Speaking and Press
Victor Macias: Keynote Speaker on Building, Losing and Rebuilding a Company
I built a Shark Tank company, lost it, and I am building again. I am Victor Macias, founder of Santana Snacks. I give three talks: a resilience keynote on starting over, a food entrepreneurship talk on building a startup food brand, and a startup talk for college students on being resourceful.
Who I speak for
- Companies and employee resource groups, including Hispanic Heritage Month programs that want a Latino entrepreneur keynote speaker
- Universities, community colleges and Hispanic-Serving Institutions
- Entrepreneurship centers, accelerators and incubators
- Chambers, associations and nonprofits that serve founders
- Food, retail and CPG events
Three keynotes
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The Comeback Playbook
A resilience keynote on starting over after a business setback
Victor Macias landed a deal on Shark Tank with Nui Foods, then watched the company grow faster than its operations and cash could support. Nui ran out of runway, and he started over with Santana Snacks. He gives your audience an honest comeback story and a practical way to think about the months after a setback.
What your audience leaves with
- Growth only works when your operations and cash can carry it.
- Watch your runway early, before it becomes the story.
- Take stock after a setback, keep what you learned and build the next chapter on it.
Best for: corporate teams and employee resource groups, universities, entrepreneurship centers, accelerators and small-business programs.
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Built One Store at a Time
A food entrepreneurship keynote on building a startup food brand
Victor has built two food brands: Nui Foods, which landed a deal on Shark Tank, and Santana Snacks, a premium organic corn chip brand from Santa Ana that he is building one store at a time. He shows founders what it takes to start a food brand and earn the next shelf. Your audience hears it from someone doing it today.
What your audience leaves with
- Earn one store at a time: a few shelves that fit your brand give you proof and a story to build on.
- Know your costs and cash before you promise growth to anyone.
- Build around the people you want to serve, and let your customers shape the product.
Best for: food, retail and CPG events, SBDCs, chambers, food entrepreneurship programs and founder groups.
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Resourceful Beats Resourced
A startup keynote for college students and Hispanic Heritage Month events
You do not need a big budget to start. You need to be resourceful. Victor raised $100,682 on Kickstarter, prepared to pitch the sharks by rehearsing on a mock stage, and built Santana Snacks one store at a time. A first-generation Mexican American and Cal State Fullerton graduate, he shows students and early founders how to do more with what they have, in English, in Spanish or in both.
What your audience leaves with
- Start with what you have: your skills, your people and your time.
- Test demand cheaply before you spend big. A crowdfunding campaign is one way to do it.
- Practice before it counts: rehearse your pitch, ask for feedback and ask for help early.
Best for: college students, community colleges, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, campus entrepreneurship programs and Hispanic Heritage Month events.
Background for these talks: what happened to Nui Foods. I also wrote about how we raised $100,682 on Kickstarter.
Watch Victor
Event planners often want to see a speaker before they book. Here is my Univision interview about Santana Snacks, and a talk I gave at Cal State Fullerton.
I was also featured on Victor Macias | Roadtrip Nation. Short career clips from a Roadtrip Nation interview filmed in 2020, when I was building Nui Foods. The clips play on their site.
Resilience keynote: starting over after a setback
If your team is looking for a resilience keynote speaker, start with The Comeback Playbook. It is a plain, honest story about a company that grew faster than its operations and cash could support, and what it takes to start again. It works for companies, campuses and founder groups.
Universities, colleges and Hispanic-Serving Institutions
I speak to entrepreneurship classes, incubators and student groups, including the UC Irvine Paul Merage School of Business, Cypress College and Cal State Fullerton, where I serve on the board of the Center for Entrepreneurship. If you are looking for an entrepreneur guest speaker for a student event, Resourceful Beats Resourced is a startup talk for college students, and I talk about what went wrong as openly as what went right. I also visit classes in person or virtually.
