Item 13: An African Food Podcast (Heritage Radio Network)

Fozia Ismail is founder and researcher at Arawelo Eats, a supper club which explores East African food and what it can mean for our understanding of belonging in a post-Brexit world.

She has designed and delivered workshops/presentations for organizations such as Keep It Complex Serpentine Gallery, Jerwood Project Space, Tate Modern, Museum of London, National Trust -Colonial Countryside Project, Oxford Cultural Collective and The Courtauld Institute of Art. She was Bristol City Fellow for Arnolfini, Bristol's contemporary art centre in 2019.

Her work has been published and featured in a range of media including Observer Food Magazine, Oxford Symposium on Food & Cookery and BBC Radio 4 Food Programme.

Photo Courtesy of Fozia Ismail

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This week’s guest is award-winning Chef Alain Lemaire, Co-owner and Executive Chef of Sensory Delights, LLC and Arome Catering, both full service catering companies based out of South Florida and Haiti respectively.

He is a native of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, where he first discovered his interest in cooking. Later on, he developed an increasing passion for food and foodservice which led him to attend the Culinary program at the acclaimed Johnson & Wales University.

Thanks to his heritage and having spent most of his career in South Florida, Caribbean and Latin flavors play a major role in Chef Lemaire's style of cooking: "fresh, bold and in your face!" as he would say it.

Find Chef Lemaire and Sensory Delights online and on social media:
@cheflemaire on all platforms
@sensorydelightscatering on all platforms
https://www.sensorydelights.net/
 

Image courtesy of Alain Lemaire.
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Samantha Kotey is a corporate attorney, food enthusiast, and cook born and raised in Houston, TX to Ghanaian immigrants. Growing up with a Ghanaian mother who proudly subscribed to traditional West African social norms meant that food was at the forefront of her life from a very young age. Early on, she recognized the insidious pattern of marginalizing Africa, which naturally bled into the realm of food and has resulted in a negative perception of African cuisine.

Through her business, Auntie’s Ice Cream, she strives to shift this paradigm and continue to etch the identity of African food in our global food culture. Auntie’s is a vessel through which she can share ingredients, methods, and flavors indigenous to Africa through a universal comfort food.

Find Auntie’s on Instagram (@auntieicecream) and online at www.auntiesafricanicecream.com

Photo Courtesy of Samantha Kotey

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Tina Munzu, a nurse and wellness blogger, helps busy people achieve optimal health through simple delicious healthy meals and an active lifestyle. Her passion centers around stripping myths and fads about diet, meeting her clients at their individual health levels and prioritizing simple real food.

Follow Tina and her work online:
Website: www. wellandtasty.com 
Tina's Youtube Channel
Tina's Instagram :@wellandtasty

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This week's guest is US-based African chef, cookbook author and activist Pierre Thiam.

Pierre (who was born and raised in Senegal and now lives in the Bay Area) has dedicated his career to making West African cuisine and ingredients accessible to new audiences in the US and beyond. He’s the executive chef and co-founder of Teranga, his acclaimed fast-casual group of restaurants in New York City, where he sources food directly from African farmers, and is the co-founder of Yolélé, a purpose-driven food business that makes African ingredients available to US home cooks and restaurants, while connecting smallholder farms in West Africa with the global food economy.

Pierre is also the author of three cookbooks, including his most recent, The Fonio Cookbook: An Ancient Grain Rediscovered, which highlights simple African-inspired recipes for the home cook such as Fonio Fritters with Sweet Potato, Tamarind Roasted Chicken with Fonio and Fonio Chocolate Cake with Raspberry (among others!).

Learn more about Chef Pierre online at https://www.pierrethiam.com/ 

Purchase his cookbooks and fonio products at  https://www.pierrethiam.com/products

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This season, we’re showcasing stories from the inaugural class of Changing Narratives Africa Fellowship, a highly selective program for African food entrepreneurs who are ready to scale their brands into global markets.

This week’s guest is Ebun Feludu. She runs JAM The Coconut Food Company- a family legacy business that produces premium food and beauty solutions from the world's most famous super food- The Coconut. "We are committed to building the biggest coconut brand in Africa for Africans. Our premium coconut products range from Coconut Cinnamon Balls, Activated Coconut Charcoal, Coconut Flakes, Coconut Lemon Oil all made from our beloved coconut. At the center of our operations is our army of coconut amazons who live in the rural coastal communities where our factories are located. These formidable women make up 80% of our workforce and their work accounts for 80% of household income." Ebun Feludu is committed to the growth of the women force at JAM The Coconut Food Company and her women community at large. In 2008, Ebun made an epic Trans-Saharan road trip from Lagos-London, through the West coast and the Sahara desert. She has remained committed to channeling enterprise to build the Africa of her dreams, starting with Nigeria. In 2017 she was made Nigeria rep for WEF- Women Economic Forum. In 2019, she led the largest delegation of women to the annual Women Economic Forum conference in New Delhi. In the same year, she was made the inaugural Nigerian Chairperson ALL Ladies League Nigeria- the global network of women under the auspices of the Women Economic Forum. In June 2020, Ebun Feludu was announced as President of the Nigeria-India Bilateral Business Council- creating a bridge connecting women in business in Nigeria and India. Her first and most intense training in coconut processing and the entire coconut value chain was in India with support from WEF.

Photo courtesy of Ebun Feludu.

Find JAM, The Coconut Food on instagram: @ @jamcoconutfoods and online @ https://jamcoconutfoods.com/

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This week’s guest is Malicka Anjorin, a Digital Forensic consultant by profession and a content creator by passion. Malicka inspires home cooks to explore West African dishes and learn more about our culture through food through her platform, The Black Gourmet. 

Find Malicka Anjorin on instagram: @theblvckgourmet and online: www.theblvckgourmet.com
Photo courtesy of Malicka Anjorin.

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This week’s guest is Sophia Musoki, a Ugandan food blogger, writer and photographer whose work through A Kitchen in Uganda has been instrumental in bringing Ugandan cuisine to the world. She has been featured on Cuisine Noir, CNN, City Press and many other publications. 

Sophie has self published 3 e-books one of which won the Gourmand World Cookbook Award in 2015. Her blog has been nominated for the prestigious Saveur Magazine blog award in the food culture category. She is a strong advocate for eating local, exploring Uganda food and way of cooking and using indigenous produce to make scrumptious meals. 

As a self-taught food photographer, she is on a mission to photograph African food and document food experiences in a positive light. As a food writer, she is passionate about experimenting with and writing about local indigenous produce on her blog while giving her readers practical ways they can incorporate this food in their daily lives.

Support Sophie’s work online:
Photography Resource:
https://mailchi.mp/e8d457b528b3/5-cheap-places-to-source-props
Photography Prints: https://society6.com/akitcheninuganda
E-book: https://payhip.com/b/fl8m
Blog & Social Media: www.akitcheninuganda.com

Photo Courtesy of Sophie Musoki

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This week’s guest is Tayo Oredola, the food photographer, recipe developer, and writer at lowcarbafrica.com.

Originally from Nigeria, Tayo lives in Austin, TX with her husband and two kids. Her background is in software engineering but she is passionate about food and developing new recipes.

Her blog, Low Carb Africa, was born out of the desire to keep eating her traditional African dishes while maintaining her weight. African food by nature is loaded with carbs so Tayo had to get really creative in the kitchen and come up with low carb versions of her favorite dishes, without sacrificing on taste. Her dishes are usually bold, spicy, and mouth wateringly delicious!

When not in the kitchen, Tayo can be found watching movies with her kids or strumming on her guitar.

Get a free 7-day keto menu on Tayo’s site when you sign up for her newsletter at https://www.lowcarbafrica.com

Find Low Carb Africa on Instagram: @lowcarbafrica

Photo Courtesy of Tayo Oredola

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This week’s guest is Adégnimika (Adé) Carrena, owner of Dounou Cuisine. Born in Porto-Novo, Benin, Adé started her culinary journey here in the United States when she was adopted at the age of 10. Though then she cooked just with her family. She says her passion did not grow until a few years ago when her perception of food changed. “I saw that food is more than an edible but is instead a shared emotion and an ever evolving yet traditional canvas for our history as beings.” 

Adé’s objective is to bridge cultural gaps by providing authentic African dining experiences and sharing the land’s rich culture while also honoring her blended upbringing within a Puerto Rican home. For the last few years, she’s hosted Pop-up dinners in which her perception of West African food was showcased. She offers Personal Chef services, catering, Pop-ups and more.

“Where I come from we say, Wa mi Dounou. Which means, come share a meal with me. I cherish this thought because there is nothing more special than gathering with fellow beings, nourishing our bodies, exchanging cultures and creating memories, all in the simple act of savoring a meal. I look forward to sharing a meal with you"!

Find Adé on instagram: @dounou_cuisine
Interested in hosting a private cooking class? Email Adé at dounoucuisine@gmail.com
 

Photo Courtesy of Adégnimika Carrena
 

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Rachel Laryea is the founder and CEO of Kelewele, a food service and cultural lifestyle brand reimagining plantains in its mission to connect the African diaspora through food, culture and innovation. 

She is also a dual Ph.D. candidate at Yale University studying Black capitalists in the transAtlantic financial industry.

Find Kelewele online:
Website: Kelewelenyc.com
Linktree sites: https://linktr.ee/kelewelenyc
Cookbook (A Plantain Love Story - available on Amazon)

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Photo Courtesy of Rachel Laryea.

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This week's guest is Edwina Morgan of Waakye Leaf.

The idea for Waakye Leaf was born out of a genuine love for building cultural bridges by sharing traditional African culinary knowledge with the world in the most creative and innovative ways in order to provoke, delight and rouse interest.

