Charla L. Draper is a nationally recognized food influencer and culinary communications professional providing marketing services for food and food related products through her consultancy company It’s Food Biz!

She is also the founder of National Soul Food Month launched in June of 2001 to celebrates the heritage and history of foods and foodways of people from the African diaspora.

With a menu of guests lined up to celebrate its 23rd year, we’re talking about what makes a true soul food meal and all the helpings in this episode.

Learn more about Charla and her work:

Website - National Soul Food Month

Social media: Instagram and Facebook

Thomas Dorsey began championing Black travel stories 30 years ago to share a diverse perspective that was missing from the travel industry.

Black travelers have always been savvy and adventurous and most importantly want experiences that speak to who we are culturally.

That is where Soul of America comes in.

In this episode, Thomas is sharing why it was important to bring diverse voices and perspectives to the industry, where other sites and publications miss the make when it comes to Black travelers and what is ahead for the Soul of America media platform.

Learn more about Soul of America online and connect Facebook and Instagram.

Elisha Barnes is a 4th generation peanut farmer who was born and raised in Virginia. His legacy includes a being raised in a strong family where agriculture was centered in their life and the seeds planted are now flourishing on his own farm, Pop Son Farm.

His partnership with Hubbard Peanut Company has been a game changer being a small farmer. Pop Son Farm’s peanuts are the now part of the company’s success as well as philanthropic efforts to help those who are food insecure.

In this episode, Mr. Barnes is sharing how farming has helped him stay connecting to his parents and what they taught him, the land and most importantly community.

Michael Henderson is the founder of B.A.G. Travel or Black and Gay Travel that specializes in designing adventures for small groups to destinations around the world.

The "adventure designer," began traveling more than 20 years ago, taking his first solo trip to Thailand. After returning, he knew travel would be a way of life and over the years became a global citizen of the world, learning from each experience and people met along the way.

From Thailand to South Africa, Mexico and at least 32 other countries and counting.

What are his favorite destinations and which trip is at the top of his bucket list? Be sure to listen to find out.

For more about B.A.G Travel and upcoming trips, visit the website.

Rachel Adjei is a chef and entrepreneur based in Toronto, Canada. In 2020, she founded The Abibiman Project, a social enterprise venture that introduces the abundance of flavors and ingredients from the African continent and its diaspora through dishes and products created to give back to organizations serving the communities, especially residents who are food insecure.

As one of Toronto’s rising stars, she is creating an impact by doing what she loves: bringing people together through food.

In this episode, she shares what inspired The Abibiman Project, establishing the right partnerships and what self-care as an entrepreneur looks like for her.

To learn more about Rachel and her work, visit The Abibiman online and follow along on Instagram.

Vernita Harris and Beatrice Moore have turned a 40-plus year friendship into a business over food. The friends met while in attending Praire View A & M University in Texas as college students and have since supported each other’s journeys through life since.

Their friendship turned into a partnership during the pandemic in 2020 when they began to create a community by sharing recipes. This led to publishing their first cookbook, ”Pinch-Dash-Done: A Gateway to Flavorful Recipes,” which received several accolades.

Due to be released on April 6, their follow-up cookbook “Pinch-Dash-Done: Make It Seasonal,” focuses on cooking with fruits and vegetables that are in season for optimal flavors.

In this episode, they are talking about the success of their cookbooks that includes a partnership with AARP.

New Jersey native Dr. Wanida Lewis founded Crescendo Foods, Ghana’s first shared kitchen coworking hub, in 2021.

A food scientist by profession, Crescendo Foods’ focus is to “create a Pan-African ecosystem to celebrate culture through food as well as art.” It also serves as a safe place where innovative ideas can be nurtured.

Located in the country’s capital, Accra, Dr. Lewis and her team are preparing to host participants who want to learn about African cuisine, specifically Ghana’s cuisine and food culture, during their first culinary culture exchange program, Plate 2 Plate, this July.

To learn more about Crescendo Foods and Plate 2 Plate, visit their website.

If you love wine and hip-hop, this is an episode you don’t want to miss.  Jermaine Stone, aka The Real Wolf of Wine, didn’t know that the goal of getting a simple office job that was part of a bigger plan to go into business would lead to traveling the world for wine.

The Bronx native worked for Zachy’s, an auction house in New York, where he began to learn about wine from the operations side. As his career and knowledge expanded, he eventually became a consultant for some of the biggest brands and wine regions globally.

His love of hip-hop carries over seamlessly into his work as he pairs his favorite artists and lines with wines to show the characteristics and notes of each that create the perfect melody of sound and taste.

You can learn more about Jermaine at wineandhiphop.com and follow him on social media @realwolfofwine.