Hispanic Heritage Month speaker
I speak at Hispanic Heritage Month programs (September 15 to October 15) for companies, employee resource groups, campuses and community groups. If you are looking for a Hispanic keynote speaker, I can give the talk in English, in Spanish or in both languages. Planners book early, so contact me by spring.
Food and CPG founder talks
I have built two food companies. Nui landed a deal on Shark Tank. Santana Snacks, my organic corn chip company, is sold at Mother's Market, Lassen's, Thrive Market and Instacart. For food entrepreneurship, retail and CPG events I talk about how to build a startup food brand, reading your unit economics and earning one store at a time.
Formats
- Keynote (30 to 60 minutes) with Q&A
- Virtual talk for teams and classes
- Workshop (90 minutes) that goes deeper on one talk
- Fireside chat or panel
I give talks in English, in Spanish or in both languages. I run Santana Snacks in Santa Ana, California, and I travel for events.
Fees
Request a quote. The fee depends on the format, date, audience and travel. Share your budget in the form and I will reply with options.
Where I have spoken
- UC Irvine Paul Merage School of Business
- Cypress College Entrepreneur Summit
- Cal State Fullerton Center for Entrepreneurship, Startup Incubator
- Beyond Barriers 2024, New Delhi, India: opening remarks for the Cal State Fullerton Center for Entrepreneurship and Yuukke
- And many more universities, colleges and founder events
Interviews I have done
I have also interviewed Michael B. Jordan, Troy Polamalu, Landon Donovan and Nely Galán on confidence, rejection and success.
Press
Bio and headshot
Victor Macias is the founder of Santana Snacks, a premium organic corn chip brand from Santa Ana, California, started in 2023. He previously co-founded Nui Foods, a keto cookie brand that raised over $100,000 on Kickstarter and landed a deal on ABC's Shark Tank in 2018, and Male Standard, a men's lifestyle website. A first-generation Mexican American and Cal State Fullerton entrepreneurship graduate, he mentors founders at the CSUF Startup Incubator and writes about building a food company.
Download my bio Download my headshot
Request a quote
Tell me about your event. I will reply by email with options and a quote. Prefer email? Write to victor@victormacias.com.
Booking questions
How much does it cost to book Victor Macias?
Request a quote. The fee depends on the format, date, audience and travel. Tell me your budget in the form and I will send options.
How long is a keynote?
Most keynotes run 30 to 60 minutes with Q&A. I can shorten or lengthen the talk to fit your program.
What is the difference between a keynote speaker and a motivational speaker?
A keynote sets the theme for an event, usually in 30 to 60 minutes. A motivational talk aims mainly to inspire. My keynotes start with my story and then give the audience practical steps, such as how to start over after a setback or how to read their own unit economics.
Can you speak at a Hispanic Heritage Month event?
Yes. I am a first-generation Mexican American founder and I speak at Hispanic Heritage Month programs (September 15 to October 15) for companies, employee resource groups, campuses and community groups. Contact me by spring.
Do you speak Spanish?
Yes. I give talks in English, in Spanish or in both languages. Tell me which you need in the form.
Can you talk about pitching on Shark Tank?
Yes. I can talk about how we prepared to pitch the sharks, including rehearsing on a mock stage, what it was like to pitch, and what I learned from the pitch and from running Nui.
Do you speak virtually?
Yes. Virtual talks work well for teams and classes.
Do you travel for events?
Yes. I travel for in-person events. Include the city and state in the form.
How far ahead should I book?
As early as you can. For Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 to October 15), contact me by spring.
Can you run a workshop after the talk?
Yes. I offer a 90-minute workshop that goes deeper on one talk: starting over after a setback, building a startup food brand, or being resourceful with what you have.
Do you speak to students and Hispanic-Serving Institutions?
Yes. I mentor founders through the Cal State Fullerton Center for Entrepreneurship and speak to universities, community colleges and Hispanic-Serving Institutions. Send the details in the form.
Can you do press interviews?
Yes. Email victor@victormacias.com with your deadline.