Brunch & Learn Podcast

Meet Maya:

Maya MacLaughlin is the Co-Founder and Owner of Maya's Syrup & Jam, together with her mother and grandmother. Early on into starting her company, Maya and her family began a tiny orchard in the Catskill Mountains growing some of the most unique and hard-to-find fruits and flowers like black currants and elderflowers. Over the years their products have won several national and international culinary awards. Most recently Maya’s won a Good Food Award for their Peaches + Lavender Syrup.
Maya was born and raised in Germany and moved to the US in 2007 to attend Bard College in Upstate NY. She just got married to her high school sweetheart from Germany in a tiny pandemic wedding in her favorite bakery in the Catskills. She lives in Manhattan and loves to explore the NYC cocktail scene, playing ukulele and picnicking in the park.

Website: https://www.mayasjams.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mayassyrup

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About Us - Women Who Brunch:
Women Who Brunch is a community for  women who love connecting, networking, and learning from each other over the most important meal of the week...BRUNCH!

Check out our website for updates on events, recipes, brunch spots, product reviews and more or say hi on Instagram!

WWB Website: https://womenwhobrunch.com
WWB Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenwhobrunch

Support the show

About Us - Women Who Brunch:

Women Who Brunch is a food community and event series for women who love connecting, networking, and learning from each other over the most important meal of the week...BRUNCH!

We're solving the problem of making adult friendships while doing cool stuff in the Hudson Vally, NY.

Visit our website for updates on events, recipes, brunch spots, product reviews, and more or say hi on Instagram!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenwhobrunch
Website: https://womenwhobrunch.com

Meet Alexandra Shytsman

Recipe developer, writer, photographer, and founder of The New Baguette, a plant-based cooking blog. My mission is to promote wellness through food and inspire others to cook more healthy meals at home. I'm the author of Friendsgiving and co-author of The Complete Vegan Cookbook. I also teach food photography and plant-based cooking classes at ICE and contribute to sites like The Kitchn and Food52.

Website: https://thenewbaguette.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenewbaguette/
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About Us - Women Who Brunch:
Women Who Brunch is a community for  women who love connecting, networking, and learning from each other over the most important meal of the week...BRUNCH!

Check out our website for updates on events, recipes, brunch spots, product reviews and more or say hi on Instagram!

WWB Website: https://womenwhobrunch.com
WWB Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenwhobrunch

Support the show

About Us - Women Who Brunch:

Women Who Brunch is a food community and event series for women who love connecting, networking, and learning from each other over the most important meal of the week...BRUNCH!

We're solving the problem of making adult friendships while doing cool stuff in the Hudson Vally, NY.

Visit our website for updates on events, recipes, brunch spots, product reviews, and more or say hi on Instagram!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenwhobrunch
Website: https://womenwhobrunch.com

Meet Janique Edwards, COO / Co-Founder

Janique is a team leader with the ability to connect, organize, maximize productivity and improve program efficiency. and started her career with the Department of Homeland Security as a Mission Support Specialist providing administrative support services to smaller subdivisions within the agency. In 2017, she was promoted to the role of a Management and Program Analyst, where she currently uses her skills to examine and execute administrative support programs with the goal of increasing agency productivity.

As COO / Co-Founder of EatOkra, Janique focuses on sourcing and managing business data to attract more users, while developing the company’s brand identity and mission. The company now includes a team of eight; She oversees the daily operations of the company while also focusing on developing company culture, defining the overall mission and values, revising brand identity, managing team morale, framing business goals, and building strong industry relationships. Janique is a graduate of Herbert H. Lehman College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English.

EatOkra was founded by husband and wife Anthony Edwards, Jr (CEO) and Janique Edwards (COO) in Brooklyn, NY as a comprehensive, user-friendly Black-owned business directory app that makes Black food and beverage the focal point. EatOkra’s mission is to provide a food-themed directory that encourages fellowship through one specific avenue, Black food.
Since their 2016 debut, EatOkra has welcomed welcomed 300,000+ users; features 5,700+ Black-owned restaurants, bakeries, cafes, food trucks, bars and wineries across the U.S. are featured on the app and have been featured in the following media outlets: CuisineNoir, Forbes, Fox News Business, NBC New York, People, Thrillist and more.

The Edwards reside in Brooklyn, NY with their lovely daughter Bradley.

