AACE INTERVIEW: Vy Nguyen co-founder of Sunshine Brands
Vy Nguyen, Aaron Master and Megan Warden of Sunshine Brands
One thing that unites all Asian families is their love for food. We gather around it, share recipes, and even have traditions like our Moms grabbing the Danish Butter tins so that she can regift it to an Auntie. When I first met Vy and her partners, I was thrilled not only by another AAPI entering the cannabis industry and to try their amazing edibles (my favorite is Tropical Mango!). However, what truly impressed me was Vy herself. Her aura radiates love and generosity, and her spirit shines in Sunshine Brand's edible gummies, Paradise Club. It's long overdue to spotlight this incredible rising star in the AAPI cannabis community, along with her partners Megan and Aaron, and I'm delighted to have her here on AACE.
Tell us about your first bite of a THC gummy.
It was so chewy and sticky... I remember how it stuck to my teeth. Hahhaaa I'm pretty sure I ended up eating more too since I didn't feel any different for so long. Then when it did hit me, I was stuck on my couch for hours. I definitely don't miss those days.
How did you tell your family about your desire to enter the cannabis industry? Was there any blowback?
I didn't tell my mom about Paradise Club until about a year or so in ;) When I had our first real batch of gummies, non-infused, I came home and told her I was working on a new adventure and that I'd be making candy. She loved the mango so much she asked if she could have some for her friends! After that I told her they were going to be special with cannabis and how it could help with sleep, for some to relax, some to laugh and be happier. I went on and on without giving any room for a response :) Her blowback was... "MARIJUANA? Really con (kid)? Hmmmm. It's not illegal now huh? Hmmm OK. I don't want to try the one with marijuana but I think people will like this Vy. OK." Haahahaaa. My mom is pretty awesome and the most supportive, outgoing person in my life. My sister and cousins were super excited while some family abroad were surprisingly very against what is happening here in the US.
Who are your partners and what was the epiphany that created Sunshine Brands?
Aaron Master - Mr. Sunshine, let's do it all and all at once, dreamer, serial entrepreneur, partner in crime.
Megan Warden - If you know Megan, she's all things cannabis and is everywhere, anytime, all the time.
Until I met Aaron, I hadn't gone to many dispensaries. I always made cookies myself at home. When I did go with him, I couldn't find anything I wanted to buy for myself. We'd try out different things he'd find, get super stoned and come up with all kinds of silly ideas. Aaron, the idea of the minute guy he is, one day was like, why don't we make one. Let's make one of our crazy ideas?! Why not??? I thought if we can make something sunny + warm I'm in! I knew we couldn't do anything cannabis without Megan and she was the first person we called.
Tell us about Paradise Club and how you chose the formulation.
Paradise Club is a fluffy, puffy vacation in a bite. It smells like paradise and tastes like paradise. Who doesn't love vacation?
As a sweets lover, it was most important to me to have the perfect bounce. I always squeeze my gummy bears from top to bottom to check the bouncy chubbiness of it before I bite it. Depending on the bear brand, it has a different bounce... does it stick to your teeth, is it worth it if it's stuck to your back teeth, is it as good as a red sour patch kid or more like a green one? Do I want to eat another one or is this one just enough? Is it too sweet, would I eat this before bed, would I eat this out, if I close my eyes, what does this taste feel like? When we had the bounce down, the decision on dust was next. I love an element of surprise and I love the perfect dust on the rim of a cocktail. Our secret sauce seasoning dust hits your nose first and then your taste buds creating a little vacation in bite. Mix our Strawberry Sunshine + Pineapple Coco in your mouth and you'll feel like your poolside, Miami Vice in hand.
Megan really wanted a Vegan formula and still does. She's a Seagan, which she created herself as she eats mostly seafood, veggies and candy (that has gelatin). She does love that our formula is only a handful of ingredients, ones that we can all read, are high quality, non-gmo, non-artificial and most importantly, grass fed gelatin. A Vegan gummy is something we all agree to next.
Aaron is a stickler for perfecting the consistency of flavor and wouldn't not stop testing until our formula was dialed in. I loved our first batch just as much as our final. Aaron and Megan went back and forth on flavor profiles to strength of taste and approachability.
We're all really happy and have different favorites lol.
What flavor would be the weirdest to create and why do you think it would succeed?
Sunday Dinner would be the weirdest and silliest to create. A Wonka gummy with a little savory and a little sweet in it. Sunday Dinner is a family favorite meal that is comfort in a bite. It's special because you don't make it everyday and it is shared with your favorite friends and fam. I think people would be curious at first and then love it!
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