Ephrem reduces food waste and produces sustainable snacks made from authentic Brooklyn bagels. His delicious bagel chips are handcrafted in small batches daily, ensuring they are always fresh and of high quality. Ephrem decided to begin producing bagel chips after seeing the high levels of waste in the bagel industry during his earlier career. Ephrem focuses on making his authentic and sustainable bagel chips available nationwide.
Cassandre operates a fun, thoughtful cafe that serves as a hub for local community activities and conversations. Her menu includes a range of options inspired by her cultural roots. Cassandre also hosts significant events, including art shows, open mic nights, cultural conversation groups, and concerts.
Marlene has always enjoyed baking and has shared her delicious creations with friends and family for many years. In high school, when classmates tasted and loved her desserts, she began perfecting and selling her recipes. Since then, she has continued to pour her heart into her pastries, creating a brand that is welcoming and keeps people coming back for more. She hopes to make her business more official and begin selling wholesale to spread the love beyond her circle!
Afua has reimagined a classic West African beverage and sells a delicious Roselle Hibiscus tea which does not contain any artificial preservatives, sweeteners, flavors, or extracts, and is made only with healthful, organic ingredients. This is her way of challenging the way we think about Africa's contribution to the global food and beverage industry, and addressing the lack of representation of African inspired products.
For over 30 years, Angela has operated a Bronx-based store selling chocolate products, gifts, cooking supplies and more. She creates a personal experience for all those who come, and her customers trust her to always provide fresh, high-quality products. Angela is working to expand her family-owned business to include an online store as she continues to grow the business.
Erica and Maleka sell desserts that are made-to-order and made from scratch. They thoughtfully source all and have a menu that changes seasonally. They pride themselves in crafting unique flavors, sourcing organic ingredients, and creating rustic, simple, and elegant cakes for a wedding. When the pandemic happened they had to pivot into making pastries since most events were rescheduled, and they now have two locations: one in LA where Erica lives and one in the Bay area where Malaka lives.
Young Kyun Bae and her son, Ju, have been operating a Korean BBQ restaurant in the Temescal area of Oakland for the past 2 years. They serve classic Korean dishes like Soft Tofu and take pride in creating a relaxed, family-friendly environment. They are expanding their catering business and increasing their online presence.
Hannah is the owner of an ice cream sandwich business in the Seattle area. She sells her products in local farmers markets and has met success with a few loyal customers, but struggles to make sales in the colder months. Hannah hopes to hire seasonal assistance so she may sell in additional markets and improve sales.
Juan is originally from Guadalajara, Mexico and prides himself in his unique culinary style which incorporates flavors and dishes from his region with a homemade quality and elevated plating. After he was laid off from his restaurant job due to the pandemic, he started taking orders from his community for homemade Chilaquiles. His cooking grew in popularity, especially after a feature in the New Yorker, and then he received a call from a friend offering him an incredible opportunity to take over a heavily trafficked restaurant space in Manhattan.
Shantell began making and selling coquito to spread love and positivity throughout the community during the holiday season and beyond. His delicious recipes are fresh and unique, perfect for the holidays or for a hot summer day. As Shantell spreads coquito to more and more people, he continues to treat each and every customer like family.