Planted in Miami

As a young boy growing up in Carol City, Chef Kofi probably never thought he would one day see the likes of Germany, Ghana, Afghanistan, and other countries ending in 'stan' and he probably never thought he would be jumping out of perfectly good airplanes either.  But leave it to the dreamers to defy beating the odds and overcoming obstacles that would otherwise thwart others from realizing their full potential.  Chef Kofi's potential?  The sky is the limit, but we think he may be gunning to be the dopest plant-based/I-tal chef the world has ever seen and to make Elemental Eating synonymous with his name.

Now it's time to get to know Chef Kofi.  Boom!

We hope you enjoy listening,

Jeanette & Alex

For behind the scenes show notes, photos and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com

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Pola Bunster is one of those rare Miami natives; you hear about them but they are difficult to come across as many more transplants claim The Magic City as their home.  And why wouldn’t they?  Miami has a plethora of beautiful beaches and beautiful people that frequent them, it’s always hot and sexy down here and you know, we have South Beach.  But Miami has so much more to offer than just its sunny beaches, oceans, and bikinis, and if anyone has seen their city grow up in the past 10 years or so it’s Pola Bunster – the Director of Storytelling at Prism Creative Group.

Born, raised, and educated in Miami, Pola is a proud Miamian who along with Isabella Acker, founder of Prism Creative Group, and the rest of the Prism team, is changing the way locals see and interact with their city.  Responsible for over 20 different events including The Miami Flea, Movies Under the Stars, and Rooftop Unplugged, Prism Creative Group is helping Miami break free from its identity crisis and finally come into its own.

This team of ardent “Culture Crusaders” is on a mission to elevate culture in Miami and to tell a story that won’t just be heard in Miami, but all over the world.

We hope you enjoy listening,

Jeanette & Alex

For behind the scenes photos, show notes and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com

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Before Natalie Davis’ son, Joshua graduated from high school she sat down with his guidance counselor discussing his next steps. She quickly realized that outside of traditional organizations helping autistic children transition to adulthood, there weren’t any social programs. So she created one.

Natalie along with Dr. Maccarrone and Marte Singerman created The Social Cog which is a year long program that offers coaching, engagement and monthly meet ups for autistic adults.  Now in its 4th year, the Social Cog is celebrating it's anniversary with a charity event in May called Sensation at The Gleason Room.

We had a great conversation with Natalie and hope you enjoy it.

Alex + Jeanette

For behind the scenes photos, show notes and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com

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Sara Yousuf is a firecracker.  Through her tenacity and determination she opened one of Miami’s only vinyl stores, Sweat Records, and has co-founded two leading progressive social organizations: Emerge Miami and Engage Miami. Oh and did we mention that she’s also a public defender for Miami-Dade County (more on that later). After moving from Michigan to Miami to attend UM, Sara quickly realized her activist tendencies and sought to create organizations that could mobilize people to make real and effective changes in the community.

Emerge Miami was created in 2005 with Bruce Wayne Stanley as a real life social network for people who wanted to make a difference. Engage Miami was created in 2015 as an official not-for-profit targeted to increase youth voter turnout through various campaigns and initiatives.

But Sara hasn’t stopped there, after attending an Action Club meeting at The Lab in Wynwood, she was asked to write down 150 life goals which led her to realize that by her continuing to practice law wouldn’t get her to where she wanted to be in life.  So she’s now on a 6 month sabbatical pursuing other interests such as The Plantain, which is a satirical website specifically dedicated to Miami as well as working on other interests.

Sit back, put on some headphones and enjoy the convo.

We hope you enjoy listening,

Alex & Jeanette

For behind the scenes show notes, photos and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com.

Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube @plantedinmiami

According to Felecia Hatcher-Pearson's high school guidance counselor, she shouldn't be the person she is today.  She was an average student who never enjoyed school but nonetheless discovered her entrepreneurial spirit early on. Felecia has gone on to become a White House award-winning social entrepreneur, business rainmaker, author, globally sought-after speaker, media darling, mother, and co-founder of Code Fever Miami and BlackTech Week.

