Posted by Yewande Odusanwo in on February 15, 2021
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 her business. After a year of research, while the crisis was in full swing, she […]
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Posted by Yewande Odusanwo in on January 12, 2021
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 honey products. Back when Thad worked as a beekeeper, he wanted to find a way […]
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Posted by Yewande Odusanwo in on December 2, 2020
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 Unicreamer’s SKUs and unite the coffee creamer brand with Zenfuel. Now as a co-founder of […]
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Posted by Yewande Odusanwo in on October 13, 2020
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 exercise, Danny knew that a plant-based diet was the best for him. This lifestyle change […]
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Posted by Yewande Odusanwo in on July 28, 2020
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 had seen multiple patients who came into their offices with bags full of vitamins unsure […]
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Posted by Yewande Odusanwo in on July 22, 2020
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 a space of her own to hold classes. She decided to open Hip Circle, an […]
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Posted by Yewande Odusanwo in on May 5, 2020
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. Her journey to get pregnant turned out to be a success, and she later had […]
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Posted by Yewande Odusanwo in on March 31, 2020
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 immediately noticed the difference between African foods and American foods that contain preservatives and artificial […]
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Posted by Yewande Odusanwo in on March 13, 2020
“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 episode 11 of Zora Talks, Melissa recounted the story of her journey to starting a […]
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Posted by Yewande Odusanwo in on January 15, 2020
In episode ten of Zora Talks, we interviewed Carla Christine, founder of Yoga Green Book. This online space promotes wellness through yoga and meditation by offering classes, challenges, and connecting members to instructors of color all over the country. Carla’s journey began when she was diagnosed with anxiety. A friend was concerned for her and […]
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