About Us

I'm Denise, and that's my husband Alex.

A Miami native, I grew up in a small but mighty Cuban family, raised by my mother and grandparents. 

After undergrad I moved to New York and studied Communication Design. I lived there for almost ten years. During one of my trips home, I met Alex, a Cuban-Gallego from New Jersey. He loved food, yoga and 80’s pop-culture geekery just as much as I did. Alex was the inspiration for Pin Pan Pun + Co.

During a car ride, I blurted out, “Ese huevo quiere sal.” He looked at me, confused. This was not the first time one of my Cubanisms failed to resonate with him. So I wrote it down and started logging all of the Cuban sayings I used around the house. The collection of sayings turned into an anniversary gift – the very definition of a passion project. I had a few copies printed online for friends and family. This lead to more printing and an online store. Since the release of the first book in March of 2019, we’ve launched a children’s coloring book and a Cubanisms Volume 2 with even more sayings sent into us from fans around the world. 

More about the business:

Pin Pan Pun + Co started out with the simple mission of introducing people to popular Cuban phrases. Our coffee table style books define Cubanisms in layman’s terms, offer examples of their usage in a sentence and pair modern illustrations. Our product line has since grown to include artwork, kids’ books and seasonal greeting cards.

The brand is known for featuring current events, trends and colorful expressions in easy to share formats. Our playful illustrations are minimalist and typically a bit cheeky. The community and fans on social media have been the foundation for our success. Cubans and non-Cubans alike are familiar with many of the “dichos” we feature. Although I share the traditions that, as a Cuban-American, I grew up with, I hear everyday how many other cultures share the same traditions.

This year we’ve expanded Pin Pan Pun + Co by partnering with other authors who want to publish books of their own. Our goal is to help other creators spread their own nostalgia by sharing their stories. 

Read even more from our interview with VoyageMia.