Jamie Mammamo: My mom was a good cook. We were a middle-income household. Ate lots of pasta, meatloaf, beef stew in the winter, and my dad’s barbecued chicken in the summer. The real impact was when I started washing dishes at 15 at a very busy seasonal Italian restaurant in New York. From there, I worked my way up to sous-chef and fell in love with the industry.

JS: Fast forward to married life—you and your wife, Monica, struggled to find tortillas and other foods that matched what she grew up with. Can you talk about that experience and how it spurred you to action? 

JM: Yes, as my wife Monica is Mexican, she could never find good-quality tortillas in the Boston area. So she would actually have her mother send us fresh tortillas from Mexico. After a few years, we realized it would be a fun and unique opportunity to open up a small tortilleria selling authentic tortillas to the area.

JS: Please tell us how you got started experimenting, how the process evolved, and what you learned along the way.

JM: We started experimenting by cooking small batches of corn, making masa, and pressing it out by hand. Once we nailed down the proper tortilla, we invested and opened a small tortilleria in Chelsea. While tortillas alone didn’t gain the traction we expected, something unexpected happened: at the end of each day, we’d fry leftover tortillas into chips, and those chips quickly started selling more than the tortillas.  

JS: Once you had honed the process, how did you make the leap to creating the business that became Mi Niña? 

JM: As we tasted our chips against the other chips in the grocery aisle, we stood out with our simple and clean ingredients. Organic White Corn, Organic Sunflower Oil (now introducing Olive Oil), Mineral Lime, and Sea Salt. We chose a kraft bag, my wife suggested using an image of our daughter making tortillas with her grandmother, and we created the logo. Mi Niña translates to “My Girl."

Courtesy of Mi Niña Tortilla Chips  

JS: Tell us about the products in your lineup—those flavors sound amazing. 

JM: We’ve always wanted to stick to the Mexican tradition and its culture. Hence, Pico de Gallo, Jalapeño Agave, Spicy Chipotle Lime, and Cinnamon Churro were created. We also produce Organic Blue Corn alongside our Organic White Corn tortilla chips. Each product follows the same philosophy: simple, high-quality ingredients, balanced seasoning, and flavors that feel authentic.

JS: You’ve created products that are both authentic and clean label. Was it challenging to strike that balance while still delivering great taste? 

JM: Not really—because when tortilla chips are made authentically, they’re naturally clean. Traditional methods don’t require a long ingredient list. Our process relies on just a few core ingredients: 100% U.S. Organic White Corn, filtered water, mineral lime, and 100% Organic Sunflower Oil. Flavor comes from technique and sourcing, not additives. For us, a clean label is a result of authenticity, not a separate goal.

JS: What’s next for Mi Niña? New products, flavors, retail expansion—what can you share?

JM: We have a lot of exciting developments ahead. In 2026, we’ve introduced a non-seed oil tortilla chip, cooked in 100% Olive Oil. As well as working on protein-enhanced flavors, one being a Dairy Free Nacho and Chocolate Churro. All while staying true to our process and values. We’re also focused on expanding into larger national retailers while continuing to build strong regional partnerships. Growth for us is about being intentional—scaling thoughtfully without compromising the integrity of what we make.

JS: Finally, do you have a favorite product in the lineup?

JM: It’s always hard to choose because each flavor fits a different moment, but I always come back to our Organic Sea Salt White Corn. That, with some of my wife Monica’s refried beans, is one of my favorite snacks on the planet.

Related: Quest Nutrition debuts more tortilla-style chip flavors