While working as a private chef, Keesha realized her candied and spiced nuts were a client favorite, sparking the idea to sell them as a standalone product. From there, her premium snack company Live Loud Foods was born!
“Live Loud Foods is a fierce and fun culinary lifestyle brand born in the Bronx, inspired by the vibrant and diverse culture of New York City. We’re here to help people live boldly and authentically, one delicious bite at a time.”
Chef Keesha, Owner & founder of Live Loud Foods
In 2024, Chef Keesha joined Hot Bread Kitchen Incubates. She initially applied to Hot Bread Kitchen’s Start program to access a commercial kitchen but faced a major hurdle: allergen concerns in a shared space. This key resource has allowed her to refine and scale business operations. Hot Bread Kitchen supported Keesha with technical assistance and financial support to cover costs associated with a certification required to operate in commercial kitchen spaces.
With support from the small business team, Keesha overcame the challenge and made it into the production space!
In addition to producing her products at a larger quantity, Keesha has also been able to tap into a larger entrepreneurship community through Hot Bread Kitchen. Earlier this year, she collaborated on a product with another HBKi entrepreneur, A Jess Cookie. Reflecting on this experience, Keesha shared:
“I did a collaboration with another Hot Bread Kitchen entrepreneur, Jess from A Jess Cookie, and we put my pistachios in her cookies! This whole community aspect here makes things possible. Every entrepreneur that I’ve met here, they’ll either give you advice on similar things they’ve gone through, or will help you bounce ideas off each other. People want to share their experiences here to help other people not make the same mistakes. Community is key.”
With Hot Bread Kitchen’s support, Keesha attended this year’s Fancy Food Show in NYC. The Fancy Food Show in NYC is the industry’s premier product discovery event, offering a curated showcase of high-quality, artisan products in more than 40 categories. This event was an incredible opportunity for Keesha to spread the word about Live Loud Foods to high-level industry professionals.
“My focus for my business now is to get into more independent grocery stores in NYC to get my brand visibility up, to keep growing bigger,” Keesha shared. As Chef Keesha continues to grow as an entrepreneur, Hot Bread Kitchen will be by her side to offer support and guidance!
