Shows
Zora TalksOur Talk with Perteet Spencer, Co-FounderWe have Perteet Spencer, the Co-Founder of AYO Foods, on this Z-Talks episode. Perteet grew up eating African food, which led her to the idea of bringing the flavors of West Africa to stores and making them available to everyone. Entering the food industry can be a daunting task, but Perteet Spencer and her husband […]2022-05-1548 min
Zora TalksTierra EncantadaOur Talk with Kristen Denzer, Founder On this episode of Z-Talks, we speak with Kristen Denzer, the CEO, and Founder of Tierra Encantada. Kristen shares how her entrepreneurial spirit led her to start and she even tried a few other ventures before founding Tierra Encantada. Kristen founded Tierra Encantada in 2013 when she couldn’t find […]2022-04-1554 min
Zora TalksZ-Talks with Karen Blackwell from Kanda ChocolatesThis Valentine’s Day, you don’t need just any box of chocolates. Instead, you need to locate KandaTM Chocolates’ 100% Ghanaian cocoa chocolate bars infused with simple, non-genetically modified ingredients. KandaTM Chocolates and its Founder Karen Blackwell are the epitome of a successful bootstrapped business that has generated grassroots and organic buzz. The company is ready […]2022-02-0800 min
Zora TalksSweet Taste of SuccessEntrepreneurship is a challenging endeavor. It’s not always as glamorous as it may seem. Any entrepreneur who has been in business for a while has learned a few key things. One is that it’s essential to use your experience and skills to solve the problems you’re facing. Another lesson is to have determination and grit […]2021-09-1525 min
Zora TalksConnecting and Scaling – Food and Bev BrandsIn our latest episode, we speak with Jordan Bucker, founder of FoodBevy.com. He is a young entrepreneur who has a passion for food and beverage companies. He wants to help other newcomers create success by providing information, mentorship, and advice to help build their brands. At this point, he has over 600 CPG brands on […]2021-06-1549 min
Zora TalksLifeWeb360In this episode, we speak with Rachele Louis, a former successful career architect who wanted to understand how to get money to finance the thing she wanted to build. She decided to return to school to earn her MBA from Northwestern University – Kellogg School of Management. She is the co-founder of LifeWeb360. LifeWeb360 is […]2021-05-1529 min
Zora TalksA Healthy Spin On SoupToday we’re going to talk about soups. In this episode, we’re joined by Elliott Cohen, the president, and chief operating officer of Parks & Nash. This Chicago-based startup has been around for about two years now. It has been getting a lot of attention for its unique twist on a beloved American dish. Elliott was […]2021-04-1515 min
Zora TalksEpisode 20: Justice of the PiesIn this episode, we speak with Maya Camille Brossard. She is the founder of Justice of the Pies, founded in 2014. Her inspiration was her late father’s. He was a Criminal Defense Attorney. And he loved pies. She calls him the “pie master.” Justice of the Pies is an L3C social enterprise. It positively impacts […]2021-03-1523 min
Zora TalksEPISODE 19: TURNING SCENTS INTO CENTSKeena 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 […]2021-02-1500 min
Zora TalksEpisode 18: Buzzing with ExcitementHappy 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 […]2021-01-1200 min
Zora TalksEpisode 17: Finding Your Zen with ZenfuelJust 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 […]2020-12-0200 min