Three years after launching her business in the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic, San Diego native Sandra Velasquez faced what would be one of the biggest challenges in entrepreneurship — pitching to ABC’s Shark Tank. She not only turned down two offers in 2024, but the businesswoman that launched a blossoming beauty brand is finding explosive growth which they’re bringing right here to the Alamo City.
Velasquez created Nopalera, a premium Latina beauty brand while home in San Diego, but has headquartered the business in New York City where she lived for the past 26 years. That all changes in the coming months when Nopalera relocates to San Antonio. The company’s warehouse recently moved to Dallas, but Velasquez chose San Antonio as the HQ for a variety of reasons.
The former musician traveled to the Alamo City in years past, as part of Pistolera, a Mexican folk music band. The outfit toured through Texas, she recalls the now long-gone Accordion Festival 2013, but it wasn’t until Nopalera hosted a series of pop-ups across the nation that Velasquez made her way back to San Antone.
“I was like, What is this magical town that like, it’s like, it’s just filled with proud Latinos walking around. It’s beautiful. It’s like, it feels like a town, but it’s a city. Everyone is friendly,” Velasquez said…