Meet USC alum Malia Caskurlu, Co-Founder of Peppertux

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Tell us about your company:
Peppertux is a pistachio-obsessed food company giving pistachios the PR they deserve. From creamy spreads to drizzles and drinks, we turn premium Turkish pistachios into dangerously delicious things you’ll want to put on… pretty much everything.
What inspired you to start your business?
We started Peppertux because we genuinely love pistachios. But every time we walked through the grocery store, something felt off. There were shelves stacked with snacking pistachios, yet the nut butter aisle was a sea of browns and yellows with zero pistachio options. That gap became our spark. We set out to build a brand that gives pistachios the attention, creativity, and formats they’ve always deserved. We knew pistachios deserved better representation, so we set out to give them the spotlight.
What are your proudest achievements so far?
What I’m most proud of is the journey itself. We built Peppertux from scratch with no investors, no brokers, and no team – just determination and a belief that pistachios deserved better. And today, our products are in roughly 3,000 locations, and people are starting to recognize our brand. Seeing that kind of organic momentum is incredibly rewarding.
What advice do you have for aspiring entrepreneurs:
Don’t get discouraged if things don’t take off overnight. It took us a few years to gain real momentum. Luck absolutely plays a role in entrepreneurship, but persistence and preparation matter just as much. For luck to work in your favor, you have to put in the effort, stay consistent, and have your ducks in a row when the right opportunity finally shows up.
Please share a memory or thought about your alma mater:
USC is where I met my spouse – my partner in life and my partner in business — and where our interest in entrepreneurship first took shape. The business classes we took together planted the early seeds for what eventually became Peppertux. USC wasn’t just our alma mater; it was the beginning of our partnership and our entrepreneurial journey.