Saskia Sorrosa is Serving Inspiration with her Healthy Snack Brand Fresh Bellies

images of healthy snacks in their packages  with a woman in the center wearing a white shirt and looking at the camera

When Saskia Sorrosa launched her snack brand, she worked to fill a gap in the snack industry that often left her family without healthy alternatives to what she regularly found on grocery store shelves. Years later, she became the proud founder and CEO of Fresh Bellies, a wellness-oriented brand serving some serious deliciousness for families.

Read on to discover how this Latina went from one dream job to another.


This interview has been lightly edited for clarity and flow.

LM: Saskia! Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you began your business and what inspired you.

SS: Prior to starting Fresh Bellies, I worked at the NBA, where I was VP of Marketing, in charge of creating, managing, and executing the league’s muti-platform campaigns targeted to its priority fan bases including Hispanics, African-Americans, women, and kids.

Working at the NBA was my dream job, but then I had children and my priorities changed! When my girls were little and I turned to the grocery aisles for help, I didn’t like what I saw on the shelves. The products were bland, made with artificial ingredients and had high sugar and sodium content - none of which I wanted to feed my family. I couldn’t find anything that was healthy, flavorful or savory. So I took some inspiration from my Ecuadorian upbringing around a variety of foods and flavors, and I started Fresh Bellies.

We use combinations like mushrooms with sage and garlic, snap peas with cumin, and mangos with basil - all unheard of in the snack space! As my kids grew older, and I realized the available options got worse, I decided to create a brand that made healthy eating more flavorful and joyful for kids and adults of all ages, so that the whole family could snack together.

LM: Tell us more about your products and where you source your materials and ingredients from.

Fresh Bellies Products

Photo courtesy of Saskia Sorrosa

SS: We were the first-ever savory kid brand that didn't hide veggies with fruit juice or sugars and instead celebrated bold, savory flavors from the get-go. As our toddler snack line grew and we looked at the rest of the market, we realized that as children got older their options got worse. We also noticed that the adult snacks market offered limited variety and was saturated with run-of-the mill flavors that weren’t all that exciting to me or my family.

A lot of these products that were marketed as ‘healthy’ were also full of junk. Given the success of our toddler snack line and the need we identified in the market beyond toddlers, we decided to extend our snack lines to include pre-schoolers and adults. Our products are vegan and, as a result, better for the environment. We never use artificial junk or preservatives and are mindful about the ingredients we use, sourcing and using only non-GMO verified and Kosher certified items.

We’re also intentional about our partners across the supply chain. As we’ve scaled, we’ve continued to focus on elements that help our products be both good for the environment and the customers who eat them. Most importantly, they’re culturally inspired, delicious and filling pantries everywhere with an explosion of flavors!

We’ve grown our distribution to 5,000 stores nationwide including Sprouts, Target, Whole Foods, Kroger, Meijer, Walmart, Wegman’s and more. We are now ranked a top 5 brand in natural toddler snacks in the entire country, even above some of the world’s largest food brands.

LM: Fresh Bellies was featured on an episode of Shark Tank. Share with us what that was like.

SS: We didn’t get a shark to bite during our Shark Tank experience, but those few minutes on TV taught us a lot about ourselves and our business. It also gave us mass exposure nationwide, allowing us to reach millions of viewers with our story. Being a part of Shark Tank is surreal and a rollercoaster ride you’ll never be ready for – no matter how many times you’ve pitched your company before.

You have to be OK with unpredictability, as there are a lot of unanswered questions as you navigate the selection process. Then, if you make it through, you have to come to terms with the fact that you’ll be completely exposed when you walk in the tank. You, your numbers and your story will be out there for the sharks to pick apart and ultimately, for others to witness on national TV - while not knowing the outcome.

All that to say, even though we didn’t lock down a shark as an investor and it was nerve-racking, we gained a lot with this experience. Our website saw a huge boost in traffic and purchases after our appearance and the momentum hasn’t dwindled since. Every time our episode reruns, we see a boost in online purchase orders, inbound email, and social media engagement. Customers recognize us from Shark Tank and as a result, seek our product. The ROI on marketing dollars and brand awareness is invaluable and was well worth the time and effort.

LM: What is some advice you can offer aspiring entrepreneurs looking to enter your industry?