Established in 2008 by Edwina Morgan, Waakye Leaf is now considered one of London’s leading boutique afro-fusion caterers. They are passionate about creating enjoyable and memorable experiences through food, while setting new standards for quality and excellence. From mouth-watering canapés, delicious bowl food, themed supper clubs to luxury banquets, they offer a truly bespoke service and take pride in working with each of their clients to realize the client's vision.

Find Waakye Leaf online: https://www.waakyeleaf.co.uk/ and on Instagram @waakyeleaf

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Take Two is our new mini-series, catching up with guests from previous seasons on what they’ve been up to since they were last on the show. 

This week, I chat with Carol Mathias O’chez, a psychologist passionate about helping people thrive in all areas of their life. We discuss the mental toll of the last year and how food entrepreneurs can thrive in uncertain times. For full details on her background and work tune in to Episode 22: Mental Health & Wellness with Dr. Carol Mathias-O’chez.

Find Carol online:
Website: www.thrivecaregh.com
Instagram: @dr__carol

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Photo Courtesy of  Carol Mathias O'chez.

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Dr. Wanida Lewis is the Founder and CEO of Crescendo Foods, Ghana and West Africa’s first shared commercial kitchen co-working hub located in Accra, Ghana. Dr. Lewis has over ten years’ experience leading initiatives and strategic partnerships throughout the African continent. She has a BS in Chemistry from Saint Augustine’s University, an MS in Analytical Chemistry from North Carolina Central University, and a PhD in Food Science from North Carolina State University.

Find Crescendo Foods on Instagram (@crescendo_foods) and online at crescendogh.com

Photo Courtesy of Wanida Lewis

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Mrs. Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli is an expert on social innovation, African agriculture and nutrition, entrepreneurship, and youth development. She has over 25 years of international development experience and is a recognized serial entrepreneur, author, public speaker, and consultant.

Through her work in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors, she has shaped policy and led the design and execution of high-impact initiatives focused on strategy, organizational design, ecosystem solutions, and growth. Mrs. Nwuneli serves on the boards of the Rockefeller Foundation, the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), AGRA, Nigerian Breweries Plc. (Heineken), Godrej Consumer Products Ltd. India, Fairfax Africa Holdings Canada, Royal DSM Sustainability Board, Netherlands, and the African Philanthropy Forum. She previously served on the Boards of Nestle Nigeria Plc., the World Vegetable Center and Cornerstone Insurance Plc.

As the co-founder of AACE Foods, which produces a range of packaged spices, seasonings, and cereals for local and international markets, Mrs. Nwuneli has propelled the growth of a catalytic business. As the founder of Nourishing Africa, a digital home for food and agriculture entrepreneurs operating on the African Continent, she is accelerating the growth of the ecosystem and supporting entrepreneurs in 35 African countries. Her latest start-up is Changing Narratives Africa committed to changing global mindsets about Africa by showcasing the Continent’s contributions to the world through the pioneering work of her dynamic people, their innovations, and products.

Ndidi’s book, “Food Entrepreneurs in Africa: Scaling Resilient Agriculture Businesses” is available on www.sahelconsult.com/feia on Amazon, and the Routledge website.

Find Ndidi’s work online: 
Changing Narratives Africa
AACE Foods
Sahel Consulting

Photo credit to Ndidi Nwuneli.

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Ginjan Brothers was founded by Mohammed Diallo & Ibrahima Diallo. The brothers immigrated to the States in their early teens, 13 & 14, respectively. Mohammed has a formal training in business management and spent the bulk of his professional career in the financial services industry. Ibrahima is an engineer by training, but spent most of his career in the hospitality industry. Their mission with Ginjan is to make African food, drink, and aesthetics and integral part of global mainstream culture.

*CPG = consumer packaged goods

Find Ginjan Brothers online: www.drinkginjan.com

Ginjan Bros. Social: @ginjanbros + @ginjancafe

Photo Courtesy of Ginjan Brothers

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This season, we’re showcasing stories from the inaugural class of Changing Narratives Africa Fellowship, a highly selective program for African food entrepreneurs who are ready to scale their brands into global markets. Aderoju Odunsi is an agribusiness specialist and has been an entrepreneur, trainer and Business Development Service provider for over 30 years. She has a particular interest in helping people, especially women to transform ideas into solid businesses. Aderoju is the Founder/CEO of Sorello Food And Beverage Company Ltd, a food processing company with a vision to transform Nigeria’s agricultural produce into world class healthy food products with a product portfolio of Nigeria’s 1st NAFDAC registered Sorrel (Zobo) juice, Vegetable juices, Herbal teas, Spices and Superfoods. She is also the Principal Consultant at Experiential Consult Ltd through which she trains, coaches and mentors on Business Management in Nigeria and across Africa. She has won several awards in recognition of her industry by the Lagos State Government, NECA’s Network of Entrepreneurial Women (NNEW) and the Federal Government of Nigeria’s YouWIN program. She is currently the President of Lady Rancher Cooperative Multipurpose Society Ltd, the first women ranching cooperative in Nigeria; founding member and first Vice President of NECA’s Network of Entrepreneurial Women (NNEW) where she currently serves on the Governing Council. 

Find Sorello Food and Beverage Co. online at https://sorellofoods.com/ and on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/sorellojuice/

Photo courtesy of Aderoju Odunsi.

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Are you a business owner? Become an HRN business member! For $500 HRN will shine a light on your work AND you will help sustain our mission to expand the way people think about food. As a thank you for this tax-deductible donation, your business will receive on-air mentions, social media posts, listings on our website and more. Go to heritageradionetwork.org/biz to become a business member today.

Born in Accra, Ghana but raised in the American South, food was always a large part of Selasie's life. For the past 5 years, Chef Selasie has worked at several well-known fine dining restaurants across the San Francisco - Bay area such as Bird Dog, Mourad, SPQR, Avery and Lazy Bear. She currently works as the Chef de Cuisine at Hi Felicia in downtown Oakland, California.

Selasie has also started 2 pop-up dinner series during her time in the Bay. Elade Test Kitchen is a dinner series highlighting modern Ghanaian cuisine. This series focuses on the flavors and food she grew up eating; as well as explore how West African flavors and ingredients influenced the African diaspora. A Hard Pill to Swallow is another dinner series meant to acknowledge, showcase, and support Black folks in the beverage, culinary, restaurant and hospitality industries and services. Both dinner series are a celebration of Black folks, our foodways and our contributions to the food world.

Find Selasie and her work on on Instagram:

• @sdotse89
• @elade_tk
• @a_hard_pill_to_swallow

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Ruth Nakaar is the founder and owner of Fudena, a food concept currently based in Philadelphia that aims to be America’s first West African fast-casual restaurant chain. Think Chipotle but with the bold flavors of West Africa. 

Initially an idea she started working on while pursuing her MBA at Wharton, Ruth went from hosting recipe tastings for friends and classmates in her tiny studio apartment to cooking out of a commercial kitchen and serving all of Philadelphia. The love for the food she grew up with as a first-generation Ghanaian American drives Ruth’s passion to push West African cuisine into the U.S. culinary mainstream. 

She has an MBA from Wharton and a BA in Political Science from Yale University.

Find Fudena online:
Website: www.eatfudena.com
Instagram: @eatfudena
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Photo Courtesy of Ruth  Nakaar.

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Item 13, Yorm Ackuacku, podcast, talk, radio, Africa, African cuisine, Ruth Nakaar, West African, Ghanian, Ghana

After over a decade spent engaged in humanitarian work with the United Nations and years of self-teaching in the culinary arts, Selassie Atadika completed course work at the Culinary Institute of America. Her company Midunu, a nomadic and private dining enterprise in Accra embodies ‘New African Cuisine’. It celebrates culinary heritage where culture, community and cuisine intersect with environment, sustainability and economy by employing local, seasonal, and underutilized ingredients including traditional grains and proteins to deliver Africa’s bounty to the table. Chef Selassie Atadika uses Ghanaian cocoa and chocolate as a base to feature the flavors and essence of Africa. She launched The Midunu Institute which looks to document and preserve the continent’s culinary heritage. She was a finalist in the 2019 Basque Culinary World Prize, within the top 100 in the Best Chef Awards 2020 - 2021 and 2021 recipient of the La Liste New Destination Champion Award for Africa.

Find Midunu Chocolates online and on Instagram.

DISCOUNT CODE for Item 13 listeners for 10% off your order of Midunu Chocolates: ITEM1310

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Kodjo Adovor is a Certified Italian Wine Professional and the first person of African descent to qualify as an Italian Wine Ambassador.

Kodjo is the founder and sommelier at Africa Wine Club, which seeks to bring club members together to explore wine, food, culture, and business across the continent of Africa.

Kodjo has also led travel groups to explore the joys of Italian food and wine on guided tours in places like Milan, Bologna, Umbria, Venice, Verona, and the Valpollicela.

Find Kodjo on Instagram: @winekodjo

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Photo Courtesy of Kuks Studios / Kodjo Adovo

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Inspired by her daughters, Afua Ayisi started a bottled beverage business featuring herbal teas across the continent. Starting with the roselle hibiscus tea, popularly known in Francophone West Africa as Bissau, the idea is to craft and produce delicious and low caloric ready to drink teas void of artificial preservatives and ingredients.

Find Bosuo Foods on Instagram (@bosuofoods) and online at https://www.bosuofoods.com/
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Photo Courtesy of Afua Ayisi

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HRN is home to transformative exchanges about food. Our 35+ member-supported food podcasts empower eaters to cultivate a radically better world. This month, we’re asking you to join us. Become a monthly sustaining member at heritageradionetwork.org/donate.

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Take Two is our new mini-series, catching up with guests from previous seasons on what they’ve been up to since they were last on the show. 

This week, I chat with Freda Muyambo, a food blogger and writer with expertise in African cuisine and a passion for sharing African culture through food. For full details on her background and work in food, tune in to Episodes 7 & 8: African Food Flavors with Freda Muyambo.