What You'll Learn in this Episode: 

• How Janique and her husband Anthony started Eat Okra
• Diversity Janique see in Black-owned restaurants nationwide
• Corporate partnerships and sponsor The Food Truck Scholar and future partnerships and initiatives in the works with Eat Okra 

Website: https://www.eatokra.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eatokraTheApp

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About Us - Women Who Brunch:
Women Who Brunch is a community for  women who love connecting, networking, and learning from each other over the most important meal of the week...BRUNCH!

Check out our website for updates on events, recipes, brunch spots, product reviews and more or say hi on Instagram!

WWB Website: https://womenwhobrunch.com
WWB Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenwhobrunch

Support the show

About Us - Women Who Brunch:

Women Who Brunch is a food community and event series for women who love connecting, networking, and learning from each other over the most important meal of the week...BRUNCH!

We're solving the problem of making adult friendships while doing cool stuff in the Hudson Vally, NY.

Visit our website for updates on events, recipes, brunch spots, product reviews, and more or say hi on Instagram!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenwhobrunch
Website: https://womenwhobrunch.com

Tali, an Ohio native was raised with strong family values. As a child, she always knew what she wanted and wasn’t afraid to fight for it. She has strong ties to her Hungarian and Israeli roots and is very connected to both cultures.

Tali ventured to the ‘Big Apple’ in 2005 to attend the Laboratory Institute of Merchandising. She graduated with a Bachelor in Business Administration with a major in Fashion Merchandising and a minor in Fashion Styling. Tali believes that there is a great parallel in
working with fashion and food.

In 2007, she was hired at KCD, New York’s leading PR/Production company where she tailored fashion shows and photo shoots for designers such as Chanel, Marc Jacobs, Zac Posen, and Vera Wang. In 2009, Tali joined forces with Antony Todd, New York’s most elite
Event Designer, in creating exquisite tablescapes and design installations for clients including Elton John, Victoria’s Secret, Bulgari, and Harry Winston. In 2010, Tali worked with Primary Wave Music in planning their annual Grammy Party in LA while cultivating strategic marketing initiatives and brand partnerships with new and existing clients. In late 2010, Tali was hired as the senior catering manager at Esprit Events. In this role, she worked alongside Chef Guy in crafting intricate new menus and focused her efforts on business development.

While at Esprit Events, the idea of Beyond Sushi came to fruition and in December 2012, Guy and Tali took a leap of faith to open their first brick and mortar location. Tali took on all aspects of business development, marketing and developed the Beyond Sushi catering division. Her background in fashion and styling has made Tali a visionary in all design aspects
for each restaurant location with the talented team at Atal Design Group. Tali and Guy wed in August 2013 and welcomed two sons in 2014 and 2018. Their growing family is now the driving force behind their dedication to Beyond Sushi.

Beyond Sushi Website: https://beyondsushi.com
Willow Website: https://willownewyork.com

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About Us - Women Who Brunch:
Women Who Brunch is a community for  women who love connecting, networking, and learning from each other over the most important meal of the week...BRUNCH!

Check out our website for updates on events, recipes, brunch spots, product reviews and more or say hi on Instagram!

WWB Website: https://womenwhobrunch.com
WWB Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenwhobrunch

Support the show

About Us - Women Who Brunch:

Women Who Brunch is a food community and event series for women who love connecting, networking, and learning from each other over the most important meal of the week...BRUNCH!

We're solving the problem of making adult friendships while doing cool stuff in the Hudson Vally, NY.

Visit our website for updates on events, recipes, brunch spots, product reviews, and more or say hi on Instagram!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenwhobrunch
Website: https://womenwhobrunch.com

Meet Allison:

As Founder and CEO of Square One Organic Spirits, Allison Evanow is the chief strategist, operations officer and visionary for Square One Organic Spirits, the U.S.’s first all organic spirits company she started in 2004. Since the launch of Square One Organic Vodka in 2006, Evanow has lead the company’s growth as a successful, independent spirits company with a portfolio of five organic spirits and distribution across the US and several countries. She was also one of the first women to start her own spirits brand in the U.S. and is recognized for mentoring other women spirits entrepreneurs as they have launched their own product lines. Square One Organic Spirits is a WBENC certified company (Women Business Enterprise National Certification).

In 2019 and 2020, Evanow is leading Square One into a broader category of organic and botanic products, with the introduction of a line of 5 organic non-alcoholic cocktail mixers and 4 ready-to-drink canned cocktails. As has been typical of Square One and Allison’s trajectory, they are a company of firsts and this portfolio of products is the only USDA Organic portfolio of spirits, non-alc mixers and RTD cocktails in the U.S. market.
Allison is a graduate of the University of Virginia and also holds an MBA from Thunderbird School of Global Management. After starting Square One in Marin County, CA and living there for 14 years, Allison and her family now call Charlottesville, VA home.

