We had the good fortune of connecting with Nelly Sudri and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nelly, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Anyone raised by an immigrant parent can probably confess to the amount of pressure and expectations put on them to succeed! In my case, both my parents fled their countries to provide me with opportunities they did not have, which ultimately inspired my self-starter nature and desire to push the envelope forward. Like many young people though, I often struggled with figuring out what I wanted to do and often felt daunted by the future. It wasn’t until I stumbled into a college internship that awakened my life’s greatest purpose and led me to jointly launch my own brand, NutriShrooms , and my nonprofit, InfluenceHER. It’s fair to say that working in consumer-packaged goods (CPG) was never on my radar. After all, I was a fresh-faced twenty-something hungry for recognition and excited to have landed a job at one of the world’s largest food corporations. So, when I was tasked with marketing 75-cent yogurt to low-income moms in the Midwest, it didn’t cross my mind that I was taking my first step toward democratizing health through food. It wasn’t until Hurricane Irma demolished one of my marketing territories, that I witnessed how impactful food brands could be on health. Irma’s lash left Puerto Ricans devastated, and to support the victims I helped coordinate an emergency branded food relief. Not long after, I travelled to Puerto Rico for a market visit, where I learned how grateful and proud the Islanders felt knowing they could provide nutritious brands to their families. The crisis ultimately fueled my passion for CPG and prompted me to start my own food brand. In addition, I have always been fascinated by nutrition and like to keep a close pulse on it, so when I started to hear about the powerful properties of adaptogens like Reishi, I knew I had to put my marketing hat on. In 2019, I co-founded NutriShrooms, an adaptogenic mushroom brand made of 100% US-organically grown, non-GMO, and vegan, Reishi. Reishi is a holistic super-shroom linked to immunity, weight loss and wellness. Not only are our products packed with powerful ingredients, but they embody the new-era of packaged food. My co-founder Lauren Peaslee and I just launched our first product called SlenderShrooms, which promotes fat loss, immunity and helps curb cravings naturally. Not to plug my own brand, but in adding SlenderShrooms to my morning smoothies, I’ve actually lost ten pounds in the past 2 months! Weight loss results aside, we are currently living through a food revolution. New food trends and diets are forcing society to become more cognizant of what they buy and consume. The COVID-19 pandemic reaffirmed this as people have become more proactive about their health, and are opting for plant-based, immune boosting brands like NutriShrooms as a result. Through NutriShrooms , I hope to contribute to this new era of packaged foods by creating affordable, nutritiously-dense and sustainably developed products. As I continue to advance in my career, I am equally committed to helping other young women break into theirs. In 2018, I co-founded InfluenceHER with Faby Moreau, a 501 c(3) non-profit that provides mentorship and recruitment resources to women, as they transition from blackboards to boardrooms. We recently launched a series of webinars and offer free resume editing for young women and encourage anyone interested to get involved! Whether it is through my business or philanthropy, I want to support our generation of women in business to pursue their passions like me.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
NutriShrooms is a supplement brand that is made of 100% US-Organically grown, non-GMO, and vegan Reishi. Reishi is an adaptgenic mushroom that has been consumed for centuries in Eastern Asian cultures for its immune-boosting and wellness benefits. We’re super excited about our most-recent product called SlenderShrooms, which supports appetite suppression and helps curb cravings! SlenderShrooms in particular was the brainchild of my own struggle with weight. In the past I would emotionally eat my feelings and then resort to yoyo dieting to make up for it. What’s crazy is that since quarantine started, I’ve been adding SlenderShrooms to my smoothies (even sometimes just to hot water) and have already lost over ten pounds! I’m super proud of this product and am excited for other people to try it too. What sets us apart from many other weight-loss supplements is that we are plant-based and our products do not contain any additives or fillers. We are also sustainably sourced in the USA unlike a lot of brands that are developed abroad where there are fewer regulations. Business is no joke though! Creating a brand from the ground up requires a lot of patience, creativity, negotiating skill and persistence. My approach is to everything, is solutions-first. Like many other businesses, COVID was a setback, especially for our supply chain. That said, I think looking at things with a glass-half-full mindset is always key. For example, the amount of publicity around immunity right now is an opportunity for us at NutriShrooms to educate new shoppers on the powerful properties and antioxidants our products contain. Similarly with my non-profit, InfluenceHER, we looked at the COVID crisis as an opportunity to serve a greater purpose. We knew many women were subject to job loss and felt we had an obligation to help even in a small way. In an effort to reach them, we transitioned our live events to Zoom webinars where we offer free resume and recruiting support.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
After living in Miami for almost 7 years I’ve definitely scoped out a lot of the city! I’m definitely a morning person and usually like to start my day either at Barry’s Bootcamp or at a spin class like Red Bike. Soho house is also a staple and good spot on weekends when the sun’s out. Food-wise if I have friends or family come into town I’ll usually take them to Icebox, Michael’s Genuine, or somewhere laid back for brunch. I like Sunset Harbor and the Design District for window-shopping too. I also have a massive sweet tooth so if I’m in design will almost always stop at by Chloe for a vegan cupcake (I’m not vegan, they’re just that good). For dinner, I like Komodo and always order the Chilean Sea Bass skewers as a starter. I also like Katsuya in Brickell since I live in the building above it so it’s a pretty short walk! They have the best crispy brussel sprouts on earth, and yes, I fact checked that! If its a weekday, I like KYU or Cecconis, don’t think you can ever go wrong with either. Late late if I’m not in bed then I’m probably at Sugar or Socialista with a gin and tonic in hand, wishing I was in bed!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’d like to dedicate my shoutout to my sister, Ruby Kubac for her unconditional support and encouragement. I also want to recognize my co-founders and amazing friends, Lauren Peaslee and Faby Moreau for their personal dedication and encouragement as we take on our journeys with NutriShrooms and InfluenceHer, respectively.

Website: https://nutrishrooms.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nelly__liketherapper/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nellysudri/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Influence-HER-340460906748622/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/feed/my_videos
Other: https://www.influence-her.com/ http://instagram.com/nutrishrooms