Lily’s Sweets: Cynthia Tice

How I Built This | Sep 30, 2024

When it comes to launching a multi-million dollar brand, Cynthia Tice was a late bloomer. Nearly 60 and looking for a healthy way to satisfy her love of chocolate, she set out to make an indulgent, sugar-free version, sweetened with stevia. After some disastrous early recipes, Lily’s Sweets launched nationally in Whole Foods, with just four employees. Cynthia correctly predicted that a growing number of shoppers would willingly pay for healthier treats, and just ten years after launch, Lily’s Sweets caught the eye of Hershey’s, which acquired it for $425 million.


This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant, with research by Katherine Sypher. Our engineers were Robert Rodriguez and Kwesi Lee.


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Top Stories

NYC braces for protests, street closures as Netanyahu speaks at the UN

World Leaders Are in New York for UNGA, But Not Putin

Mean Girls at a Miss Ghana Pageant; How the Bowery Became 'the Devil's Mile'

The New Rules Of War Are There Are No Rules

YOU ARE ONLINE