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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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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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 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.

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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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 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 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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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 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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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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Photo Courtesy of Abena Foli.

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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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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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Photo Courtesy of Tina Munzu.

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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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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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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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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

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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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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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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Photo Courtesy of Cynthia Péan.

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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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Photo Courtesy of Brandon Romagnoli.

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

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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

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

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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.
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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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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!