In short, she's a go-getter.  She started running her first company out of her college dorm room at Lynn University at age 19 by teaching "C" students how they could apply and earn scholarships to go to college.  She worked in experiential marketing for years with popular and well known brands such as Walgreens and Nintendo which proved to be helpful when she created Feverish  - a high-end popsicle company that infused flavors adults would love.  And she started these companies not because she was an expert in those fields (she knew nothing about the food industry when she started Feverish) but because the entrepreneurial spirit and hands-on approach was always inside of her.

But that doesn't mean that success came easy.  There were a lot of tough times and failure that preceded all the success she enjoys today and it was hard work.  And although she may not have had all the experience or resources when she first started, as she so truthfully put it, it's about "getting creative with limited resources." She documents her best tips and strategies in her book 'Start Your Business On A Ramen Noodle Budget- 12 Lessons on Becoming a Young Entrepreneur When You Are Broke' in an easy, fast, and fun narrative which we enjoyed reading and highlighting several passages from.

She is someone we could all learn a thing or two from even if you never plan on becoming an entrepreneur.  Whatever it is you wish to achieve in life, remember this powerful statement from Felecia - "Get out of your own way."

We hope you enjoy listening,

Alex & Jeanette

For behind the scenes photos, show notes and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com.

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Deborah Rosenberg has always loved animals, so after learning about the atrocities occurring in various animal industries, she quickly turned her successful luxury interior design business, DiMare Design, into a cruelty-free/vegan design brand by replacing animal derived products with sustainable alternative materials.

Not only is DiMare Design cruelty-free, it is also a compassionate brand capable of designing beautiful spaces with the needs of allergy sufferers and those with autism and sensory challenges in mind.  After learning so much about the various industries and how it adversely affects not only animals, but the workers making these products and our environment,  Deborah set out to create a platform where others could learn what she did and help turn their businesses cruelty-free.

The mission of the Certified Cruelty Free Course is that through demonstration and education, from individuals and small business to large corporations, cruelty-free options will deliver success within their company and in saving the lives of animals.  With 120 million socially conscious consumers out there we hope that more businesses will start joining this cruelty-free and environmentally sustainable movement.

We hope you enjoy listening,

Alex & Jeanette

For behind the scenes photos, show notes and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com.
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The Thx Company, founded by brothers Ricardo Jose and Ricardo Juan Bueso, is turning the typical way companies sell consumers goods upside down.

Inspired by their socially minded father to always do good and give back, Thx Co. was founded in 2013 and first headquartered in their parents living room in Pembroke Pines, Florida.  With backgrounds in social development and degrees in Political Science and International Relations and Investment Banking, the Bueso brothers, alongside their team of creative wizards have created a company that any father would be proud of.  And they've given their consumers the power to give back and do good, just as their father instilled in them.

When you make the choice to purchase from The Thx Co., you're not only receiving a high quality, sustainably sourced product without a retail and profit markup, you are donating the savings of your purchase to your choice of over 1.8 million non-profits.  Whether it's the environment,, or animals, education, the arts, children, or health that you care about, there is an organization that you will be helping with every purchase you make from The Thx Co.

It was a pleasure speaking with Ricardo Jose and about his socially conscious enterprise and if you are interested in donating to their Kickstarter program so they can bring this amazing concept to the masses, click here.

We hope you enjoy listening,

Alex & Jeanette

For behind the scenes show notes, photos and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com

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Jules Aron wants to change your perception of what healthy tastes like. With the release of her book, Zen and Tonic: Savory and Fresh Cocktails for the Enlightened Drinker, you’ll be infusing superfoods into your cocktails in no time to make delicious, healthy, restorative drinks for you and your friends.

