"Shark Tank" has a new shark in town this season!
Candace Nelson, co-founder of the first-ever cupcake bakery Sprinkles and the co-owner of gourmet food company Pizzana, made her "Shark Tank" debut Friday, Sept. 29 with the Season 15 opener.
Among the opening night contestants, the 49-year-old resonated with Kristen Dunning, creator of Gently Soap, because she said they're both "passion driven" entrepreneurs.
The cupcake guru offered to partner with Dunning for $75,000 and a 30% stake in her company, which came with a massive outburst from her fellow sharks.
Kevin O'Leary was especially vocal in his reaction to her offer, as he was offering $75,000 for a 10% stake in the company and a $1 royalty until $500,000 is paid, which would then drop to 20 cents in perpetuity.
"I just want to tell your story," Nelson told Dunning.
Eventually, the two agreed on bringing the stake down to 25% and a new alliance was formed.
Here's what to know about Nelson.
She went from a career in investment banking to confections
In a November 2022 interview with TODAY's Jill Martin, Nelson explained that while her investment banking co-workers all went back to business school, she took the leap over to pastry school.
“Everyone thought I was nuts," she said. "They thought I was having my quarter-life crisis.”
In 2004, she began personally selling cupcakes for $3, hoping to create an everyday treat, which was cheaper than going out to purchase a custom cake.
She founded Sprinkles in 2005
Nelson told Marin that she grew up in the kitchen, baking cupcakes and Rice Krispie treats with her mom.
When 2005 rolled around, Nelson opened Sprinkles, the first-ever cupcake bakery, in Beverly Hills, California. The business has since expanded to over 40 locations across the U.S., according to Nelson.
In 2012, Nelson launched Sprinkles' Cupcake ATMs nationwide, which allows customers to rapidly purchase a cupcake at any time of the day.
"People told me this idea would never work," Nelson told Martin, explaining that it was the height of the "low carb craze."
However, she was suddenly serving lines out the door in California, which caught the attention of Oprah Winfrey. Nelson said that after a 350-count overnight cupcake delivery to Chicago and an appearance on "The Oprah Show," her company was thrust into the national spotlight.
She's a New York Times best-selling author
In 2016, Nelson released her cookbook, "The Sprinkles Baking Book: 100 Secret Recipes from Candace’s Kitchen," which quickly became a New York Times best seller.
In 2022, she released her second book, "Sweet Success: A Simple Recipe to Turn Your Passion Into Profit," which followed her early beginnings as a cupcake entrepreneur to how she grew and sustained her business.
She was a judge on "Cupcake Wars"
For over 100 episodes of the Food Network hit, Nelson served as a judge on the competition baking show "Cupcake Wars."
She is also the co-creator and executive producer of Hulu's upcoming show "Best in Dough," according to her website, and executive producer and judge on Netflix's "Sugar Rush."
She now lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two sons
Nelson now resides in Los Angeles with her husband Charles and their two sons, as well as their Norwich terrier, Willy, her website noted.
