Nina Dobrev Backs Female-Owned Candy Company SmartSweets

It seems Nina Dobrev is not just an actress and a director, but an entrepreneur too. She recently revealed why she decided to invest in the SmartSweets brand in an Instagram post she shared with her followers on Tuesday afternoon.

On Tuesday, Nina shared a screenshot of a Fortune article to her Instagram page. The headline reads, “Nina Dobrev on investing in candy startup SmartSweets.”

“I’ve got some sweet news ?,” wrote “The Vampire Diaries” alum in the caption.

“I am so excited to have the opportunity to invest in @SmartSweets and be an advocate for the FEMALE-founded, better-for-you candy brand,” she continued. “As a fellow Canadian and entrepreneur, I was drawn not only to the product but the fact that 77% of SmartSweets employees are FEMALE ?‍♀️”

“I invested cause of the Sweet Fish ? i love them because they are DELICIOUS, and have up to 90% less sugar than traditional candy,” she added. “Years ago I started seeing SmartSweets in basically every grocery store then I found out that Tara, the founder of SmartSweets, dropped out of college to launch the brand and bring the first candy that kicks sugar to the world! They have 9 naturally flavored candies that are better-for-you versions of your childhood favs. Now you can feel good about candy.

??? #GetYourSmartSweetOn”

Many fans expressed support for Nina’s entrepreneurial venture.

“I am so proud of you!” one fan wrote.

“That’s so cool ahh,” another commented.

“Wonderful!” another said. “Good luck!”

Nina, who got her start in acting, has since ventured into directing and even won an award for her directorial debut!

In a series of Instagram snaps, the “Degrassi” star posted a short statement to say that she was “humbled and honored” for her win.

“Incredibly humbled and honored to win best director at the Mammoth Film Festival,” she wrote in the caption. “The whole festival circuit has been such an exciting experience! Thank you to everyone for your incredibly kind words of support for this first time film maker. It means more than you know! And of course a huge thank you again to my incredible cast and crew without whom none of this would have been possible.”

The film's star, Madeline Brewer of “The Handmaid’s Tale” and “Orange Is The New Black” fame, commented, “omfg!!!! Nina!!!! What the heck that’s so cool! So deserved you angel.”

“The Outlaws” costar Adam Devine commented, “???”

Jessica Stam wrote, “Dude you’re killing it! ???”

“I'm so so happy for you Dobrev The Director ?????” a “TVD” fan account commented.

“IM SO PROUD OF YOU,” another fan wrote. “you are so deserving of this and I hope you’re as proud of yourself as we are of you. Words can’t even explain how inspired I am by you or how proud I am. You’re amazing!!!!”

In an interview with Collider, the “Love Hard” actress revealed that she had initially tried to direct an episode of “The Vampire Diaries” and was “one of the only people” that didn’t get an opportunity to.

“I’ve been wanting to direct for a long time,” she explained. “I remember asking the producers of The Vampire Diaries if I could direct, back in Season 1, and I was one of the only people that didn’t get to direct, which is a bummer. I knew that it was something I wanted to do, for a very long time.”

“I’m very inquisitive. Even from when I was on Degrassi or The Vampire Diaries, I was really close with a lot of the camera operators and DPs, and I was always asking questions and trying to learn and was fascinated by how everything works, she continued. “And so, when it came time to step into the role myself, I really did feel very prepared. I expected to be a lot more nervous but wasn’t. I was very calm.”

“I knew that I belonged and I knew what I wanted, and I had the confidence to do it, but also was really smart and knew where to trust other people who had more experience than I did,” she added. “I surrounded myself with really incredible people, who are at the best of the best at what they do, to help support me on this first journey into directing.”