Candace Nelson

EXCLUSIVE
  • Founder, Sprinkles, Pizzana, CN2 Ventures; Guest Shark, Shark Tank Season 15
  • NYT and WSJ bestselling author, The Sprinkles Baking Book & Sweet Success
  • TV Personality and Producer: Sugar Rush, Cupcake Wars, Best in Dough
  • Investor, Advisor, Mentor & Mom

Candace Nelson is the Founder of Sprinkles and Pizzana, a New York Times bestselling author, and an expert in turning one’s passion into a profitable business. Her initial venture Sprinkles grew from ‘the world’s first cupcake bakery’ to one of the most successful cupcake brands ever, and led to the New York Times bestselling The Sprinkles Baking Book and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Sweet Success: A Simple Recipe to Turn your Passion into Profit. Nelson followed with the launch of Pizzana, a growing chain of Michelin Bib Gourmand-awarded pizzerias, and continues to expand her portfolio: co-founding the children’s sensory learning centers Play 2 Progress and launching CN2 Ventures with her husband, Charles Nelson, to invest in early stage consumer companies. She is a highly sought-after speaker on topics such as building a breakthrough brand, harnessing purpose to create a great company culture, and cultivating a community of brand loyalists.

Nelson’s book, Sweet Success, published by HarperCollins Leadership is a guide to entrepreneurship. With her characteristic warmth and humor, Candace leverages her entrepreneurial expertise to offer inspiration and practical strategies for individuals looking to spark creativity, build resilience, cultivate innovation, and build a brand that customers adore. Nelson is also a contributor to The Wall Street Journal, where she writes on the challenges and opportunities facing small business owners today. Candace has appeared on Good Morning AmericaTodayThe ChewThe TalkShine On With Reese Witherspoon, Nightline and a Guest Shark on Season 15 of Shark Tank. She has also been featured in Inc., O MagazineVanity Fair, Bon AppetitFood and WineThe New York Times, and The Los Angeles Times. Candace was the star of the syndicated Food Network hit show Cupcake Wars, an Executive Producer and star on Netflix’s Sugar Rush, and is an Executive Producer on the upcoming Hulu show, Best in Dough, featuring Pizzana’s Executive Chef.

 



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Past Hosts Include:
  • Wealthflix
  • Greater Reading Chamber Alliance
  • Taco Bell
  • Google
  • Northern Trust
  • Greater Reading Chamber Alliance (GRCA)
Rave Reviews About Candace Nelson as a Speaker
Candace was an absolute joy to work with for our 110th Annual Dinner. This was the first time in a long time we’ve had a moderated conversation on stage and that allowed us to engage a member of the business community who hosts a podcast to get involved. Candace was a wonderful speaker, and it was fun to watch her and the moderator go back and forth, even a little off script at times. She was also so happy to award a best in cupcake contest, take photos with people following the event, including the 5 cupcake decorators, and was just SO easy to work with!

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Talks & Conversations with Candace Nelson
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Bake Something Sweet with Candace Nelson

Founder of Sprinkles, the world's first cupcake bakery, and one of the judges on the popular Netflix show Sugar Rush, CANDACE NELSON opens up her recipe vault to bring you an irresistible dessert while chatting about following your dreams, the inspiration behind creating her own business, how she de ...

Founder of Sprinkles, the world's first cupcake bakery, and one of the judges on the popular Netflix show Sugar Rush, CANDACE NELSON opens up her recipe vault to bring you an irresistible dessert while chatting about following your dreams, the inspiration behind creating her own business, how she develops recipes and other fun topics. Treat yourself to this sweet event and share in the fun!

Author Talk: ‘Sweet Success’ – Turning Your Passion into Profits

Based on her new book Sweet Success: A Simple Recipe to Turn Your Passion into Profits, NYT bestselling author and entrepreneurial mogul CANDACE NELSON offers inspiration and practical strategies for individuals and organizations looking to spark creativity, build resilience, cultivate innovation, a ...

Based on her new book Sweet Success: A Simple Recipe to Turn Your Passion into Profits, NYT bestselling author and entrepreneurial mogul CANDACE NELSON offers inspiration and practical strategies for individuals and organizations looking to spark creativity, build resilience, cultivate innovation, and build a brand that customers adore.