SS: Know what you’re capable of, what you bring to the table, use insights from your own background as a competitive advantage, and think strategically about what you need to be successful and how to position yourself to achieve your goals. It takes relentless perseverance to get to where you’re going and the path is not always linear. Be ready for some twists, peaks and valleys, and always believe in yourself along the way, so others can believe in you too.

There’s also a quote by Simon Sinek that I love: “Too many people ignore opportunities because they only see danger. Entrepreneurs ignore danger because they only see opportunities.”

To me, it means that as an entrepreneur, you’re willing to take the risk because the upside and opportunity far outweigh the fear, or the risks. If you’re willing to push past your comfort zone, you’ll start to see the world through an entirely new lens, and if something doesn’t work out, you can always try again. Opportunities aren’t one and done - they are there for the taking and for those who are willing to do the work.

LM: What are some challenges you faced that you didn’t expect as an entrepreneur? What are some challenges you did expect?

SS: Raising capital takes so much mental, physical, and emotional stamina. It’s actually a lot like dating. You need to meet a lot of people and do some soul searching before finding the ‘right one’ for you. To top it off, the stats for women of color, and for founders who are moms,are significantly lagging behind other demographic groups, particularly men. I look forward to the day when there’s equality in venture capital for future generations, like my daughters’, so that they can step into equitable opportunities to live out their dreams.

Tell us where we can find you online and follow your business adventures.

Our website and Instagram are great places to check us out!

This Viral Video Game Is Changing the Face of Voter Outreach

In 2024, voting campaigns have evolved greatly, to say the least. Creativity is now the name of the game and tongue-in-cheek humor is expertly leveraged to drive action. One example of that is Bop the Bigot, a revival of a viral game created in 2016 by Bazta Arpaio, an Arizona activist group, as part of a campaign to unseat Maricopa County’s Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Arpaio lost his re-election to Paul Penzone that year.

The game has now been updated for the current election cycle and relaunched by On Point Studios, with new features added to enable players to find out what’s on their ballot, confirm voter status, and register to vote.

Much like its former 2016 version, the game allows users to take out their political frustrations by virtually “bopping” GOP candidates in the head. It’s very similar to whack-a-mole, except the mole is replaced by former President Donald Trump, Ohio’s Senator J. D. Vance, and Kevin Roberts, President of the Heritage Foundation, which is spearheading Project 2025.

cartoon renditions of Donald Trump and J.D. Vance around a Bop the Bigot logoPromotional image provided by On Point Studios.

B. Loewe, Director of On Point Studios, came up with the concept for this game when working as the Communications Director at Bazta Arpaio in 2016, and is the executive producer of this revamped version. In the first version of the game, Bop the Bigot players used a chancla (flip flop) to “bop” the characters, tapping into Latino culture by leaning on the childhood experience of being set right by a flying chancla from a fed-up mother or grandmother.

This year, the chancla is replaced by a more current element, a green coconut, referencing Kamala Harris’ coconut tree meme. There are also side characters like “the couch,” cat ladies, and more coconuts. All references to jokes about Vice-Presidential candidate Vance, or insults Vance has made about women on the campaign trail.

Another new addition is that Harris’ laugh is immortalized as the game-over sound effect, an unexpected detail that adds even more humor and levity to the game.

cartoon renditions of Donald Trump, Kevin Roberts, and J.D. Vance around a Bop the Bigot logoPromotional image provided by On Point Studios.

Bop the Bigot, which is playable on desktop and mobile, is intended not just as a way to vent political frustrations, but also as a tool for activism and securing voter engagement.

For example, the game supports the work of Mexican Neidi Dominguez Zamorano, Founding Executive Director of the non-profit organization Organized Power in Numbers by using the “game over” screen to prompt players to donate to it and support their efforts.

Organized Power in Numbers is focused on empowering workers in the South and Southwest of the U.S. through collective action and comprehensive campaigns. Their mission is to create a large-scale movement that challenges the status quo and advocates for workers' rights, and racial and economic justice.

Currently, Dominguez Zamorano is leading worker outreach to 2 million working-class voters in the South and Southwest through doorknocking, texting, and calls with the help of local groups in North Carolina, Arizona, New Mexico, and more.

“We have been blown away by the enthusiastic reception for the video game. We knew we wanted to be part of its creative approach because our movement needs more fun and laughter. We need more ways to connect with nuestra gente so we can feel joy among all the absurdity we witness every day,” Dominguez Zamorano shared with Luz Media via email.

