Author Nina Rodecker

Combine pure determination and class and you get Nina Rodecker—entrepreneur, business woman, leader, innovator and mom. She may be the owner of a successful, growing business today, but two years ago, she was a mom-to-be falling victim to a pregnancy craving for freshly spun cotton candy. Unable to get her hands on some, determination kicked in and she set out to change that for herself and the entire Los Angeles area. In 2008, Rodecker launched Tasty Clouds Cotton Candy Company to fill the unmet need that existed for traditional cotton candy that adults and kids alike have grown to love. But what started out as a catering company for birthdays and fundraisers, quickly turned into the musthave addition at star-studded galas, media events, corporate parties and more. Seeing the potential, Rodecker recently expanded her product and service line to include organic flavors, prepackaged cotton candy, snow cones and candy apples. All the while, Rodecker has managed to build quite a name for herself, too. The pregnancy that led her to launch the thriving business also made her a mom. So for the past two years, she’s been managing a company and a family. And for her exceptional ability to do that, she’s become a well-known figure in small business and among fellow “mompreneurs”, making her a highly sought spokesperson by many media outlets. In October, Rodecker took home the title for No. 1 Leading Mom in Business for StartupNation’s annual competition—up from No. 3 in 2009—by garnering the most votes from her extensive fan and customer bases. Last year, she also earned Tasty Clouds the No. 1 spot in StartupNation’s Home-Based 100 business competition. Even prior to launching Tasty Clouds and making it the industry-leading brand it is today, Rodecker was in high demand as a personal trainer at Ketchum Downtown YMCA in Los Angeles and at a physical therapy clinic in Beverly Hills. She grew up in Manila, Philippines, where she attended college and graduated Bachelor of Science Major in Physical Therapy. In 2000, she moved to Los Angeles, where she now lives with her husband, son, two pugs and an endless supply of freshly spun cotton candy.