Find Freda online:
Red Red video
Reddit subreddit

Website: www.myburntorange.com 
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Photo Courtesy of Freda Muyambo.

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This week we're re-broadcasting our episode with Mrs. Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli, co-founder of AACE Foods and an expert on social innovation, African agriculture and nutrition, entrepreneurship, and youth development.

Ndidi has over 25 years of international development experience and is a recognized serial entrepreneur, author, public speaker, and consultant. Through her work in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors, she has shaped policy and led the design and execution of high-impact initiatives focused on strategy, organizational design, ecosystem solutions, and growth. Mrs. Nwuneli serves on the boards of the Rockefeller Foundation, the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), AGRA, Nigerian Breweries Plc. (Heineken), Godrej Consumer Products Ltd. India, Fairfax Africa Holdings Canada, Royal DSM Sustainability Board, Netherlands, and the African Philanthropy Forum. She previously served on the Boards of Nestle Nigeria Plc., the World Vegetable Center and Cornerstone Insurance Plc.

As the co-founder of AACE Foods, which produces a range of packaged spices, seasonings, and cereals for local and international markets, Mrs. Nwuneli has propelled the growth of a catalytic business. As the founder of Nourishing Africa, a digital home for food and agriculture entrepreneurs operating on the African Continent, she is accelerating the growth of the ecosystem and supporting entrepreneurs in 35 African countries. Her latest start-up is Changing Narratives Africa committed to changing global mindsets about Africa by showcasing the Continent’s contributions to the world through the pioneering work of her dynamic people, their innovations, and products.

Ndidi’s book, “Food Entrepreneurs in Africa: Scaling Resilient Agriculture Businesses” is available on www.sahelconsult.com/feia on Amazon, and the Routledge website.

Find Ndidi’s work online: 
Changing Narratives Africa
AACE Foods
Sahel Consulting

Photo credit to Ndidi Nwuneli.

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Award winning International Wine Educator Tuanni Price is on a mission to make the complicated world of wine simple. In fact, that is the motto of her wine lifestyle business, Zuri Wine Tasting. The self-proclaimed wine enthusiast curates’ wine-filled lifestyles from Southern California to the Southern-most part of the globe in Cape Town, South Africa. Tuanni uses her brand, Zuri Wine Tasting, to host private tastings, teach wine tasting classes and host wine tours. In addition, she produces small to large scale wine experiences for corporate and non-profit clients. Tuanni grew up in South Central Los Angeles and was not exposed to wine early in life. She was in her 30’s when her interest in wine peaked. One evening while dining at a five star restaurant, she was snubbed by the Sommelier. From that moment on her goal was to learn and share as much as possible about wine and its accompanying lifestyle, enabling her to help others avoid that feeling of intimidation.

Tuanni started a wine club with her friends, she studied with the Society of Wine Educators and North American Sommelier Associatio Wine and Spirits Education Trust. Tuanni has traveled the world sipping and learning about wine. Tuanni made a bold move in 2018 to expand her business to Cape Town South Africa, spending part of each year contributing to the vibrant and exciting wine industry there. Zuri Wine Tasting now offers its services to clients and wine lovers in both the US and South Africa. Today, aside from managing the day-to-day operations and event planning on behalf of Zuri Wine Tasting, Tuanni also host a podcast, aBroad Drinking Wine. She volunteers for PYDA (Pinotage Youth Development Academy), Blacc Cellar Club in Stellenbosch and the US-based AAAV (African American Vintners Association). She holds a B.A. in Liberal Arts from Grambling University.

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Take Two is our new mini-series, catching up with guests from previous seasons on what they’ve been up to since they were last on the show. 

This week, I chat with Naa Oyoo Kumodzi, lifestyle blogger, social media consultant, food blogger and entrepreneur. For full details on her background and work in food, tune in to Episode 4: Telling the Ghanaian Food Story with Naa Oyoo Kumodzi.

Find Naa Oyoo online:
Naa Oyoo on Instagram.
Essi’s Eatery on Instagram.
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Photo Courtesy of Naa Oyoo Kumodzi.

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Back with a new season and can’t wait for you to hear! This week, I’m trying out a new segment/episode format: I3 Items on Item 13 featuring thirteen food-related things I’m eating, reading, watching, participating in, etc. Items featured in this week’s episode:

A Mom Potluck
Poks Spices
TJ’s Sparkling Watermelon
Spice by Miss Cookie
Dounou Cuisine Food Truck
A Trip to Ghana
Ghana Food Movement
Food Ambassador Opportunity
Top Chef Houston
Iron Chef on Netflix
Koto LLC Peppers
The Stand by Le Monade
Dine Diaspora & Eat Okra

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This week’s guest is Beatrice Ajaero, the third of six siblings, was raised on Roosevelt Island, a sliver in the East River between Manhattan (of which it’s a part) and Queens. Her mother’s family has roots in New Jersey, a neighboring state that, like New York, is home to many Nigerian Americans, and her mother’s memories of “how her aunties cooked” are re-enacted in the family kitchen to this day. “My mom still guides the menu” at Nneji, Beatrice adds. From the age of 12, when she was the youngest student in a cake-decorating class, Beatrice had wanted to be a food entrepreneur. Rather than pursue culinary school, however, she went off to Bard College, about 100 miles up the Hudson River, then to the University of Buffalo School of Law, near the Canadian border, where she lived with her godparents. Her godfather served as a cook in the National Guard for many years, and Beatrice took to heart his work ethic, which tempered culinary talent with diligence.
During this time she traveled to Africa, where she had the opportunity to study food traditions firsthand. Notably, in the summer before her third year of law school, Beatrice ran bakeries and restaurants in the Gambia, where she took up the challenge of minimizing imported supplies by sourcing domestically. Eventually, with both a B.A. and J.D. in hand, she returned to Bard for its M.B.A. in Sustainability program. After launching an African Art gallery on Roosevelt Island with her mother, IBARI became annual vendors at the Saturday Farmers Market and in September of 2019, an international fine food and gift shop in Astoria. Last June, Beatrice opened Nneji as a way to share traditional West African dishes complete with grains such as garri (cassava) and fonio (millet). 
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Bio provided by Beatrice Ajaero, culled from Culinary Backstreets.
Find Nneji and Ibari on Instagram: @nneji_astoria and @ibari.nyc
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Take Two is our new mini-series, catching up with guests from previous seasons on what they’ve been up to since they were last on the show. 

This week, I chat with Chef Cynthia Péan, a professionally trained plant-based chef and nutritional consultant. For full details on her background and work in food, tune in to Episode 13: Eating Vegan the African Way.

What Cynthia is currently working on:
The Spices: afcavefoods.com 
Culinary & Conversation: monarchmagazine.com 
Facebook Watch: The Reclamation Project's "Reclaiming Your Health", every Tuesday 8 p.m. EST
Coming Soon: "Uprooted - A Plant-Based Journey Through The African Diaspora"
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This week’s guest is Adégnimika (Adé) Carrena, owner of Dounou Cuisine. Born in Porto-Novo, Benin, Adé started her culinary journey here in the United States when she was adopted at the age of 10. Though then she cooked just with her family. She says her passion did not grow until a few years ago when her perception of food changed. “I saw that food is more than an edible but is instead a shared emotion and an ever evolving yet traditional canvas for our history as beings.”

Adé’s objective is to bridge cultural gaps by providing authentic African dining experiences and sharing the land’s rich culture while also honoring her blended upbringing within a Puerto Rican home. For the last few years, she’s hosted Pop-up dinners in which her perception of West African food was showcased. She offers Personal Chef services, catering, Pop-ups and more.

“Where I come from we say, Wa mi Dounou. Which means, come share a meal with me. I cherish this thought because there is nothing more special than gathering with fellow beings, nourishing our bodies, exchanging cultures and creating memories, all in the simple act of savoring a meal. I look forward to sharing a meal with you"!

Find Adé on instagram: @dounou_cuisine

Interested in hosting a private cooking class? Email Adé at dounoucuisine@gmail.com

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Abena Foli was born and raised in Ghana until 2006, when she immigrated to the US. Her passion for food comes from her farmer-father who taught her how to blend spices, and how to cook. Since high school, Abena has been passionate about combining her love for food, with her love for the sciences. This led her to pursue her Master’s degree in Food Science specializing in Food Safety Microbiology, after her Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry. She has over 8 years practical food industry experience, starting off as a product developer, and subsequently transitioning to food labeling compliance and regulatory affairs.

Abena’s work experiences exposed her to the gap of authentic West African retail products, excellently packaged in formats relatable to the American home cook standards, and complaint with the US FDA labeling regulations. This led her to start POKS Spices in 2016 to help Americans Discover FlavorFULL Goodness of the bold flavors of West Africa via Spicy Authentic West African Seasonings. Leveraging her food science expertise and using her family recipes, the spicy seasonings are locally made in Texas using ingredients familiar to the American home cook, but blended to give that Authentic Spicy West African flavor profile.

In 2017, POKS Spices was honored as one of the top 100 businesses in the FedEX Small Business Grant Program. Also, in 2017 and 2019, POKS Spices Seasonings won awards at the Zest Fest Fiery Food Challenge Competitions. The Institute of Food Technologists recognized Abena as part of its Emerging Leaders Network 2019 cohort class for dynamic, high potential, talented, and passionate food professionals. In January 2021, Abena started a consulting practice to help make the US FDA Food Labeling Regulations easy to understand, and to comply with, for small businesses with food products for retail.

