said. “And that’s why I started it: I knew — I felt — that it was something that was needed and would make a difference. Saving 150,000 bottles of plastic because of these little bars so far is a great start, but it’s just a start.”
Nuñez is one of 11 people from nine companies reaping the benefits of an inaugural Latino-centric business “accelerator” program by StitchCrew, an Oklahoma City-based firm founded by Erika and Chris Lucas.
The Lucases started StitchCrew in 2018 to help connect traditionally overlooked business owners with capital, resources and networks so they can build and scale companies in Oklahoma.
The business accelerator program, in partnership with the Alliance for Economic Development of Oklahoma City, focused specifically on Latino-owned businesses, which StitchCrew founders see as a fast-growing powerhouse in the city.
“We at StitchCrew just felt like we could play more, and we could build programming geared specifically toward Latinos, because we have the staff on hand and we have the mentors and the investors that look like the entrepreneurs that we want to support,” said Erika Lucas, who is herself Latina.
Nuñez, a 40-year-old Mexican-American immigrant with two children, said it’s been difficult to gain the attention of suppliers, marketers and lenders, who she believes didn’t perceive Vida Bars as a serious company.
But the Lucases believed in her, she said, and she credits her first experience with StitchCrew and the firm’s 2022 Indie Beauty Accelerator program as a validating boost to her business.
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“I got to go out to New York with a big manufacturer of raw materials,” Nuñez said. “They even tested my product against a huge manufacturer, a huge textured hair care brand, and we beat them in every category that they tested. It was something that I couldn’t pay for on my own, because it’s really expensive to do all of that lab testing, but StitchCrew facilitated that for us.”
Since then, Nuñez said Vida Bars has reached revenue of half a million dollars and saved the equivalent of 150,000 plastic bottles — all through word-of-mouth.
Who are the StitchCrew 2023 spring cohort? What do they do?
Apart from Nuñez, the inaugural OKC Latino Accelerator cohort of business owners for spring 2023 also included:
- Marlene Arenas and Sofia Arenas, co-founder and chief operating officer, respectively, of Arenas Sports Center, the Hispanic-centered recreational facility and events center in Oklahoma City.
- Patty Olvera, founder of Carnalas Cosmetics, an Oklahoma City-based business also devoted to hand-crafted and organic beauty products “for Latinas to feel beautiful and confident in their own skin.”
- Angela Wargin, founder of Feria Lifestyle, a subscription service providing business essentials and Latina-owned products, “conveniently delivered to customer’s doorsteps.”
- Kristina Sutton Lennon, CEO and founder of Focused Artists, a literary management and development company representing screenwriters and producing film and television projects to increase Latino representation.
- Juan Aguilar, co-founder and co-owner of Nash Engineered Fashion, an active streetwear brand, produced in-house with special designs, “bringing awareness to the lack of representation and inclusivity in the creative fields.”
- Bella Delgado, owner of Que Bella Bakery, a gluten-free bakery specializing in providing gluten-free treats for people with dietary restrictions so they can eat desserts “that actually taste good.”
- Dr. Daniel Molina, founder of Sticks That Ahh, a life philosophy brand and creative arts company “specializing in creating moments of personal connection that leave a lasting impact.”
- Roberto Godines and Omar Godinez, owners of Tizo’s Pops & Ice Cream, a third-generation family business that’s been manufacturing popsicles, ice cream and aguas frescas for 50 years.
The goal of the program, StitchCrew founders said, was to help participants learn business principles that would scale their companies to their first $1 million in revenue and keep their businesses growing.
Each participant in the Latino accelerator program received a $15,000 grant, shared from the Economic Alliance’s allocation of American Rescue Plan Act funding, which the entrepreneur wasn’t required to pay back. Participants also received further training and mentorship from local leaders and investors at the Thunder Launchpad.
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Gaby Eichenlaub, program director at Stitch Crew, said the spring 2023 program was a “resounding success.”
“I think there was just a lot of learning at that time, from the (cohort) and also from us,” Eichenlaub said. “There are so many companies that are doing great things that are Latino-owned, and it was exciting to get to know them and see that happening right here in Oklahoma City.”
Another goal, Erika Lucas said, was “to break stereotypes” and demonstrate the ever-growing potential for entrepreneurship in Oklahoma City’s Latino community, which is fast approaching nearly a quarter of the city’s population.
For Nuñez, who hopes to finalize a marketing budget and see Vida Bars in various retailers by the end of the year, the reward has been a vindication of her personal vision.
“Being a single mom and minority and an immigrant, I just felt like I had to prove myself a little more,” Nuñez said. “Now, having this business, I don’t even feel like I have to prove myself. I know that this is what I’m doing, my customers are believing in me, my customers are returning because I have a good product, and I’ve created something that makes an impact. Every day I get to wake up and know that I’m doing something good.”
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The next Latino accelerator program is being planned for fall of this year, with applications expected to open sometime during the summer.
