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What if the meal you grew up with is what gets you through the hardest parts of building a company?
In this episode of Founders Fridge, host Heidi Knoblauch sits down with Sumorwuo Zaza, co-founder of nicklpass, to explore how childhood meals and family traditions can shape the way founders lead and persevere.
Zaza grew up in a Liberian household where “food is medicine.” Meals weren’t just for eating—they were preparation. Rice, protein, and greens fueled long days of learning and work, while Friday night burgers and once-in-a-while pizza became symbols of celebration and progress.
Today, as Zaza builds Nicklpass—a B2B platform that gives professionals single sign-on access to hundreds of premium news and data sources—he still leans on those lessons. When things are going well, it is a burger. When things are tough, he goes back to basics: rice, spinach, and focus.
This conversation explores the connection between food, culture, and entrepreneurship—and how the rituals we learn early in life can carry us through the hardest moments of building something new.
Listen to hear:
- How Nicklpass evolved from a blockchain micropayments startup to a patented SaaS platform
- Why food and leadership are more connected than we think
- The meaning of “food is medicine” in Zaza’s life and work
- What is really in his fridge
Subscribe to Founders Fridge for more conversations about the meals that feed founders—and the habits that hold everything together.
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