Friday Finds: Hispanic Heritage Month

From September 15 through October 15, we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month and recognize the contributions and influence of Hispanic Americans to the history, culture and growth of the United States. Here in California, the Hispanic community plays a major role in our economic and social fabric. Let’s take this Friday to highlight a few California businesses led by a few of these amazing men and women.

Entrepreneur Lilly Cabral launched Calivolve, a chocolate truffle line infused with hemp oil, alongside partner My Thai out of a love and enthusiasm for cannabis. “With a rich friendship, and a long history in finance, we decided to follow our passion for design and taste and dive into the luxury cannabis marketplace to create beautiful and inspiring products that embrace all of the health and well-being cannabinoids have to offer,” they say. Both sharing family-centric cultures, Latinx and Asian, the pair made the business an extension of their rich and diverse California roots. They source high quality ingredients for their products and use sustainable, recyclable packaging. The vegan, CBD chocolates are known to help calm anxiety, soothe sore muscles and reduce inflammation. And they’re delicious!

Cisco Pinedo grew up in a small Mexican village where his family built their house and grew all their own food. “I think that’s where I get my love of sustainability,” Cisco shares. “Even though the village was small, there was a real sense of community where everyone worked together to make the most out of the land without overworking it. There was a respect for nature and what it gave us.” After moving to Los Angeles, he began creating handmade pieces of furniture with repurposed materials and little waste.
Cisco Home continues that tradition turning discarded materials into durable pieces, donating their spaces to local nonprofits and teaching employable skills to those in underserved neighborhoods. They are also a founding member of the Sustainable Furnishing Council (SFC) and ethically source all their materials from FSC-certified wood to water-based stains and natural fabrics. “Everything that goes into our furniture is just as good for you as it is for the environment.”

www.ciscohome.net

Karla Gallardo co-founded Cuyana, a fashion and accessories line, with Shilpa Shah. A native of Ecuador, Karla moved to the U.S. for school, eventually earning her MBA at Stanford Graduate School of Business. Since launching Cuyana with Shilpa in 2011, she was named one of Entrepreneur’s 100 Powerful Women. She hopes the brand gives women “fewer, better” options to add to their closet each season. Cuyana offers gorgeous, modern apparel silhouettes, stylish bags and jewelry. Their sleek System Tote, a functional and timeless companion, remains one of the most popular offerings.

www.cuyana.com

When Hector Saldivar moved from Mexico to San Francisco, his mother, Tia Lupita, would send him bottles of her beloved hot sauce so he had a taste of home. As he started to share with friends, he realized how popular her recipes could be and asked for her permission to sell to others. Now we all can enjoy Tia’s amazing hot sauce, salsa verde, habanero sauce and chipotle, all with her likeness on the label. As the illustration portrays, she wears the curler when she cooks to keep her bangs out of her eyes!

www.tialupitafoods.com