Jules grew up in Montreal and moved to New York for an internship she got at a magazine called Paper. It wasn’t long thereafter that she realized that the magazine publishing business wasn’t for her. Influenced by her bartending father who would make her herbal, plant-based tea infusions to strengthen her immune system when she was a kid, she soon got the knack for bartending which helped put her through school at NYU. During this time she also started to develop an interest in health and wellness and received a certification in health coaching.

It wasn’t until she detached herself from the noisy streets of New York City and found quiet in a cabin in upstate New York that she got the idea for Zen and Tonic. With both savory and sweet recipes, this book is one you’ll want to leave out on your coffee table. Beautiful photos accompany each recipe and many include great nuggets of information on superfoods and tips even a seasoned mixologist can appreciate.

We love how thoughtfully this book was put together and it was a pleasure speaking to the creative mind behind it all.  We are looking forward to Jules's next book which will be about simple, delicious, plant-based vegan cheese recipes!  Yes, please.

We hope you enjoy the interview,

Alex & Jeanette

For behind the scenes photos, show notes and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @plantedinmiami

Loren Pulitzer understands how powerful food can be. It can provide nourishment to the body and soul, heal the sick and ailing, and bring people together. After being diagnosed with Lupus, Loren’s health journey has connected her intimately with what she puts on her plate and she’s made it her life’s work to show others the importance of food.

With a degree from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst in Hotel Restaurant Management and a degree in Pastry Arts, Loren founded Simply Sharon’s – a vegan/gluten free dessert company and works as a personal chef to help her clients eat healthier and wholesome food.

When she’s not busy in the kitchen, Loren is helping artists make their dreams come true with Feast Miami which she co-founded with Susan Caraballo. As winners of a Knights Art Foundation grant, Feast Miami’s mission is to raise money for local artists and local art spaces by providing plant-based, family style dinners and brunches where money raised from the event is awarded to the best project as voted by the attendees. With help from the Knight Foundation grant and Whole Foods Market, Susan and Loren have put on seven Feast events and are helping bring awareness to local artists here in Miami. With their eighth event slated for December 18th, Feast continues to give back to the community while at the same time exposing the many participants to delicious plant-based offerings.

Loren’s smile and laughter are contagious and we’re happy to welcome her to the ever growing Planted in Miami family.

We hope you enjoy the show,

Alex & Jeanette
Follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @plantedinmiami

For behind the scenes photos, show notes and more visit our website at www.plantedinmiami.com. 

Sometimes life deals people a bad hand and foster children are just one of many people to get the short end of the stick.  Being moved around from home to home, to different foster parents, and being separated from your siblings and parents isn’t what growing up should feel like for kids but for many this is their reality.  Not having a stable home and family support system to go back to at the end of the day has its set of challenges and many children miss out on opportunities in their lives to advance themselves and break free from an upbringing that they didn’t necessarily choose.

But thanks to selfless people like Steve Rios from Florida Reach, former foster child, Racquell ‘Rocky’ Perry, are given the opportunity to make lemonade out of lemons. Florida Reach helps foster children achieve a dream of higher education by mentoring and guiding them to the state programs available such as  free tuition and gratuitous monthly living stipends to help them on their journey on becoming the best versions of themselves.  Along with Educate Tomorrow, Florida Reach and the many people involved in these great organizations are helping make education attainable for foster children and many other disenfranchised kids in Florida.

Rocky is just one of the many success stories of these programs.  She dealt with a lot of adversity growing up but she didn’t want to fall victim to the system and become another statistic.  Through a fortunate encounter with Steve Rios, Rocky began a journey in her life that led her to graduating from FAMU and now she is Racquell Perry, J.D.  That’s right, an attorney!

Now Rocky has the tools she needs to give back to her community and help the children in the system she grew up in reach their goals.  That’s called coming full circle.

It was a pleasure meeting Rocky and Steve and learning about foster children, their struggles, and the dedicated people and programs in place to help them succeed in life.

We hope you enjoy listening,

Alex & Jeanette

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @plantedinmiami

For behind the scenes photos, show notes and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com.