How a Half-Baked Idea Spawned Sprinkles Cupcakes with Candace Nelson

SheSez with Linda Grasso

On today’s show we meet food entrepreneur Candace Nelson.In 2005, Candace founded the world’s first cupcakes only bakery— Sprinkles —which now has 24 locations nationwide. Sprinkles are the Tesla of cupcakes: artfully decorated and made with premium ingredients.

With celebrity fans like Oprah and Blake Lively, Candace quickly became known as the Cupcake Queen—and she’s gained even more exposure on TV. Candace is an Executive Producer and Judge on the new Netflix baking show Sugar Rush. She’s also appeared on the Food Network’s Cupcake Wars.

Candace shares the story of how her love of baking inspired her to get out of investment banking and go to school to become a pastry chef and how her hunch that people would treat themselves to a high-end cupcake and— in fact drive to a bakery that only serves cupcakes to get it—paid off big time. Plus, the two lucky breaks that made Sprinkles a worldwide brand and why she focused these days on Pizzana restaurant which she co-owns with actor Chris O’Donnell.