“Our people are gente trabajadora and we deserve to feel uplifted even in our toughest moments. We are deeply involved in the South and Southwest so we know what’s at stake in this election and we’re happy this can be a resource to mobilize, raise spirits, and get out the vote," she concluded.

Dominguez Zamorano is a committed activist for immigrants and workers' rights, known for her strategist skills and expertise. She played a key role in the campaign to win DACA and has also held roles in major campaigns, including as Deputy National States Director for Bernie Sanders' 2020 presidential campaign. In addition to her work with Organized Power in Numbers, Dominguez Zamorano is serving as a Senior Advisor to Mijente’s Fuera Trump Initiative.

Grassroots efforts like these have taken on new life in 2024, with Bop the Bigot adding to the larger, ongoing fight against political apathy and disinformation. Just as it did during the 2016 race, the video game uses humor to soften the serious task at hand—getting people to the polls.

"We want the game to be a fun and comical outlet for anyone who’s been insulted, frustrated, or harmed by Trump in the past and everyone who is ready to move forward as a country after election day," explained Loewe in a press release. "The proposals in Project 2025 and the beliefs of Trump and Vance aren’t just weird, they’re truly harmful. We wanted to give people a humorous and peaceful way to smack down their racism and sexism. We hope it makes people laugh and also feel empowered and motivated to get to the polls on or before election day."

With a mix of satire, sharp political critique, and nostalgia, the game is a call to action. The upcoming election, which is getting closer by the minute, has sparked fierce activism and creative yet grounded initiatives like these aim to ensure voters are engaged, especially young Latinos and disenfranchised groups.

hands holding up yellow protest signs that say Hands Off Our Bodies
Photo Credit: Gayatri Malhotra via Unsplash

Originally published in Common Dreams. Reprinted with permission.

The Latino electorate will prove decisive in securing reproductive freedom and abortion access through ballot measures around the country, particularly in states where Latinos are a significant portion of the electorate.

In November, abortion rights measures will appear on ballots across ten states, including Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Nevada, and New York, where Latinos make up a significant portion of the electorate. For decades, pundits and politicians have recycled long-held misconceptions about Latino voters and abortion access, citing our conservative and religious beliefs.

Anti-abortion extremists have long fueled these misconceptions through misinformation and disinformation campaigns targeting Latino communities with egregious lies and inflammatory rhetoric about abortion. Yet, polling, focus groups, and direct interactions with Latino communities have debunked these outdated tropes.

The Latino electorate will prove decisive in securing reproductive freedom and abortion access through ballot measures around the country, particularly in states where Latinos are a significant portion of the electorate.

For Latinos, the freedom to decide, a pillar of our American democracy, is critical. Meanwhile, Latinos are being hit directly with anti-abortion efforts that take away that freedom such as the six-week abortion ban put into effect by the Florida Supreme Court and the 1864 abortion ban upheld by the Arizona Supreme Court. In the wake of the Dobbs decision, people of color and Latinas have felt the impact of a lack of abortion access, an element of basic healthcare.

A 2023 report by the National Partnership for Women and Families estimated that nearly 6.5 million Latinas, or 42% of all Latinas of reproductive age in the country, live in a state that either had or was likely to ban abortion. Ironically, it will be abortion access and anti-choice efforts to restrict freedom of choice that will mobilize Latino voters this election.

In a poll conducted by three national reproductive justice organizations, 87% of Latinas named abortion and women’s rights as one of their top priorities as they head to the polls. Another battleground poll conducted by Somos PAC and BSP Research found that 61% of Latino registered voters expressed a more positive/favorable view of Kamala Harris after hearing that she will protect abortion rights, versus only 19% of Latinos who said they had a more negative view of Harris after hearing that.

In key states to secure the White House and both chambers, Latinos make up large chunks of the electorate: Arizona (25%), Colorado (15%), Florida (20%), Nevada (20%), and New York (12%). In the face of unprecedented attacks on basic healthcare access and targeted attempts by extremists to mislead and divide our community on this issue, this November Latinos will be key deciders on abortion access across the country.

Mari Urbina, Managing Director of Indivisible, Battleground Arizona Lead and former Harry Reid advisor.

Héctor Sánchez Barba is president and CEO of Mi Familia Vota (MFV).