Life & Work with Ana Lander of West Hollywood, Los Angeles

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ana Lander.

Hi Ana, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
About two years ago, I came down with a terrible flu and found myself craving my late mom’s chicken soup. I asked my husband to bring me some bone broth, but what he brought home was disappointing. So I started making my own from scratch, only to realize how time-consuming and labor-intensive it was. At the time, I was working on the global performance team at Condé Nast and didn’t have hours to spend in the kitchen.

I mentioned the idea to my husband’s cousin, who is a food scientist, and asked if there was a way to make bone broth faster without compromising on quality. I sent him a frozen batch of my homemade broth, and he sent it back to me in powder form. When I mixed it with water, it turned into the same rich, velvety broth I had cooked myself. I knew there was something there.

I found a lab in Oregon and spent the next 10 months developing and testing recipes for three flavors: Chicken, Beef, and Cocoa. My Latin heritage plays a big role in the way I approach flavor. I wanted our blends to feel bold, rich, and vibrant, which makes the product truly unique. We invited friends to join focus groups and give feedback on the flavors, the format, and the experience. That’s how Pikora was born.

Then, just last year, Condé Nast went through a major restructuring and laid off my entire team. That became the final push I needed to dedicate myself fully to this project. Losing that job turned out to be the best outcome I could have imagined. It gave me the clarity, space, and motivation to bring Pikora to life.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It’s been smooth and bumpy all at once. We were ready to launch Pikora, and the very week we were set to go live, the LA fires started. I was overwhelmed by everything happening around me and felt completely helpless.

I reached out to Eataly in Century City, where I was planning a February collaboration, and asked if I could use their kitchen to cook for first responders. They kindly said yes. I invited a few friends, and using the product I had saved for PR and gifting, we made over 70 soups for firefighters and first responders.

That moment shifted something for me. Using Pikora to serve the community made me realize that what I had created was more than just a product. It was something with purpose.

Building a business is hard and challenging, and the founder journey is often lonely. But I’ve built Pikora slowly and steadily, and the response so far has been incredibly encouraging. It reminds me that I’m on the right path, even when it’s tough.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My background has been in social media and growth for my entire career. I’ve helped brands expand into new markets, grow their online presence, and build meaningful connections with their audiences. As an immigrant, my superpower has always been connecting with people. It’s helped me lead with empathy, adapt quickly, and understand how to speak to different communities.

I have a strong eye for design, but I’m also highly analytical, which makes me a bit of a jack of all trades. I’m just as comfortable in a creative brainstorm as I am building a performance report. What I’m most proud of is my ability to build things from the ground up, whether it’s a brand, a strategy, or now, a business. And I do it with care, clarity, and a deep sense of purpose.

What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I love the access to nature. I spend my weekends outside and just soaking in the beauty. The downside is the lack of public transportation 🙁 I would love for LA to be more walkable and accessible

Contact Info:

• Website: https://holapikora.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anaelens
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anaelenasernalander/
• Other: https://www.instagram.com/holapikora/

Image Credits
All produced photos are by Emily Ferretti