In this episode, we speak with Maya Camille Brossard. She is the founder of Justice of the Pies, founded in 2014. Her inspiration was her late father’s. He was a Criminal Defense Attorney. And he loved pies. She calls him…
Keena Ward of AK Candles was always interested in creating a candle business. During the pandemic, many companies were forced to downsize. Keena decided to use that uncertainty and her desire to be her own boss as a catalyst for…
Happy New Year, listeners! A new year means an all-new episode of Zora Talks. Joining us for episode 18 is Thad Smith, owner and founder of Westside Bee Boyz, a black-owned Chicago apiary that specializes in selling beekeeping supplies and…
Just before nationwide COVID-19 lockdowns hit, Lori Lefcourt took a trip to New York to meet with investors to help fund her plant-based coffee creamer business, Unicreamer. On this trip, she met with an investor who offered to buy out…
Three months after adopting a plant-based diet, Before the Butcher founder and president, Danny O’Malley’s cholesterol level dropped over 70 points. Thinking that high cholesterol ran in the family, he was shocked by his results. This diet paired with more…
Over six years ago, Chicago physicians, Romy Block and Arielle Levitan noticed that they spent a lot of time discussing vitamins with their patients. They’d dealt with many patients who were confused on what multivitamins they should be taking and…
Ten years ago, Malik Turley, founder of Hip Circle Empowerment Center, saw that many women had a tough time feeling comfortable at the gym. So she started teaching classes around the community. When her community of attendees grew, Malik wanted…
When lil’gourmets founder, Shibani Baluja struggled to get pregnant, she became cognizant of the food she was putting in her body. She reevaluated her diet, cut out all processed foods, and turned to healthy options in hopes of getting pregnant.…
When Toyin Kolawole started Iya Foods, she had a vision of providing nourishing, African foods that use ingredients sourced from Nigeria and the US. Her passion for healthy eating connects to her Nigerian roots. Having grown up in Nigeria, Toyin…
“Have you ever gone on Craigslist looking for an espresso machine and ended up buying a coffee shop?” That’s what Melissa Villanueva, owner of Brewpoint Coffee, joked about when asked to explain how she opened her first coffee shop. In…