What You'll Learn in this Episode: 

• How Allison got started in  the spirits industry.
• More about her company  Square One Organic Spirits
• What mentorship look like and advice Allison has  for fellow women in the spirits industry.
• How organic translates to the quality of spirits and it's benefits to the planet.

Website: https://squareoneorganicspirits.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/squareoneorganicspirits
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About Us - Women Who Brunch:
Women Who Brunch is a community for  women who love connecting, networking, and learning from each other over the most important meal of the week...BRUNCH!

Check out our website for updates on events, recipes, brunch spots, product reviews and more or say hi on Instagram!

WWB Website: https://womenwhobrunch.com
WWB Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenwhobrunch

Support the show

About Us - Women Who Brunch:

Women Who Brunch is a food community and event series for women who love connecting, networking, and learning from each other over the most important meal of the week...BRUNCH!

We're solving the problem of making adult friendships while doing cool stuff in the Hudson Vally, NY.

Visit our website for updates on events, recipes, brunch spots, product reviews, and more or say hi on Instagram!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenwhobrunch
Website: https://womenwhobrunch.com

Meet Melba:

Melba Tellez is a Marketing Manager at Amazon and the proud founder of @mujeresontherise - a platform that connects Latina women and provides them with the empowerment, support, and tools they need to grow their careers and build the life they’ve always wanted.

After successfully overcoming many obstacles, such as dropping out of high school at the age of 16, she is now sharing the lessons she’s learned and offering resume consultations and 1:1 career coaching, in hopes of encouraging other Latina women to face their fears and go after the career and lifestyle of their dreams.

Melba has two degrees - a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and a Master of Science in Marketing. When she's not empowering women or tackling her next marketing project, you can usually catch her writing or watching reruns of The Office.

What You'll Learn in this Episode: 

• Her community and when she started Mujeres On the Rise. 
• Best tips or advice on the topic of resumes, job searching,  and overall career growth.
• What makes her so passionate about women's advocacy and equal pay. 
• Facts about equal pay and the wage gap.
• Latina communities or women we should know about.

Website:  https://www.mujeresontherise.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mujeresontherise

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About Us - Women Who Brunch:
Women Who Brunch is a community for  women who love connecting, networking, and learning from each other over the most important meal of the week...BRUNCH!

Check out our website for updates on events, recipes, brunch spots, product reviews and more or say hi on Instagram!

WWB Website: https://womenwhobrunch.com
WWB Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenwhobrunch

Support the show

About Us - Women Who Brunch:

Women Who Brunch is a food community and event series for women who love connecting, networking, and learning from each other over the most important meal of the week...BRUNCH!

We're solving the problem of making adult friendships while doing cool stuff in the Hudson Vally, NY.

Visit our website for updates on events, recipes, brunch spots, product reviews, and more or say hi on Instagram!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenwhobrunch
Website: https://womenwhobrunch.com

Meet Chelsea Food:

Chelsea Ford is a highly regarded and award winning collaboration and business growth expert, coach and mentor. Chelsea helps foodpreneurs realise their dreams. Chelsea is the founder of the powerful and purposeful network, Females in Food® and creator of the Foodpreneurs Formula® group coaching program for women building food or drink products or services, catering businesses, culinary education services or packaged meal businesses.

Chelsea is admired for her dedication to helping food and drink businesses of all sizes work 'on' their business so they experience exceptional business and financial growth. She is known for her sound strategic advice, her authentic coaching approach and her results-driven mindset - all of which have helped thousands of food and drink business leaders and foodpreneurs grow their businesses.

In 2017 Chelsea was recognised for her entrepreneurial success by being named as a Top 50 Small Business Leader by Inside Small Business Magazine. She advocates for purpose-based business objectives and a key attribute to Chelsea’s counsel is her encouragement of women to back themselves and for people to understand their unconscious bias.

Prior to this, Chelsea had over 20 years of senior executive experience, leading teams for some of the world’s most prominent food, beverage and consumer goods organisations including Kellogg, Nestle, Spotless, Douwe Egberts, Dyson and Staples.