Follow Abena and her work online:
Instagram: @poksspices
Websites:
Spices: www.poksspices.com 
Consulting / Food Labeling Course: www.folifoodconsult.com
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Abena Offeh-Gyimah is a writer, a researcher, a business owner, and an advocate for an indigenous food sovereignty system. She's worked at Black Creek Community Farm as a coordinator for the youth farming program, with Building Roots as an urban gardener coordinator, with North York Community House as a Strong Neighborhood Coordinator, and currently project co-lead with the Jane Finch Community Research Partnership. Her food business, Adda Blooms, seeks to work with small scale farmers to bring ancestral foods worldwide. Her blog seeks to explore the intersections between food, culture, and equity. Abena’s passionate about preserving indigenous plants, seeds, and seeks to work in collaboration with small scale African farmers to grow and preserve ancestral foods. 

Photo courtesy of Abena Offeh-Gyimah

Blog Posts mentioned: 
Famine Foods
Food lineage
Food System

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Ntsiki Biyela grew up in Mahlabathini, a rural village in Kwazulu Natal. Having spent a year as a domestic worker, she was awarded a scholarship to study winemaking in 1999. She graduated in 2003 from Stellenbosch University and joined boutique winery Stellekaya Wines the following year.

Ntsiki’s ambition to create her own wines grew following a collaboration with Californian winemaker, Helen Kiplinger, as part of the Wine for the World initiative. She has consulted in France, making wine under Winemakers Collection in Bordeaux.

Ntsiki is also on the board of directors for the Pinotage Youth Development Academy, which provides technical training and personal development for young South Africans in the Cape Winelands, preparing them for work in the wine industry. The programme offers them the unique opportunity to emulate her own considerable success.

Find Aslina Wines online and on social media: Twitter, Instagram and Facebook

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Amani Kiflemariam was born in Eritrea and grew up in the Sudan and the UK with a deep appreciation for the social and economic significance of coffee within Habesha culture (Eritrea and Ethiopia, the birthplace of coffee). Amani worked in Finance in London before putting her talents into building Amatte that not only promotes African heritage but also benefits those small-lot farmers who nurture this precious crop. Named after her grandmother, whose name means ‘lead by example’ in her native Tigrigna dialect, Amatte honours her strength and integrity through its brand values, specialist roasts and enchanting tales from Africa.

Our brand is about “Empowering African female farmers who produce specialty coffee”. Not only do we source some delicious specialty coffees, we go further to empower female farmers so that you can enjoy doing good every morning when you brew your coffee.

“I wanted to create a premium brand that offers the finest coffees Africa has to offer and one that empowers the real superstars, its female farmers,” says Amani. “I’ve combined my passion for fine coffee and gender parity into Amatte, which offers high end coffee cultivated by these amazing, hard working women.”

Discover Amatte’s debut coffee collection, which comprises five refined tastes that distil the continent’s complex and inspiring spirit into every sip.

Find out more about Amatte Coffee on their website, and follow the story on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

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Ahead of our upcoming worldwide tour with Chef Binta, replaying this episode that sheds light on her African food story.

Hope to catch you at A Taste of Foutta Djallon later this year.
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Promoting “Fulani Cuisine to the World”, Fatmata Binta was born and raised in Freetown, Sierra Leone to first-generation Sierra Leonean Fulanis of Guinean descent. She describes herself as the Fulani Chef, a classic nomad. She has traveled to several continents and has worked with many African chefs. Chef Binta has also been featured on several TV shows and media outlets across the African continent. She is now based in Accra, Ghana where she is building a rich culinary experience through her Fulani traditional dining pop ups. Her vision is to promote Fulani culture through food, bring people closer and to promote African cuisine to the world.

Find Fulani Kitchen: www.fulanikitchen.com

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Thank you for supporting and listening all season!

Fan of the podcast? Please rate AND review us wherever you listen.
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Sign up on A Taste of Foutta Djallon website to find out more about the tour and when we'll come to your city: https://www.tasteoffouttadjallon.com/

Get your tickets for Afros and Audio: afrosandaudio.com

We're sharing YOUR favorite episodes from the past two seasons, all August long in a #SummerReplay13 series.

First up, is the conversation with Freda Muyambo, a food blogger and writer with expertise in African cuisine and a passion for sharing African culture through food. She often describes herself as having a pan-African palate, having been born and raised in Botswana to Ghanaian parents and traveling extensively across Africa. She has explored culinary cultures across the broad and bold topic of African cuisine and will often experiment with using ingredients in a new way.

Her position as one of Africa's most innovative food experts was cemented in December 2015 during a live BBC interview where she presented yam pasta, a novel pasta dough recipe she had invented just the night before, using West African yams. Up until this point, there was no other record of yam pasta having been made. She has also had features on CNN and the African Economist as one of Africa’s top food bloggers. She has written for various online and offline publications including IAC Media (About.com/The Spruce Eats), The Guardian, Radiant Health Magazine and co-authored a spice book published by Penguin Random House group this coming October 2018. Her expertise is highly sought after, where she works with local and international brands developing recipes to help them reach new markets.

Freda dropped SO many gems in this conversation that we made this a two-part episode situation. The second part of the conversation can be heard in Season 1, episode 8.

Find My Burnt Orange on Facebook , Instagram and Twitter.

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We're sharing YOUR favorite episodes from the past two seasons, all August long in a #SummerReplay13 series.

This week, we're replaying the powerful conversation with Cordialis Msora- Kasago, an internationally recognized Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and media spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. A Zimbabwean by birth, she is a firm believer in the impact of cultural diets and lifestyles for positive health outcomes.

Through her nutrition consultancy, The African Pot Nutrition, Cordialis aims to close the gap in health disparities through evidence-based and relatable diet and lifestyle guidance for people of African descent.

She holds a Bachelor's degree in Nutritional Sciences from California State University, Los Angeles and a Masters in African Area Studies (Emphasis Public Health) from the University of California Los Angeles and is a regular contributor to various media outlets. With over 20 years experience in food and nutrition, Cordialis wants to help you live healthfully, starting from where you are and including the foods you love.

Find Cordialis Msora-Kasago online:

• Website: https://theafricanpotnutrition.com
• Nutrition Classes: https://theafricanpotnutrition.com/nutrition-classes/
• Instagram: @africanpotnutrition
• Facebook: The African Pot Nutrition

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Maureen Atebawone, a customer experience specialist, is the founder of Bawoni Consult. After studying in Ghana and Canada, respectively, she made the permanent move to Ghana in 2015 and decided to set up her consultancy to address the rampant lack of service quality in Ghana's hospitality industry.

With a focus on Food & Beverage and Lodging businesses within the hospitality industry, Bawoni Consult focuses primarily on providing operational consulting and resources to SMEs within the industry.

She spends her free time exploring Ghana's beaches, exploring wellness and self-care and working on her passion project, Mystery Diner Ghana - an online platform where consumers can anonymously review restaurants in Ghana.

Find Mystery Diner Gh & Bawoni Consult on Twitter, Instagram & Facebook

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Heard some unfamiliar words on the show? Here’s a quick guide!

Dumsor/dum sɔ : "off and on", is a popular Ghanaian term used to describe persistent, irregular and unpredictable electric power outages.

Yoruba : West African language, also ethnic group primarily found in Nigeria.

Waakye : Ghanaian dish of rice and black-eyed peas (beans), similar to Carribean rice and peas.

Naija : slang term for Nigeria

Mukase Chic is a culinary entrepreneur with food blogging & styling, catering, a food bank and food events under her entrepreneurship umbrella. Mukasechic believes African flavour and spices is the best in the world. A Mandela Washington Fellow, she’s written food articles for most Ghanaian magazines, and been featured on CNN Africa and Buzzfeed.

Find Mukasechic: https://www.instagram.com/mukasechic

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Replaying our very first episode where host and founder of esSense 13, Yorm Tagoe, shares her vision for the podcast and what you should expect from each episode.

Learn more about her personal background and her why for starting esSense 13 and then Item 13 .

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We’re Baaaack!!

In this episode, I share:

1. What I’ve been up to all summer, including a MAJOR move
2. New podcast format for Season 3 (let me know what you think!)
3. Opportunity for food entrepreneurs
4. Plans for the rest of the year - NY peeps take note ;)

Thank you to all who supported the Taste of Foutta Djallon events. Full list of partners here: https://www.tasteoffouttadjallon.com/

Tickets for the UNGA side event in NY, on Monday September 23: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/building-an-africa-innovation-ecosystem-in-new-york-tickets-71432575757

Find out more about NY Africa Restaurant Week here: https://nyarw.com/

Interested in promoting your food product/service/event? Send details in an audio file to: yorm at essense 13 dot com. Listen to the show for guidelines on what to share in your file.

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This week, I chat with owner & head chef at Naija Buka Seattle, a Nigerian food company based out of Kent, Washington State. Her goal is to introduce everyone to the awesomeness of Nigerian dishes.

In this episode, we discuss our mutual love/like relationship with Seattle and Lilian's:

1. Journey from Nigeria to Seattle
2. Early cooking experiences with her grandma back home in Nigeria
3. First job in the US working at Nordstrom and how she transitioned into a culinary entrepreneur
4. Participation in the Food Innovation Network's Food Business Incubator and
5. The various components of Naija Buka including pop up events, catering, new meal kits

Find Naija Buka Seattle online: https://naijabukaseattle.com/

Tickets to Sunday Rice Traditions event here.

Interested in promoting your food product/service/event? Send details in an audio file to: yorm at essense 13 dot com. Listen to S3 E1 for guidelines on what to share in your file.

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Maria Bradford was born in Freetown, Sierra Leone and now lives in Kent, England. She started cooking when she was 9 years old and has always loved cooking for her friends and family. When growing up in Sierra Leone, the dominant career advice was to become an accountant. Until her early 20's, she'd convinced herself that this was the career path for her. She studied for an accounting degree and worked in various finance roles and was unhappy and unfulfilled. Cooking is her calling. She learnt about the classics at Leiths School of Food and Wine in London.

Maria delivers memorable evenings for private dinners; caters for special occasions such as corporate events, weddings and charity dinners; and runs quarterly supper club events in London. She also has a product line consisting of two chilli sauces and drinks which are available on her website, www.mariabradfordkitchen.com

“I love this job, I love creating new dishes and I want to be an ambassador for African ingredients, African food all inspired by my Sierra Leonean heritage.”

