Vegangela
Company description
Vegangela is a Brownsville bakery specializing in 100% vegan, egg- and dairy-free cakes and cupcakes, made to taste like the traditional versions so that vegans and non-vegans, along with people managing dairy or egg allergies, can all eat from the same dessert table. The business was part of the Quality of Life Ventures cohort of Startup Texas, the accelerator and pitch competition sponsored by the Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation (BCIC) in partnership with UTRGV's Entrepreneurship and Commercialization Center (ECC) and taught at the eBridge Center.
Owner and baker Angela Castro started eating vegan in 2017 and, finding few vegan dessert options in the Rio Grande Valley, began baking her own. She launched Vegangela from her home kitchen in September 2020, in the middle of the pandemic, while working a part-time job and going to school at the same time. The business has since grown into a wholesale and custom-order operation — daily grab-and-go items are carried at Warbler coffee, and Castro sells at the Brownsville Farmers Market most Saturdays alongside custom cake and catering orders for birthdays and weddings.
Castro and Vegangela picked up local press in early 2024 when ValleyCentral/KVEO covered her run to the quarterfinals of the Greatest Baker Competition, a national contest judged by Buddy Valastro ("Cake Boss"), where she placed third in the online voting round. More recently, MyRGV.com featured her at Brownsville's 2026 Charro Days parade, noting she'd closed the bakery for the day so her extended family could celebrate together — a sign the business is still active and community-rooted.
Founder: Angela Castro
Program: 2024 StartUp Texas Accelerator, Quality of Life Ventures cohort
Links and socials
Facebook: facebook.com/vegangela.tx
Instagram: instagram.com/vegangela.tx
Email: vegangela2020@gmail.com
Sells at: Brownsville Farmers Market (Saturdays) and Warbler coffee (daily items)