For a long time, Pinole has been an all-natural source of energy highly valued by athletes. Originating from the time of the Aztecs, it is still found in the staple diet of several Mexican-Indian tribes. So Kate Kung-McIntyre, Eddie Sandoval and Kyle Offut turned a lot of heads when they introduced Pinole Blue in episode 14 of season 13 of “Shark Tank”. A modern take on the age-old natural energy source, Pinole Blue piqued our interest, and we decided to investigate the company in detail. Well, here’s what we found out!
Pinole Blue: who are they and what do they do?
Eddie Sandoval, the head of Pinole Blue, received his bachelor’s degree in corporate finance, with a minor in Spanish and accounting from Wichita State University in 2017. He even studied abroad at Tecnológico de Monterrey, Mexico in 2016. Additionally, during his course, Eddie gained much-needed professional experience working for reputable organizations like INTRUST Bank, Koch Supply & Trading, and Solomon Corporation, among others.
With Eddie’s family originally from Chihuahua, Mexico, he grew up eating and drinking pinole foods. Although his family enjoyed the natural power source, Pinole had a relatively niche consumer base and was not widely publicized. Wanting to capitalize on the substance’s health benefits and its underrated status, Eddie purchased a half ton of Pinole in 2017 while still a student at Wichita State College.
Using his skills and knowledge, Eddie then used the time between classes to make, package and sell Pinole drinking powder, which became very popular on campus. Encouraged by his success, Eddie entered Wichita State’s New Venture competition and won $10,000, which he invested in improving his production and packaging. Later, Eddie hired Kyle Offut as a social media consultant, while Kate Kung-McIntyre, Eddie’s college professor, also decided to help him with his business.
Where is Pinole Blue now?
Once the business moved from Eddie’s dormitory to a proper production area, its customer base grew tenfold. Surprised by the positive reviews, Eddie focused on his marketing, and as of now, the company is quite a popular name on the social media site TikTok. Additionally, in order to cater to an increasingly diverse clientele with varying tastes, Eddie had to expand its drink mixes and has since added Masa Mixes, Ground Blue Corn Tortillas and Mexican Wedding Sugar Cookies to its catalog. with blue corn.
Happy Valentine’s Day from Pinole Blue, we hope you and your loved ones are staying warm with some of our atole mixes. 🌽 🥰🥶 pic.twitter.com/zopE49M8C6
— Pinole Blue 🌽🌮 (@PinoleBlue) February 13, 2021
Since Pinole is primarily associated with the ancient Aztec tribe, Tarahumara, Eddie wanted to help the community. Therefore, they donate a portion of each sale to the Tarahumara in the form of food, clothing, or other essentials. Additionally, Pinole Blue also supports Tarahumara women artisans and provides them with materials to make woven bracelets. These wristbands are then purchased by the company itself and later attached to every order over $25.
Pinole Blue drink mixes are currently available in several different flavors and range between $11.50 and $21. On the other hand, an Instant Masa Mix is asking for a price of 22.99, 48 blue corn tortillas will cost $35, and wedding sugar cookies are priced at $16.50. While interested customers can purchase Pinole Blue products on their own website and on Amazon, Eddie has also managed to get his products on the shelves of select Whole Foods markets in Kansas. So, with Eddie now putting his heart and soul into the business, we hope success will never elude him in the years to come.
Read more: Diaper Dust Shark Tank Update: Where’s the Diaper Dust now?