You can find Maria Bradford Kitchen on Instagram and online at www.mariabradfordkitchen.com

Interested in promoting your food product/service/event? Send details in an audio file to: yorm at essense 13 dot com. Listen to S3 E1 for guidelines on what to share in your file.

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Eulanda and Omo are co-founders of Hey! Dip Your Toes In (HDYTI); an award-winning platform which promotes creative digital content with a focus on global travel and food culture. They have worked with leading brands including Coca-Cola, IBM, Etihad Airways, Uncle Ben's, and tourism boards around the world to create content to help tell their unique stories.

Their work has been featured in Forbes, Lonely Planet, House of Coco, Culture Trip, Matador Network, CULTURS, Voyage, Blogosphere magazine, and other publications.

Their authoritative voice on global travel, food tourism, and influencer marketing has led them to be sought out as guest speakers.

Past speaking engagements include the TEDx, TBEX, Traverse, WITS, TFM, WTM, Hotelympia, and others.

Find Hey! Dip Your Toes In online and sign up here to get more information on their upcoming retreat in 2020.
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Interested in promoting your food product/service/event? Send details in an audio file to: yorm at essense 13 dot com. Listen to S3 E1 for guidelines on what to share in your file.

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Yasmine Fofana is the pioneer when it comes to promoting the culinary scene of Côte d’Ivoire (West Africa).

She not only launched the 1st food blog of Côte d’Ivoire in 2012: “Journal d’une Foodie” now rebranded as “Afrofoodie”, she also launched Côte d’Ivoire's 1st Restaurant week: “Abidjan Restaurant Week”. Thanks to her continuous efforts in sharing the Ivorian culinary scene with the world, Yasmine was selected as a Mandela Washington Fellow 2016 under President Obama’s Young Africa Leaders Initiative.
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Find Afrofoodie online: Afrofoodie.net

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Vonnie Williams is a first-generation Ghanaian-American and food writer. After diving in head-first into the world of food media working for a boutique PR firm, Vonnie was frustrated with the lack of minority representation in food media.

She’s written for Food & Wine, TASTE and Edible Brooklyn, and is founded sincerelyvonnie.com, a food and culture website that serves as an unapologetic and sincere space to talk about her experiences.

In her free time, Vonnie loves to cook the easiest dishes from her cookbooks, eat copious amounts of ice cream, and perfect her jollof rice recipe.
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Find Vonnie online: www.sincerelyvonnie.com

Vonnie's stories (as mentioned on the show):
Fufu's Many Faces (Taste): https://www.tastecooking.com/deceptive-simplicity-fufu/
Top Chef Eric Adjepong Story (Food and Wine) : https://www.foodandwine.com/news/top-chef-judges-diversity-representation-reaction-eric-adjepong

Study Hall (resource for media workers): studyhall.xyz
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On the show:

• My experience at #mbafoodcon
• Year of return perspectives
• Reflections on 2019
• All the plans for 2020

Learn more about the Food Innovation Network and how you can support the upcoming food hall: https://foodinnovationnetwork.org/programs/

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Eden Hagos is a celebrated host, food writer, and founder of the media and events company, Black Foodie. She's an Ethiopian Canadian with a passion for African and Caribbean cuisine and hosts unique food events throughout Toronto. Her work and notable mentions have been featured in Chatelaine, Essence, Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, and CBC to name a few.

Find Eden online:
blackfoodie.co
instagram.com/Edenthefoodie
blackfoodie.bigcartel.com
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Nigerian-born, Akudo Agokei was self-taught for the first 2 years of his chef career, then went on to train at the Leith's Culinary School of Food and Wine. He went on to train and work at French and Moroccan fusion restaurant, Bistro Vadouvan, Putney, before venturing on to various other restaurants.

He is currently the head chef and owner of Kedu Cookery School, a cookery school and chef training centre based in Walsall, West Midlands, UK, providing affordable training to aspiring chefs, and great cooking experiences to the community.

As a chef, he specialises in traditional and contemporary Nigerian cuisine, combining the core elements of French cooking and his understanding of umami extractions from African spices and ingredients, to create and recreate delectable dishes with the richness of West Africa at its core.
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This month, we're thrilled to be included in Dine Diaspora's 31 Days of Black Women in Food! Check out the link or our social media pages for deets.
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Part 2 of our conversation with Chef Akudo wraps up Season 3!
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Nigerian-born, Akudo Agokei was self-taught for the first 2 years of his chef career, then went on to train at the Leith's Culinary School of Food and Wine. He went on to train and work at French and Moroccan fusion restaurant, Bistro Vadouvan, Putney, before venturing on to various other restaurants.

He is currently the head chef and owner of Kedu Cookery School, a cookery school and chef training centre based in Walsall, West Midlands, UK, providing affordable training to aspiring chefs, and great cooking experiences to the community.

As a chef, he specialises in traditional and contemporary Nigerian cuisine, combining the core elements of French cooking and his understanding of umami extractions from African spices and ingredients, to create and recreate delectable dishes with the richness of West Africa at its core.
--
This month, we're thrilled to be included in Dine Diaspora's 31 Days of Black Women in Food! Check out the link or our social media pages for deets.
--
Follow Item 13 on Facebook , Instagram and Twitter.

esSense 13 is on Facebook , Instagram and Twitter.

Don’t forget to subscribe & leave us a review!

A new podcast covering all things African Food. Stay tuned!

In this week’s episode, host and founder of esSense 13, Yorm Tagoe, shares her vision for the podcast and what you should expect from each episode.

Learn more about her personal background and her why for starting esSense 13 and then Item 13 .

Follow Item 13 Podcast on Instagram and Twitter: https://www.instagram.com/item13podcast/ https://twitter.com/Item13Podcast

esSense 13 is on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter: https://www.facebook.com/esSense13/ https://www.instagram.com/essense13/ https://twitter.com/essense_13

Don’t forget to subscribe & leave us a review!

Maureen Atebawone, a customer experience specialist, is the founder of Bawoni Consult. After studying in Ghana and Canada, respectively, she made the permanent move to Ghana in 2015 and decided to set up her consultancy to address the rampant lack of service quality in Ghana's hospitality industry.

With a focus on Food & Beverage and Lodging businesses within the hospitality industry, Bawoni Consult focuses primarily on providing operational consulting and resources to SMEs within the industry.

She spends her free time exploring Ghana's beaches, exploring wellness and self-care and working on her passion project, Mystery Diner Ghana - an online platform where consumers can anonymously review restaurants in Ghana.

Find Mystery Diner Gh & Bawoni Consult on Twitter, Instagram & Facebook

Follow Item 13 on Facebook , Instagram and Twitter

esSense 13 is on Facebook , Instagram and Twitter

Don’t forget to subscribe & leave us a review! ----

Heard some unfamiliar words on the show? Here’s a quick guide!

Dumsor/dum sɔ : "off and on", is a popular Ghanaian term used to describe persistent, irregular and unpredictable electric power outages.

Yoruba : West African language, also ethnic group primarily found in Nigeria.

Waakye : Ghanaian dish of rice and black-eyed peas (beans), similar to Carribean rice and peas.

Naija : slang term for Nigeria

Naa Oyoo Kumodzi is an award-winning content creator and lifestyle blogger, recipe developer, photographer and influencer on social media.

Her food blog, See My Chow , focuses on creating, developing and sharing modern, healthy and traditional Ghanaian and African recipes for the one who is looking for something different from the usual.

Naa Oyoo recently started a new food venture, AlreadySpiced , providing Ghanaians with organic premium marinated meats made with all-natural herbs & spices.

See My Chow and AlreadySpiced can be found on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter.

Follow Item 13 on Facebook , Instagram and Twitter.

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Heard some unfamiliar words on the show? Here’s a quick guide!

Gari: Grated cassava, typically fried in a lightly greased wide metal pan. The crisp, crunchy gratings are used in a variety of ways, including as a side or main ingredient in dishes.

Ademe: Also known as jute, is a green leafy vegetable which can be used in soups and stews. It is used in ewedu soup (Nigeria) and Okro soup (Ghana). Once grinded, it’s got a slimy consistency just like okra.

Fonio: A West African nutritious superfood grain that is high in protein.

Ebunu Ebunu: Literally means ‘green green’. A soup made with cocoyam leaves, giving the soup it’s bright green color. Traditional to the Akan tribe of Ghana.

Palava sauce: A palm-oil based stew made with kontomire / cocoyam leaves.

Chow: Slang term for ‘food’ in Ghana.

Banku: Ghanaian ‘swallow’ made with fermented corn and cassava dough cooked in hot water, resulting in a dumpling-like ball . Served with soup, stew or ground pepper.

Tuo Zaafi: Indigenous to northern Ghana, this is prepared corn and cassava ( or millet) and accompanied by Ayoyo, a grean leaf soup.

Promoting “Fulani Cuisine to the World”, Fatmata Binta was born and raised in Freetown, Sierra Leone to first-generation Sierra Leonean Fulanis of Guinean descent. She describes herself as the Fulani Chef, a classic nomad. She has traveled to several continents and has worked with many African chefs. Chef Binta has also been featured on several TV shows and media outlets across the African continent. She is now based in Accra, Ghana where she is building a rich culinary experience through her Fulani traditional dining pop ups. Her vision is to promote Fulani culture through food, bring people closer and to promote African cuisine to the world. Find Fulani Kitchen: www.fulanikitchen.com

Follow Item 13 on Facebook , Instagram and Twitter.

esSense 13 is on Facebook , Instagram and Twitter.

Don’t forget to subscribe & leave us a review!

