What Is Sprinkles Cupcakes' Founder Candace Nelson Up To Now?

Candace Nelson founded Sprinkles Cupcakes in . According to a post on Instagram, Nelson, , sold the company because she considered herself more of a creator than a person who runs a business. Her recent posts are full of people critiquing her decision to sell to a private equity firm, for closures or the drop in quality of other beloved restaurants. However, there is seemingly little online blame directed to , co-founders of KarpReilly, the firm that purchased Sprinkles, and their role in .

Since selling the cupcake bakery in 2012, Nelson has been busy. , she went into business with the pizzaiolo who had recently moved from Naples, Daniele Uditi, and the , Los Angeles-based Pizzana chain in . Already a TV-personality from "" starting in 2010, she became a regular judge on Netflix's "" in 2018. for the 15th season of Shark Tank. , as she's guested on "Throwdown with Bobby Flay," "Masterchef USA," "The Best Thing I Ever Ate," among many other shows. She is also the Executive Producer of the pizza-making competition show, .

Outside of food, Candace Nelson has positioned herself as a leader in the entrepreneurial space. on the business social media website LinkedIn. She is active on with posts both about on and . Her book, ": A Simple Recipe to Turn Your Passion into Profit," is her story about building her cupcake business and aims to inspire other entrepreneurs in their own ventures. Her substack, also titled "," includes entries on her own stories and advice to those in similar situations.

. Together, they invest in startups, . With Dr. Allie Ticktin, they co-founded , a play-focused children's learning center. She is also a , having been hired to speak to corporate teams at Taco Bell and Goldman Sachs.