What You'll Learn in this Episode: 

• What inspired Chelsea  to start working with foodpreneurs.
• The struggles she sees foodpreneurs face.
• Foodpreneur Journey and it's growth stages (Commercialize, Activate, Breakthrough).
• Entrepreneurship tips or learnings or wisdom .

Website: https://www.chelseaford.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/females.in.food
Females in Food: http://femalesinfood.com

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About Us - Women Who Brunch:
Women Who Brunch is a community for  women who love connecting, networking, and learning from each other over the most important meal of the week...BRUNCH!

Check out our website for updates on events, recipes, brunch spots, product reviews and more or say hi on Instagram!

WWB Website: https://womenwhobrunch.com
WWB Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenwhobrunch

Support the show

About Us - Women Who Brunch:

Women Who Brunch is a food community and event series for women who love connecting, networking, and learning from each other over the most important meal of the week...BRUNCH!

We're solving the problem of making adult friendships while doing cool stuff in the Hudson Vally, NY.

Visit our website for updates on events, recipes, brunch spots, product reviews, and more or say hi on Instagram!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenwhobrunch
Website: https://womenwhobrunch.com

Meet Jelena:

Born and raised in Croatia, Jelena Pasic's journey to culinary came from her passion as a lover of food and travel. Jelena graduated at the top of her class with a Business degree from the University of Rijeka, Croatia and worked in the corporate sector for most of her post-graduate career before moving to the United States.

Once in the United States, Jelena began a family and a family business - co-owning and operating three restaurants in Washington Heights, NY while raising two daughters. After nearly eight years of success, change came to Jelena's life and she found comfort in a new community -- Harlem, NY. Jelena fell in love with historical architecture, ground-breaking history and the intergenerational community members and realized the need for a great restaurant celebrating the culture of Harlem past, present and future.

Jelena pulled in support from fellow Croatia friend and restaurant professional Emil Radoncic (Chief Operating Officer) to co-create Harlem Shake - a fast casual restaurant serving burgers, fries, shakes and good times - and two additional partners - Dennis Decker, Brand Manager and Dardra Coaxum, Partner & Social Media Manager to round out the team.

Jelena handles all administrative and leadership duties, interfaces with communications agency, community engagement, philanthropic partnerships and is the milkshake curator! Jelena has been honored by the MAMA Foundation and Harlem Chamber of Commerce. Since 2014, Jelena and her team have made Harlem Shake a formidable competitor to other burger focused restaurants (chains and stand-alone) with award-winning and critically-acclaimed menu selections and most importantly hiring from the marginalized community and creating a culture of inclusiveness - from in-store / off-site partnerships, programming, and staffing.

Jelena looks forward to taking Harlem Shake around the world in the near future while managing marriage and raising her three daughters.

What You'll Learn in this Episode: 

• History of how Harlem Shake got started - hint it was before the Harlem Shake meme and dance.
• Jelena's favorite things on the menu, you must try!
• Running a restaurant as a woman.
• Maintaining a restaurant through pandemic.
• How Harlem Shake is celebrating Women's History Month.
• What's next for Harlem Shake.

Website: https://www.harlemshakenyc.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harlemshakenyc

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About Us - Women Who Brunch:
Women Who Brunch is a community for  women who love connecting, networking, and learning from each other over the most important meal of the week...BRUNCH!

Check out our website for updates on events, recipes, brunch spots, product reviews and more or say hi on Instagram!

WWB Website: https://womenwhobrunch.com
WWB Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenwhobrunch

Support the show

About Us - Women Who Brunch:

Women Who Brunch is a food community and event series for women who love connecting, networking, and learning from each other over the most important meal of the week...BRUNCH!

We're solving the problem of making adult friendships while doing cool stuff in the Hudson Vally, NY.

Visit our website for updates on events, recipes, brunch spots, product reviews, and more or say hi on Instagram!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenwhobrunch
Website: https://womenwhobrunch.com

Marisel Salazar is a New York City-based food writer for publications like the Michelin Guide, Zagat, VinePair, StarChefs, Bon Appétit, and more. She is the creator of the Michelin Guide's popular column Eating Off Duty: What celebrated chefs eat outside their kitchens. Salazar is also a member of the Newswomen’s Press Club of New York and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists. She has interviewed figures from Michelin-starred and World's 50 Best chefs and politicians to undocumented restaurant workers.