Jay Gyebi is a culinary entrepreneur with food blogging & styling, catering, a food bank and food events under her entrepreneurship umbrella. Mukasechic believes African flavour and spices is the best in the world. A Mandela Washington Fellow, she’s written food articles for most Ghanaian magazines, and been featured on CNN Africa and Buzzfeed.

Find Mukasechic: https://www.instagram.com/mukasechic

Follow Item 13 on Facebook , Instagram and Twitter.

esSense 13 is on Facebook , Instagram and Twitter.

Don’t forget to subscribe & leave us a review!

Freda Muyambo is a food blogger and writer with expertise in African cuisine and a passion for sharing African culture through food. She often describes herself as having a pan-African palate, having been born and raised in Botswana to Ghanaian parents and travelling extensively across Africa. She has explored culinary cultures across the broad and bold topic of African cuisine and will often experiment with using ingredients in a new way.

Freda currently resides in Lagos, Nigeria, where she is acquiring primary knowledge in the use of local flavours, indigenous fruits and spices. One of her greatest accomplishments has been developing a creative recipe using a local Nigerian fruit, Agbalumo, the African Cherry; incorporating it into a dessert she has named “Agbalumo Blondie.” She has pitched it to supermarkets and successfully sold it as a new bakery item in Lagos, adding to the food value chain and culinary history of the country. Freda continues to explore how she can use indigenous produce to promote food security within Africa.

Her position as one of Africa's most innovative food experts was cemented in December 2015 during a live BBC interview where she presented yam pasta, a novel pasta dough recipe she had invented just the night before, using West African yams. Up until this point, there was no other record of yam pasta having been made. She has also had features on CNN and the African Economist as one of Africa’s top food bloggers. She has written for various online and offline publications including IAC Media (About.com/The Spruce Eats), The Guardian, Radiant Health Magazine and co-authored a spice book published by Penguin Random House group this coming October 2018. Her expertise is highly sought after, where she works with local and international brands developing recipes to help them reach new markets.

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Freda Muyambo is a food blogger and writer with expertise in African cuisine and a passion for sharing African culture through food. She often describes herself as having a pan-African palate, having been born and raised in Botswana to Ghanaian parents and travelling extensively across Africa. She has explored culinary cultures across the broad and bold topic of African cuisine and will often experiment with using ingredients in a new way.

Freda currently resides in Lagos, Nigeria, where she is acquiring primary knowledge in the use of local flavours, indigenous fruits and spices. One of her greatest accomplishments has been developing a creative recipe using a local Nigerian fruit, Agbalumo, the African Cherry; incorporating it into a dessert she has named “Agbalumo Blondie.” She has pitched it to supermarkets and successfully sold it as a new bakery item in Lagos, adding to the food value chain and culinary history of the country. Freda continues to explore how she can use indigenous produce to promote food security within Africa.

Her position as one of Africa's most innovative food experts was cemented in December 2015 during a live BBC interview where she presented yam pasta, a novel pasta dough recipe she had invented just the night before, using West African yams. Up until this point, there was no other record of yam pasta having been made. She has also had features on CNN and the African Economist as one of Africa’s top food bloggers. She has written for various online and offline publications including IAC Media (About.com/The Spruce Eats), The Guardian, Radiant Health Magazine and co-authored a spice book published by Penguin Random House group this coming October 2018. Her expertise is highly sought after, where she works with local and international brands developing recipes to help them reach new markets.

Find My Burnt Orange on Facebook , Instagram and Twitter.

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Culinary art is Chef Zablon Rubia’s passion first, and profession second. He has always been fascinated by the art of cooking from a young age and has come to believe in the power of food in bringing people of all walks of life together. He’s been privileged throughout his career - attending the best culinary school and having his fair share of five star hotels experience. Chef Rubia has worked in a couple of major hotels in Kenya and abroad and hence acquired local and international experience. He has also traveled to different continents and worked with some of the best celebrity chefs in the world.

Chef Rubia offers culinary consultation to upcoming or existing establishments in menu writing, costing, recruiting, setting up Standard Operating Procedure and assistance in maintaining the set standards on a regular basis. For existing establishments, he revamps the standards by training staff to upgrade on general operations, advice on the right equipment, manpower and how to cut down on general food cost. Chef Rubia’s main objective is to provide modern gourmet dining experiences that will exceed clientele expectations. His style of cooking is International cuisine as this gives more room to infuse some of our local cuisines with the different food cultures to create a new dining experience: afro fusion.

Find Chef Rubia (@chef_rubia) on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter Website: https://chefrubia.com/

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Vivian Ngwodo is the founder of Chopstreets , a food discovery platform that helps people find great places to eat and enjoy African & Caribbean inspired food in the U.K. In June 2017, Vivian moved back to Lagos, Nigeria after spending 7 years in the U.K working with top banks and consulting firms, as well as a digital startup. Vivian is currently in the process of relaunching Chopstreets in Lagos to capture foodpreneurs operating in the Nigerian food space.

Since her return to Nigeria, she has co-founded 2 Startups, an Online Bake Shop (Mango Bake Shop ) and a Web Design Agency (Naira Avenue ) that seeks to get every small business operating in Nigeria online by providing them with affordable websites.

Vivian holds a Masters degree in Strategic Financial management from the University of Dundee, U.K. and a Bachelors degree in Accounting from Covenant University, Nigeria. Her experience cuts across the banking, digital and food industries in Nigeria and the U.K.

Check out Viviane’s several business ventures on social media

Chopstreets: Facebook , Instagram and Twitter

Mango Bake Shop: Facebook , Instagram and Twitter

Naira Avenue: Facebook and Instagram

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Bukola ‘Bukie’ Tinko is a Nigerian food blogger, food consultant and recipe developer. She’s a self taught chef who loves creating beautiful yet flavorful dishes. She inspires everyone to cook with simple, easy to follow recipes on her YouTube channel. Bukie is also the 2017 Eloy Female Chef of the Year.

Find The Kitchen Muse on Facebook , Instagram and Twitter.

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Suzanne Tiega is the founder of Zest & Bliss; a creative lifestyle company specialized in hospitality and entertainment.

Zest & Bliss is a multifaceted business offering operational consulting in catering and events production services.

Suzanne holds a Masters in International Event and Festival Management from Edinburgh Napier University.

Find Suzanne on social media platforms @SuzanneTiega

Zest and Bliss : www.zestandbliss.com

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Chef Cynthia Péan is a professionally trained plant-based chef and nutritional consultant who specializes in: Ayurveda, Macrobiotics, Raw & Living Foods, High-Alkaline (Dr. Sebi), and Vegan modalities. She also is skilled in allergy-sensitive, gluten-free, anti-candida, disease sensitive meals.

Chef Cynthia's company Afcavé recently launched its presence on the continent of Africa and is quickly establishing itself as the "go to" company for all things plant-based.

Follow Afcavé Tasting Kitchen on Facebook , Instagram and Twitter.

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Nosa Oyegun and Folayemi Agusto of Eat Drink Media are the publishers of eatdrinklagos.com, the authority on dining in Lagos. The blog has expanded since its start in 2014 to include the production of Eat Drink Festival one of the biggest food events in Lagos, with over 10,000 annual visitors. Eat.Drink.Lagos also has a chat bot for finding restaurants in Lagos

Folly & Nosa went to The Foundry (a restaurant in Lagos) for brunch one day and a conversation about "struggle" bacon in Lagos birthed the food blog.

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In this episode, I take a look back at this first season of Item 13, share some ideas for season 2, and end with a shout out to some of the show’s favorite groupies.

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We're back! Look out for the first episode on Tuesday, December 4.

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Omer Eltigani is a cook and author, currently working on Sudan's first cookbook. Previously a hospital pharmacist, Omer felt a lack of representation in Sudanese food online and in the UK so wanted to do something about. He hopes to use food as a learning tool to broaden people's horizons about Sudan, which is often associated with negative press.

Find the Sudanese Kitchen online:

• www.sudanesekitchen.com
• www.instagram.com/sudanesekitchen
• www.facebook.com/thesudanesekitchen

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Tomi Makanjuola is a London-based vegan chef, blogger and writer who grew up in Lagos, Nigeria and moved to the UK in her teens. After going vegan while at the University of Oxford, she founded 'The Vegan Nigerian', a platform for sharing plant-based recipes and resources inspired by her cultural heritage.

Tomi’s latest cookbook, Plantain Cookbook, is now available on Ama and listeners can get 20% off the ebook using the discount code PLANTAIN13 at checkout via: http://www.vegannigerian.com/p/store.html. The books is also available for download on Kindle or hard copy on Amazon.com.

Find the Vegan Nigerian online:

• Website: https://www.vegannigerian.com
• Instagram and Twitter: @VeganNigerian
• Plantain Cookbook: https://amzn.to/2SRcaMl

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Ariatu Public Relations Founder, Ronke Lawal, was born in Hackney, East London. Having graduated with honours from Lancaster University and the University of Richmond Virginia (USA) with a degree in International Business (Economics), she started her own PR and Communications business in 2004.

Ariatu PR works with small businesses, start ups and entrepreneurs using PR tactics and tools to enhance their brand visibility, reputation and media presence. The firm works with clients in a range of B2C industries; including lifestyle, food, fashion, fashion, beauty, hospitality and luxury FMCG.

In January 2010, Ronke became the Chief Executive of the Islington Chamber of Commerce where she remained until the end of 2012 and became a non-executive director of The Hoxton Apprentice in 2011. She joined the board of Trustees of Voluntary Action Islington in 2012 where she is also a Director of The Voluntary Action Academy and is currently on The Employers Panel for the National Employment Savings Trust. In 2018 she became a director on the board of directors at the Chartered Institute of Public Relations. She is a Mentor for The Cherie Blair Foundation, The “Success Looks Like You” Initiative and The BME PR Pros Initiative. In 2011 Ronke Lawal was honoured to receive a Precious Award for Inspirational Leadership. She is a passionate advocate for enterprise, equality for all and leadership.