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Speaker News
<p><strong>Founder & small business advocate Candace Nelson received glowing praise for her event with the Great Reading Chamber Alliance for their Annual Awards Dinner</strong></p>

Founder & small business advocate Candace Nelson received glowing praise for her event with the Great Reading Chamber Alliance for their Annual Awards Dinner

Founder and New York Times bestselling author CANDACE NELSON joined the Greater Reading Chamber Alliance (GRCA) for their 110th Annual Awards Dinner and received a rave review. The GRCA is a leading resource for building a health, competitive business community by assisting companies to retain, expand, and grow their operations and employment and attract new business to Berks County. Nelson, who is a Wall Street Journal contributor writing on the challenges and opportunities facing small business owners today, made a major impact with the audience of over 900 local business leaders.

“Candace was an absolute joy to work with for our 110th Annual Dinner. This was the first time in a long time we’ve had a moderated conversation on stage and that allowed us to engage a member of the business community who hosts a podcast to get involved. Candace was a wonderful speaker, and it was fun to watch her and the moderator go back and forth, even a little off script at times. She was also so happy to award a best in cupcake contest, take photos with people following the event, including the 5 cupcake decorators, and was just SO easy to work with!” (Greater Reading Chamber Alliance)

Watch Candace Nelson’s TEDx Talk >>

<p><strong>In her new book <em>‘Sweet Success’</em>, Candace Nelson shares the recipe for turning an entrepreneurial vision into reality</strong></p>

In her new book ‘Sweet Success’, Candace Nelson shares the recipe for turning an entrepreneurial vision into reality

For anyone who’s ever dreamed of baking up a business, CANDACE NELSON’s new book Sweet Success: A Simple Recipe to Turn Your Passion into Profits fires up the burners to turn that entrepreneurial vision into reality with realistic, actionable and proven steps.  In this time of unprecedented disruption and innovation, the New York Times bestselling author and mogul knows it’s never been a better time to start a business – and she shares her granular and unparalleled takeaways in this highly anticipated book. Known for her regular contributions to The Wall Street Journal, where she writes on the challenges and opportunities facing small business owners and entrepreneurs today, Nelson shares her recipe for success in building a beloved brand – Sprinkles – with a global footprint.

Reese Witherspoon, founder of Hello Sunshine, says: “Learning from Candace is like taking a crash course in creativity, innovation and hard work. A must-read manual for any aspiring entrepreneur!” With her characteristic warmth and humor, Candace leverages her entrepreneurial expertise to offer inspiration and practical strategies for individuals and organizations looking to spark creativity, build resilience, cultivate innovation, and build a brand that customers adore.

Watch Candace Nelson’s TEDx Talk here >>

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Biography

Candace Nelson is the Founder of Sprinkles and Pizzana, a New York Times bestselling author, and an expert in turning one’s passion into a profitable business. Her initial venture Sprinkles grew from ‘the world’s first cupcake bakery’ to one of the most successful cupcake brands ever, and led to the New York Times bestselling The Sprinkles Baking Book and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Sweet Success: A Simple Recipe to Turn your Passion into Profit. Nelson followed with the launch of Pizzana, a growing chain of Michelin Bib Gourmand-awarded pizzerias, and continues to expand her portfolio: co-founding the children’s sensory learning centers Play 2 Progress and launching CN2 Ventures with her husband, Charles Nelson, to invest in early stage consumer companies. She is a highly sought-after speaker on topics such as building a breakthrough brand, harnessing purpose to create a great company culture, and cultivating a community of brand loyalists.

Nelson’s book, Sweet Success, published by HarperCollins Leadership is a guide to entrepreneurship. With her characteristic warmth and humor, Candace leverages her entrepreneurial expertise to offer inspiration and practical strategies for individuals looking to spark creativity, build resilience, cultivate innovation, and build a brand that customers adore. Nelson is also a contributor to The Wall Street Journal, where she writes on the challenges and opportunities facing small business owners today. Candace has appeared on Good Morning AmericaTodayThe ChewThe TalkShine On With Reese Witherspoon, Nightline and a Guest Shark on Season 15 of Shark Tank. She has also been featured in Inc., O MagazineVanity Fair, Bon AppetitFood and WineThe New York Times, and The Los Angeles Times. Candace was the star of the syndicated Food Network hit show Cupcake Wars, an Executive Producer and star on Netflix’s Sugar Rush, and is an Executive Producer on the upcoming Hulu show, Best in Dough, featuring Pizzana’s Executive Chef.