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 In...
Feb 28, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 82
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 @adaex...
Feb 22, 2023•34 min•Ep. 81
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...
Feb 14, 2023•53 min•Ep. 80
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 ...
Feb 07, 2023•48 min•Ep. 79
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 initiat...
Oct 04, 2022•38 min•Ep. 82
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,...
Sep 27, 2022•54 min•Ep. 78
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-dr...
Sep 13, 2022•42 min•Ep. 77
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/ ---- Photo Courtesy of Afua Ayisi Follow Item 13 on social media: Insta...
Jul 20, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 76
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 ...
Jul 12, 2022•53 min•Ep. 75
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 thi...
Jul 05, 2022•31 min•Ep. 74
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 Mon...
Jun 28, 2022•34 min•Ep. 73
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 ...
Mar 22, 2022•49 min•Ep. 72
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 wh...
Mar 01, 2022•30 min•Ep. 71
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 African...
Feb 15, 2022•41 min•Ep. 70
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 footprin...
Feb 06, 2022•55 min•Ep. 69
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, Ch...
Jan 31, 2022•48 min•Ep. 68
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 b...
Jan 28, 2022•1 hr 38 min•Ep. 82
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 tec...
Nov 16, 2021•51 min•Ep. 67
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 grow...
Nov 09, 2021•38 min•Ep. 66
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 sm...
Nov 02, 2021•38 min•Ep. 65
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...
Oct 26, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 64
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 roast...
Oct 05, 2021•57 min•Ep. 63
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...
Sep 28, 2021•58 min•Ep. 62
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. Follow Item 13 on social media: Instagram , Facebook and Twitter @item13podcast Don’t forget to subscribe & lea...
Sep 21, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 61
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 Fo...
Sep 14, 2021•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 60
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...
Jun 15, 2021•1 hr•Ep. 59
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,...
Mar 23, 2021•59 min•Ep. 58
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...
Mar 16, 2021•44 min•Ep. 57
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 ---- Follow Item 13 on social media: Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @item13podca...
Mar 09, 2021•52 min•Ep. 56
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 age...
Mar 02, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 55