Her varied passions outside the business world include food (Founder of Food Blog www.whosfordinner.co.uk), travel, music, literature and most importantly living a life she loves.

Find Ronke Lawal online:

• Business Website: www.ariatupr.com
• Food Blog: www.whosfordinner.co.uk
• YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu6pL1rkUKDlll2UOyi77jg

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Cordialis Msora- Kasago is an internationally recognized Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and media spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. A Zimbabwean by birth, she is a firm believer in the impact of cultural diets and lifestyles for positive health outcomes.

Through her nutrition consultancy, The African Pot Nutrition, Cordialis aims to close the gap in health disparities through evidence-based and relatable diet and lifestyle guidance for people of African descent.

She holds a Bachelor's degree in Nutritional Sciences from California State University, Los Angeles and a Masters in African Area Studies (Emphasis Public Health) from the University of California Los Angeles and is a regular contributor to various media outlets. With over 20 years experience in food and nutrition, Cordialis wants to help you live healthfully, starting from where you are and including the foods you love.

Find Cordialis Msora-Kasago online:

• Website: https://theafricanpotnutrition.com (Sign up for newsletter to receive special gift.)
• Nutrition Classes: https://theafricanpotnutrition.com/nutrition-classes/
• Instagram: @africanpotnutrition
• Facebook: The African Pot Nutrition

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Tokunbo Koiki is the founder of Tokunbo's Kitchen, an award-winning food brand bringing a taste of Nigeria to the world. A passionate believer in the power of food to bring people together, she is a leading voice for West African cuisine with regular press features including on BBC and Virgin, and has curated events on food, entrepreneurship and diversity with Google and Facebook.

Find Tokunbo's Kitchen online: www.tokunboskitchen.com

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Nargisse Benkabbou was raised in Brussels, where she grew up in a strongly food-oriented family that continually nurtured her connection with her roots and country of origin, Morocco.

After living in Brussels and Paris, Nargisse moved to London to pursue her education in Politics only to realize that her love for cooking and food was a real passion. After training at Leiths (layth) School of Food and Wine, she started blogging and sharing her Moroccan recipes 'with a twist'. Her work currently involves recipe and menu development, cooking classes, working as a guest chef and hosting supper clubs.

While she has a strong grasp of traditional Moroccan cuisine, her ultimate goal is to inspire and bring 'a breath of fresh air' to Moroccan food.

Find Nargisse's debut cookbook here: http://www.mymoroccanfood.com/cookbook

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Dr. Carol Mathias-O’chez is an Psychologist passionate about helping people thrive in all areas of their life. With a Doctorate and Masters in Educational Psychology and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, her in-depth knowledge of learning and teaching, based on developmental and psychological theories provides an understanding of how people think, learn and behave.

She focuses on solution-focused therapy aimed at helping children, teenagers, young adults and adults break unhealthy cycles, unlearn negative thought patterns and thrive in all areas of their lives: personal growth, academically, professionally, family life, relationships and friendships by equipping them with the tools to successfully self-manage, be independent, achieve their goals and thrive.

She works with clients battling with depression, anxiety disorders, suicide ideation among other mental illnesses. She is passionate about mental health awareness, changing the perceptions and stigma attached to mental health and demystifying therapy.

She is currently the in-house psychologist at SOS-Hermann Gmeiner College, heading their Emotional Counselling Department. She has also worked with Ghana Christian International School, Accra College of Medicine. Newmont Akyem Development Fund. George State University and Educational Testing Service.

Find more about Dr. Carol Mathias-O-chez's work here: https://www.thrivecaregh.com/#/home

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EatOkra, in partnership with Dine Diaspora, is providing $10,000 grants for Black women-owned restaurants across the United States. The EatOkra Black Women in Food Grants provide capital for Black women to accelerate growth for their brick-and-mortar restaurants. 

Aligned with EatOkra’s values, the opportunity will enable these businesses to “spread their wings and embrace their visions for tomorrow.”

Tune in to hear more about the grand and application details. 

Apply by July 17, 2022 using this link: https://www.blackwomeninfood.org/grants

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HRN is home to transformative exchanges about food. Our 35+ member-supported food podcasts empower eaters to cultivate a radically better world. This month, we’re asking you to join us. Become a monthly sustaining member at heritageradionetwork.org/donate.

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This season, we’re showcasing stories from the inaugural class of Changing Narratives Africa Fellowship, a highly selective program for African food entrepreneurs who are ready to scale their brands into global markets. This week’s guest is Temi Jebutu, a Nigerian Agribusiness professional with over 17 years of experience in Operations Management working with multinational and international organizations. He is currently the Managing Director of AACE Food Processing and Distribution Limited which produces spices, seasonings, snacks and complementary foods for local and international markets. Temi joined AACE Foods in 2014 and has led the growth of the organization by introducing innovative and nutritious products, improving the livelihoods of over 10,000 smallholder farmers in the company’s supply chain and displacing imports through promoting local sourcing. AACE Foods’ pioneering efforts have been recognized and supported by the Africa Diaspora Marketplace, Innovations Against Poverty (IAP), the Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund (AECF), Business call to Action (BctA), the London Stock Exchange, Ebony Life TV and WIMBIZ. Prior to returning to Nigeria to join AACE Foods, Temi had prior work experience in Canada with McDonalds Corporation and Sakai Spice. Temi holds a BSc. In Estate Management from Obafemi Awolowo University Nigeria, an MBA in Operations Management from Frederick Taylor University, United states, and an MBA in Food Security from Business School Netherlands. He also has a Quality Management Certificate from the University of Manitoba Canada, is a member of the Stanford Seeds Transformation Network and a Cochran Fellow. Temi is a change agent in the Nigeria Agricultural sector and remains committed to promoting nutrition, producing nutritious food, improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers and also ensuring gender equality and women empowerment in the agribusiness landscape.

Find AACE Foods on Instagram @aacefoods_ng

Item 13, along with several HRN podcasts, has been nominated for the TASTE AWARDS! Vote here for our podcasts in the Viewer’s Choice category: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DR2NJJH

Photo courtesy of Temi Jebutu.

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My thoughts on the season and this year so far. 

I also share with you, in a pseudo rapid-fire segment, what I'm listening to, reading, eating, watching for the rest of the year.

Vonnie William's article: https://www.foodandwine.com/news/yorm-ackuaku-podcast-african-food-stories
Zoe Adjonyo's BlackBook Initiative: https://www.instagram.com/blackbook_2020

Thank you for your support, have a great holiday season and talk to you again in the new year!

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This week we want you to hear the trailer for Say Their Name, an incredible podcast that focuses on the assault and killing of unarmed Black people by police and in ‘Stand Your Ground’ states, highlighting incidents throughout the United States.

Serving as a memorialization for these individuals, you will learn about who these people were through the words of the people that knew them best, while also helping to understand what these situations do to their families and communities not only in the immediate aftermath, but also what happens when the news-cycle moves on and the social media attention shifts focus.

Say Their Name  offers solutions, spreads awareness and supports these families & communities, including a crowdfunding campaign throughout the series to directly benefit the families impacted by these incidents (they receive 100% of those proceeds).

Please find out more and subscribe at  https://www.dcpofficial.com/saytheirname

Happy New Year! Learn what's coming up in Season 5 of the podcast.

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Part 2 of my conversation with Dr. Tapiwa Guzha. Founder of Tapi Tapi, producing handcrafted ice cream, inspired by the unique flavors of African ingredients. 

Based in Cape Town, Tapiwa's work is focused on rehabilitation of the collective African esteem around cultural identity, within and beyond food.

“In part, Tapi Tapi is focused on rehabilitating the self-esteem of people from the continent about our food practices, as well as our culture and beliefs. I use food because it’s universal, people need to eat. So it’s a nice tool to get people to listen.”

Find Tapi Tapi online: https://www.tapitapi.co.za

Tapi Tapi on Instagram @_tapi_tapi

Photo Courtesy of Tapiwa Guzha

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This season, we’re showcasing stories from the inaugural class of Changing Narratives Africa Fellowship, a highly selective program for African food entrepreneurs who are ready to scale their brands into global markets. This week’s guest is Chichi Eriobu, the Founder and CEO of Phronesis Foods Nigeria Limited, a globally-growing food Processing, packaging & export company, creating new food product lines from existing raw materials. A Christian, and multiple award-winning entrepreneur, Chichi was awarded Best Female Business Speaker of the Year (Leadership Mind Awards, 2017) and Outstanding Entrepreneur of the Year Award (BAOBAB International Awards, 2018). In 2020, she was appointed one of the young people to sit on the Board of Crown Point College of Health Sciences and Technology, Ogun State. And in 2021, she won an award for influence through Business & Entrepreneurship, presented to her by FBI Awards. Having been selected for multiple business grants opportunities, Chichi is teaching other small businesses how to leverage grant funding for their business growth, with her first eBook, ‘How to Pitch Your Business’. Chichi’s vision is to build a globally recognized solution-based business, and impact other young entrepreneurs with the investment of her personality.

Find Phronesis Foods on Instagram: @phronesisfoods

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This week we're re-broadcasting in celebration of the Ginjan Brothers' recent feature in Humans of New York. And big news: we're launching a new season of Item 13 starting on February 1st!  In the meantime, here's the story of Mohammed and Ibrahima from episodes 46 and 47.

Ginjan Brothers was founded by Mohammed Diallo & Ibrahima Diallo. The brothers immigrated to the States in their early teens, 13 & 14, respectively. Mohammed has a formal training in business management and spent the bulk of his professional career in the financial services industry. Ibrahima is an engineer by training, but spent most of his career in the hospitality industry. Their mission with Ginjan is to make African food, drink, and aesthetics and integral part of global mainstream culture.

