For Maureen Cacioppo, founder of Florida Pure Sea Salt, the path to entrepreneurship wasn’t straight, it spawned from curiosity and experimentation.
Her early career was spent in outdoor education with organizations teaching sailing, kayaking, and backpacking. Yet in the margins of that career, a unique hobby began to take hold.
“I went down to the shore, got some water and started ruining my pots at home,” Maureen laughed, recalling her first foray into making sea salt. “Then I started collecting older pots to ruin, because salt water is so corrosive.”
What started as a pastime soon became a calling. She meticulously took notes, reteaching herself high school chemistry, and even tracked down obscure books on salt-making. When friends began receiving jars as holiday gifts, she realized she had something more than a kitchen experiment.
“When I made my first sale, I was kind of like, oh my God, this might actually work," Maureen said.
The pandemic only deepened that opportunity. With more people cooking at home, consumers began seeking out “finishing salts” and other specialty ingredients.
“Little old ladies came to us at the farmer’s market saying, ‘I want a flake finishing salt.’ That’s when I knew something had changed,” she said. “People were suddenly educated about something they’re putting in their body every single day.”
Health, food, and the power of education
Maureen’s passion for sea salt isn’t just about flavor – it's about health. She faced personal health challenges that pushed her to examine the hidden ingredients in everyday staples.
“I was annoyed and surprised that here’s something I used every day of my life, and I never questioned it,” she explained. “Why is there bleach? Why are they stripping away the natural minerals? It’s totally unnecessary.”
Her answer was to build a company that educates while it sells. Florida Pure Sea Salt now produces all-natural salts with more than 80 minerals, free from bleaching or anti-clumping agents. And when she hires staff, education is central to their training.
“Yes, this is a sales position, however, it’s sales through education,” she said. “Some people want to nerd out, others just want something easy and delicious. We can help both.”
That philosophy connects to her background in outdoor education, where she was taught growth through discomfort.
“You learn more from your mistakes than your triumphs,” Maureen said. She even instilled that lesson while fostering children, asking them daily: “What did you fail at today?”
Women-led business focus
As Women’s Business Month shines a light on women entrepreneurs, Maureen’s story underscores both the promise and the obstacles women often face in business. Representation, she said, is crucial, not just for visibility but for investment.
“I think it’s something like two percent of women are given money from VC firms,” she noted. “For some reason, many venture capitalists don’t believe women-led businesses are something that they should be investing in, which I wholeheartedly disagree with.”
For Maureen, support from other women has been essential.
“There’s much more focus now on women championing other women,” she said. “Because it’s not something we’ve always had - we’re not necessarily in all of the board meetings or have that seat at the table. When someone gets there, you want them to allow others to rise up too.”
Her philosophy is simple and powerful: “Women get it done. Because we have to. There’s no other option.”
Lindsay August, a TD Bank Regional Vice President for the Greater Tampa Bay area, notes that Maureen has been supported by TD from the beginning and sees her as a standout example of why spotlighting women-led businesses matters.
“Maureen is an inspiring leader whose passion is evident in all she does,” Lindsay said. “She is committed to producing the highest quality products with an emphasis on clean, natural ingredients, and continually praises her employees for their dedication. A philanthropist, Maureen and Florida Pure donate a portion of proceeds to nonprofits dedicated to protecting the planet and other causes close to her heart. Maureen is a great example of turning a passion project into a thriving business.”
TD Bank’s role in the journey
From the beginning, TD Bank was part of Florida Pure Sea Salt’s growth. Starting a business meant navigating new rules, accounts, and responsibilities - territory that could be intimidating.
“TD Bank was unbelievably supportive,” Maureen recalled. “I didn’t have that much money to open a bank account, but they held my hand. They said, ‘We can help you where you are right now, but let’s also think ahead.’”
The connection was immediate. As Lindsay explained, “Maureen is a long-time customer who began banking with TD when she first launched Florida Pure Sea Salt in 2016. Our local banker was already a Florida Pure customer, having purchased their sea salt at a farmer’s market the day before. As you can imagine, there was an instant connection, and the rest is history.”
That support has extended beyond banking basics. From connections to local programs to small gestures of encouragement, TD has provided consistent support. “The support isn’t always in the traditional ways you think of,” Maureen said. “Sometimes it’s in those little ways, like someone at TD saying, ‘Let’s reach out to Maureen, she might be a great fit for this program.’ Those things are incredibly supportive and needful.”
And for TD, supporting small businesses like Florida Pure is at the heart of their mission. “Small businesses are the backbone of our community, and we are here to support their needs every step of the way,” Lindsay said. “At TD, we treat our customers like family, because their success is our success. Companies like Florida Pure are creating jobs, providing unique products, investing in our community, supporting local charities, and so much more. We are grateful to have such wonderful small businesses in Tampa Bay.”
A business built on care
At its core, Florida Pure Sea Salt is about more than product. It’s about people, community, and connection. Maureen points to her team as the heart of the company, describing their attention to detail in sourcing and preparing ingredients.
“Our rosemary and sea salt taste so different because it’s fresh, we dehydrate it ourselves, pick out twigs by hand. It’s costly and time-consuming, but you can taste the difference,” she said.
That ethos extends to environmental responsibility, community involvement, and now pursuing B-Corp certification.
“We want to have the most positive effect we can—on our environment, our community, our staff,” Maureen explained. “And I think you taste it. When you put a lot of care into the food you’re making, you taste the care that went into it.”
Her journey, from outdoor educator to salt maker, is a story of resilience and learning. It’s also a reminder, during Women’s Business Month, of the impact that support for women-led businesses can have on local communities. It’s also a reminder, during Women’s Business Month, of the impact that support for women-led businesses can have on local communities.
As Maureen put it simply, “It’s always about connection. Connection with the people in the community, connection with the earth. If you can sit down and have a meal together and talk about a cool sea salt, that’s awesome.”
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