Candace Nelson

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 America, Today, The Chew, The Talk, Shine On With Reese Witherspoon, Nightline and a Guest Shark on Season 15 of Shark Tank. She has also been featured in Inc., O Magazine, Vanity Fair, Bon Appetit, Food and Wine, The 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.