Three Become One - The Merger of Tuyyo, Nemi, and Todo Verde

Mar 9

Brands for a better world podcast promotional graphic with headshots of guests Stefanie Garcia Turner of Tuyyo, Jocelyn Ramirez of Todo Verde, and Regina Trillo of Nemi.

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-minority-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 Foods
The strategic process behind their merger—personality tests, role division, and cultural alignment
How they’ll leverage their merger to reduce costs, expand categories, and innovate faster
Transition strategies for branding, retail placement, and consumer education across their unified brand Tuyyo Foods
Supply chain synergies and efforts to lower COGS by 35% or more through manufacturing and sourcing efficiencies
The broader vision: promoting Latin American flavors regionally and globally while supporting farmers and sustainability
Challenges faced—costs of rebranding, education hurdles around regional products, and maintaining brand integrity
The importance of shared values, culture fit, and a growth mindset for successful mergers
Recommendations for founders considering collaboration and merger as a growth pathway
Book and resource recommendations around exponential thinking, sensory storytelling, and personal spirituality
Thoughts 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)