Take It Apart: Tessa Porter’s Advice for Young Innovators

What does it take to turn a love of candy and a passion for science into a career as a candy scientist? Meet Tessa Porter, founder and president of Sprinkk in Omaha, Nebraska. After earning a master’s degree in food science and technology and spending nearly a decade in the candy industry, Porter launched Sprinkk, a candy development lab that helps turn ideas into finished products. In this “What If… Innovator Insights segment, Porter explains the chemistry behind candy, how she develops new products, and how an idea can grow from an initial concept into something real. She also shares advice for young innovators about curiosity, creativity, success and the importance of taking things apart to understand how they work. Porter also discusses how her childhood interests in food and chemistry eventually led her to food science—and ultimately to candy. Hear Porter answer questions from Nebraska students about finding good ideas, sharing ideas with others, measuring success and getting started as a young innovator. "Innovator Insights" are short videos with innovators and creators answering questions about things like influences, passions and mistakes. An educational resource providing advice for a next generation of innovators. More about "What If..." a Nebraska Public Media series about innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship in Nebraska: http://nebraskapublicmedia.org/WhatIf #WhatIfNebraska ©2026 Nebraska Public Media Foundation. All rights reserved. FOLLOW US: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/NebraskaPublicMedia Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NebraskaPublicMedia X (Formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com/NebPublicMedia Instagram: https://instagram.com/NebraskaPublicMedia Website: https://NebraskaPublicMedia.org