Luz Angela Sierra, affectionately known as "La Nena," was born in Bogotá, Colombia. With a background in Tourism and Travel Administration, she is a seasoned entrepreneur. In Colombia, she successfully ran a travel agency that introduced teenagers to the country's natural parks and taught them scuba diving. Unfortunately, the guerrilla conflicts at the time forced her to close this venture.
Seeking new horizons, La Nena moved to New York City to study Film and Television at NYU. She produced several TV commercials, films, and series, demonstrating her creative talents. Although deeply connected to NYC, she maintained ties to Bogotá, balancing her time between the two cities. While working as a restaurant server in NYC, she continued her film projects in Colombia.
Her life took a dramatic turn when she survived a severe accident, falling five floors down an elevator shaft. During her recovery in NYC, she decided to pivot her career. With a friend, she launched Palenque, a Colombian arepa food truck.
Through determination and hard work, La Nena has expanded Palenque into a thriving enterprise. She now owns a brick-and-mortar restaurant with a production kitchen that produces approximately 1,500 empanadas daily. These are sold at popular street markets such as Smorgasburg, Urban Space, Rockaway Beach, Hudson Yards, and Union Square.
Beyond her culinary achievements, La Nena is passionate about arts, culture, and films. Her restaurant also functions as a vibrant cultural hub, hosting musicians, painters, and film screenings. It serves as a dynamic venue for the local arts community and operates as a bar, offering artisanal cocktails and a selection of Colombian beers and spirits, where creativity and cuisine come together.
La Nena's current goal is to establish a wholesale food factory to distribute gluten-free arepas and empanadas nationwide, bringing healthy, delicious Latin flavors to a broader audience.