*CPG = consumer packaged goods

Find Ginjan Brothers online: www.drinkginjan.com

Ginjan Bros. Social: @ginjanbros + @ginjancafe

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Photo Courtesy of Ginjan Brothers

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Lotte Wouters has been building food movements and campaigning for a just and sustainable food system since 2009 in the Netherlands, Lebanon and now Ghana.

In 2012, she founded The Food Line-up, now one of the largest sustainable catering companies in the Netherlands.

Beginning 2018 she moved to Ghana and founded the Ghana Food Movement together with a group of movers and shakers in Ghana's food scene to celebrate, preserve and redefine Ghana's food culture. She also founded PR and marketing agency Food Tribe (www.foodtribe.org) that promotes African Food Culture outside the continent.

Find the Ghana Food Movement online:
YouTube channel: https://tinyurl.com/y48zzhzh
Instagram: instagram.com/ghanafoodmovement/
Website: www.ghanafoodmovement.com

Follow Lotte and her work online:
Instagram: @lotte.wouters
Website: www.foodtribe.org

Photo Courtesy of Lotte Wouters

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This week’s guest is Zimbabwean-born Dr. Tapiwa Guzha. Founder of Tapi Tapi, producing handcrafted ice cream, inspired by the unique flavors of African ingredients. 

Based in Cape Town, Tapiwa's work is focused on rehabilitation of the collective African esteem around cultural identity, within and beyond food.

“In part, Tapi Tapi is focused on rehabilitating the self-esteem of people from the continent about our food practices, as well as our culture and beliefs. I use food because it’s universal, people need to eat. So it’s a nice tool to get people to listen.”

Find Tapi Tapi online: https://www.tapitapi.co.za

Tapi Tapi on Instagram @_tapi_tapi

Photo Courtesy of Tapiwa Guzha

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This season, we’re showcasing stories from the inaugural class of Changing Narratives Africa Fellowship, a highly selective program for African food entrepreneurs who are ready to scale their brands into global markets. This week’s guest is William Omamo, a Kenyan national and trained hospitality professional with over 20 years of industry experience. He is a graduate of Les Roches Global Education Switzerland. William's career has seen him work with world-class organizations leaving a footprint in 4 countries on the African continent. As an entrepreneur, William’s passion to be creative & innovative saw him startup 3 coffee shops & a pub/steakhouse during his career. He is also the brains behind “CAKE-ZERO”; a unique high-fiber sugar-free natural fruit-sweetened cake which is fast gaining popularity with health conscious folks in Nairobi. His venture into hot pepper farming & value addition dates back to 2009. Initially the pepper business was a side hustle, but with the onset of COVID19 William had to step up and commercialize the hot pepper enterprise to what it is today; a trail-blazing enterprise which aims to produce the most favored table condiments and cooking ingredients Out of Africa. Our long-term ambition is to establish a world-class agro-tourism destination on Lake Victoria, Kenya.

Find KnK Peppers online at: https://knkpeppers.com/

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This week’s guest is Lola Adeyemi, Founder of It’s Souper. After working for over a decade in the corporate IT world, Lola Adeyemi decided to quit her job to focus on 'It's Souper', an Afro-fusion soup line she launched in November 2018.

She felt that there was a need to fill a void that currently exists in the Canadian Retail space for African inspired/ethnic recipes made “By Us for All". It’s Souper is the first African & Black Owned Soup line in Canada.

These recipes are shaking up the soup aisle with a burst of flavor and taste that keeps customers coming back.

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Season 4 is finally here. Find out what to expect, including some major news!

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This week’s guest is Afia Amoako , a PhD student who loves talking about veganism as it relates to my culture. On her platforms, she shares easy vegan recipes that highlight Ghanaian and West African food culture, ingredients and cooking methods. She challenges her audience to think outside the box when it comes to living a vegan lifestyle as it pertains to culture, food and history.

Find Afia on Instagram: @thecanadianafrican and online at thecanadianafrican.com 

Photo courtesy of Afia Amoako

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Zinyusile Khumbula (Zi) was born in Zimbabwe and spent some of his childhood in South Africa. He moved to the United States in September 2009 and been a resident of Harlem since 2014 where he has launched New York’s First Pop Up African Taqueria, Taco Africana. Zi’s daily inspiration is the mission of sharing Ubuntu (humanity to others) through food and fellowship. With his Tacos, Zi aims to create unique dining experiences that become a comfortable space, allowing people from all walks of life to come together and share their backgrounds, cultures, life experiences and authentically delicious food!

Zi is a self taught Chef who discovered his passion for cooking and food at a very tender age. His grandmother laid the foundation for his skills. With the help from Careers through Culinary Arts program (C-CAP), Zi was able to enroll in the Hospitality Management Program at the Institute of Culinary Education (ICE). His culinary education is from YouTube and Google. Throughout his education, he began to curate meals that became uniquely memorable and culturally driven experiences that reflect not only his expertise in the kitchen, but also the flavors, textures, colors and beauty of Africa. “My dream is to continue building on the work Nelson Mandela started in South Africa and spread it all over the world,” he says. “We host intimate moments that drive people to talk and get to know each other while breaking bread. Our catering niche is African Fusion Cuisine. We specialize in cooking traditional and authentic dishes that incorporate ingredients and techniques from other cultures. Think tacos, shrimp & grits, street sandwiches and chicken and waffles with a flavorful African flare.”

Photo courtesy of Zinyusile Khumbula.

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Margaret is the founder of Kahawa 1893 Coffee. She is a third generation coffee farmer from Kenya and grew up on a coffee farm immigrating to the USA. After earning her MBA from Harvard, she went on to work on Wall Street, where she rediscovered her passion for coffee. She founded Kahawa 1893 with a mission to close the gender gap in coffee. In Kenya, over 90% of labor in coffee comes from women. However, they aren't fairly compensated because they don't own the land. Margaret's coffee is roasted and distributed from San Francisco and the brand recently launched in Trader Joe's - the first black & woman-owned coffee brand to launch in the grocery chain.

Photo courtesy of Margaret Nyamumbo.

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This week’s guest is Dominique Tolbert, entrepreneur and owner of TLBRT Hospitality & Mesean Spices. Dominique grew up in Maryland in a Liberian household, being introduced to the flavors of West African and Caribbean cuisine early on. Since then, her travels have taken her throughout the US and around the world, allowing her to explore and experience the cuisines of many cultures.

The art of bringing food and people together started when hosting Sunday Dinner parties for friends in New York City, giving them the opportunity to be some of Dominique's first and favorite food critics to date. These experiences have ultimately served as a model for today and future business to come.

Dominique holds a degree in Hotel & Tourism Management from NYU, has experience as a restaurant manager with MGM Resorts in Las Vegas, as a cook with Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, working her way around the kitchen on multiple stations, and now as a business owner. She currently owns TLBRT Hospitality, a catering and events company, and Mesean Spices, a company that creates spice blends inspired by the African Diaspora.

She is also a full-time MBA student at George Washington University in DC and has most recently completed GW's Summer Start-Up Accelerator for entrepreneurs.

Find Dominique & her businesses online:

www.tlbrthospitality.com (and Facebook, Instagram)

www.meseanspices.com (and Facebook, Instagram) www.linkedin.com/dominique-tolbert

Clarification Note:

When talking about the Liberian dish, ""torborgee,"" there are two types: beans torborgee and torborgee made with kittley and bitter ball. Dominique misspoke and said it was made with okra.

Photo Courtesy of Dominique Tolbert / Rian Watkins

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Ginjan Brothers was founded by Mohammed Diallo & Ibrahima Diallo. The brothers immigrated to the States in their early teens, 13 & 14, respectively. Mohammed has a formal training in business management and spent the bulk of his professional career in the financial services industry. Ibrahima is an engineer by training, but spent most of his career in the hospitality industry. Their mission with Ginjan is to make African food, drink, and aesthetics and integral part of global mainstream culture.

*CPG = consumer packaged goods

Find Ginjan Brothers online: www.drinkginjan.com

Ginjan Bros. Social: @ginjanbros + @ginjancafe

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Photo Courtesy of Ginjan Brothers

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A Queens, NY native, Nkem Oghedo is the founder of Adá, a community & online destination for global Black food culture. Previously, she worked in management consulting and served as the Chief of Staff of wellness tech startup, Care/of. Her professional mission is to create equitable economies in which Black communities thrive. She holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Yale University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Find Adá online: https://www.withada.co/

And on Instagram @adaexperiences

Photo Courtesy of Nkem Oghedo

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Whitney Osei-Akintaju was born in Kibi, Ghana, and migrated to the United States with her father when she was six years old. In her sophomore year of high school, she took a web design and multimedia class which sparked her passion for tech. In 2011, she began competing in pageants and was named Miss West Africa USA First Runner-Up. She was also Miss Ghana Tourism USA 2015. Her corporate career began in banking and finance working for companies like Bank of America. From there she moved into tech, working for Sage Software and Apple as a Technical Analyst. In 2017, while working at The 100 Companies as an engagement coordinator, she was pregnant with her first child, Cassidy. A busy mom, she searched for ways to purchase high-quality, authentic African grocery items online. Unable to find any, she decided to create one. Ethnic District is an e-commerce marketplace where African CPG brands can sell their products directly to customers, retail and wholesale. She started Ethnic District with just $80 and has grown it into a six-figure business organically as a solo entrepreneur. Companies like Warner Brothers Studios, CBS, and the Museum of Food and Drink have already used Ethnic District to source products for PR packages, events, and recipe boxes. She is an IfundWomen Entrepreneur of the Year Semifinalist in the Food and Beverage Category. With Ethnic District, Whitney hopes to bring more awareness to African products and make them more easily accessible in the western world. She wants to see African products become a part of mainstream American consumer culture. She also wants to provide tools and resources for makers in Africa to create products that meet international standards so that the continent can capture more market share in the CPG space.

Photo courtesy of Whitney Osei-Akintaju.

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