She is the host of United States of Spirits on Spirits Network and Driven to Dine on MSG Networks. Her feature on GoDaddy's School of Hustle is one of the most viewed and highest rated episodes. Salazar was recently a guest on Food & Wine's newest show Beat the Receipt. She has been interviewed on ABC10, NY1, and more. She is currently working on her debut documentary about restaurants during the pandemic.

What You'll Learn in this Episode: 

• How Marisel got her start in food media and food writing
• Underrepresented communities within the food industry. including undocumented and immigrants in food and other issues in the restaurant industry.
• Hispanic cuisine - Favorite dishes to make. Favorite Chefs and Latina/os in Food we should know about.
• On-camera tips for anyone starting out to gain more confidence on-camera
• Stories about her interviews with world famous chefs; what they like to eat for brunch. 

Website: http://www.mariselsalazar.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariselmsalazar

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Women Who Brunch is a community for  women who love connecting, networking, and learning from each other over the most important meal of the week...BRUNCH!

Check out our website for updates on events, recipes, brunch spots, product reviews and more or say hi on Instagram!

WWB Website: https://womenwhobrunch.com
WWB Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenwhobrunch

Support the show

About Us - Women Who Brunch:

Women Who Brunch is a food community and event series for women who love connecting, networking, and learning from each other over the most important meal of the week...BRUNCH!

We're solving the problem of making adult friendships while doing cool stuff in the Hudson Vally, NY.

Visit our website for updates on events, recipes, brunch spots, product reviews, and more or say hi on Instagram!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenwhobrunch
Website: https://womenwhobrunch.com

Meet Sharene (Shay) Wood:

President & CEO, Entrepreneur. Mother. Philanthropist. Wife. -- Sharene Wood wears many hats as a woman on the go! She is President & CEO of 5001 FLAVORS , Harlem Haberdashery and HH Bespoke Spirits. Sharene is responsible for all administrative and visionary for her family’s growing fashion and lifestyle empire. Her keen business sense and love of fashion make her a perfect manager and integral part of the company. She also contributes greatly in the company’s client relationship building efforts.

HH Bespoke Spirits draws inspiration from the rich cultural history and distinctive style of the Harlem Renaissance. The spirit collection, featuring gin, award-winning rum and vodka, launched in November 2018 and received accolades from Black Enterprise, New York Amsterdam News, The New York Times and Thrillist is currently carried in numerous retailers and hospitality establishments in New York City and California.

Sharene is a philanthropist supporting Boys & Girls Club of Harlem, Food Bank of New York, NYC Health & Hospitals/Harlem (formerly Harlem Hospital Center) and #TakeCareofHarlem. She is the Board Chair for Black Women For Black Girls and #TakeCareOfHarlem. Sharene is the recipient of Crain’s 2021 Notable Black Leaders & Executives award, Museum of the City of New York 2020 Changemakers Award, Council Member Inez E. Dickens and Sylvia & Herbert Wood Scholarship Foundation (along with her husband Guy). 

Sharene is a native New Yorker - born and raised in Harlem. Sharene is a proud graduate of Columbia University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology. She is an active Prep For Prep Alum. Sharene happily resides in New Jersey with her family.

Brands:
Shay Wood Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shayswood
Website: https://www.thewoodenterprises.com

HH Bespoke Spirit Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hhbespokespirit
HH Bespoke Spirit Website: https://hhbespokespirits.com

5001 Flavors Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/5001flavors
5001 Flavors Website: https://www.5001flavors.com

Harlem Haberdashery Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/haberdasherynyc
Harlem Haberdashery Website: https://www.harlemhaberdashery.com

Marvelous Waters Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MarvelousWaters
Marvelous Waters Website: https://www.marvelouswaters.com

Philanthropy:
Take Care of Harlem: https://www.takecareofharlem.com
Black Women for Black Girls: https://bw4bg.org

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About Us - Women Who Brunch:
Women Who Brunch is a community for  women who love connecting, networking, and learning from each other over the most important meal of the week...BRUNCH!

Check out our website for updates on events, recipes, brunch spots, product reviews and more or say hi on Instagram!

WWB Website: https://womenwhobrunch.com
WWB Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenwhobrunch

Support the show

About Us - Women Who Brunch:

Women Who Brunch is a food community and event series for women who love connecting, networking, and learning from each other over the most important meal of the week...BRUNCH!

We're solving the problem of making adult friendships while doing cool stuff in the Hudson Vally, NY.

Visit our website for updates on events, recipes, brunch spots, product reviews, and more or say hi on Instagram!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenwhobrunch
Website: https://womenwhobrunch.com