Alicia S. Villanueva, MSN, APRN, FNP-C

La Cocina Are the People Keeping San Francisco Delicious | Bon Appétit

"Every night after she finished cleaning houses and taking care of people with disabilities, Alicia Villanueva would lock herself in her tiny kitchen and cook tamales. Then she’d go out to the streets or the local church to sell them door to door. “But I wanted to be more formal, to find resources and learn how to grow a business in the United States,” she says. Joining La Cocina opened doors that once were closed and gave her the tools to make a business plan. During her time in the incubator, she grew her concept,Alicia's Tamales Los Mayas, little by little. Now, she has a 6,000-square foot factory and makes 40,000 tamales a month, selling to retailers like Whole Foods. “My goal is to go global,” she says. “I want to have tamale drive-throughs all over the world. But most of all, I want to help support my community.”" - ByHilary Cadigan