Kobla Asamoah
Head of Small Business, Hot Bread Kitchen
He/him
@hotbreadkitchen
Jenny Dorsey
Founder & Executive Director, Studio ATAO
She/her
@chefjennydorsey @studioatao
Sana Javeri Kadri
CEO/Founder, Diaspora Co
She/her
@diasporaco @sanajaverikadri
Andre Springer
Founder, Shaquanda Will Feed You
@shaquandawillfeedyou
Hot Bread Kitchen member
Irene Li
Chef/Owner Mei Mei in Boston
she/her
@ireneshiangli @meimeiboston
Dynishal Gross
Deputy Commissioner, NYC Department of Small Business Services
She/her
Caroline Mak
Program Director, Hot Bread Kitchen
She/her
@hotbreadkitchen
Melissa Villaneuva
CEO & Owner, Brewpoint Coffee
She/her
@brewpointcoffee
Jessica Spaulding
Founder, Harlem Chocolate Factory
@harlemchocolatefactory
Hot Bread Kitchen Alum
Andrea Warner
Manager, Assortment & Marketplace Activation, The Boston Beer Company
She/her
Fauzia and Fauzia Aminah Abdur-Rahman
Fauzia’s Heavenly Delights
@fauziasheavenlydelights
Hot Bread Kitchen member
Kaaryn Simmons
Director, Columbia-Harlem Small Business Development
Enshalla Anderson
Director, Global Head of Brand Strategy, Google Cloud
She/her
Kathleen DiPerna
Director of Policy and Planning, Rethink Food NYC
She/her
@rethinkfood.nyc @kathpern14
Ben Leventhal
Resy CEO & VP/GM, American Express Global Dining Network and Hot Bread Kitchen Board Member
He/him
@resy @benleventhal
Nafy Flatley
Owner, Teranga
She/her
@terangafoods @terangalife
La Cocina member
Natalie Shmulik
CEO, the Hatchery
She/her
@TheHatcheryChi
Khushbu Shah
Restaurant Editor, Food & Wine
She/her
@khushandoj
Geetika Agrawal
Program Director, La Cocina
she/her
@lacocinasf
Jing Gao
Founder/CEO, Fly By Jing
she/her
@jingtheory @flybyjing
Helah Kehati
President, JPO Concepts
Hot Bread Kitchen Alum
Jen Faigel
Executive Director & Co-Founder, CommonWealth Kitchen
she/her
@commonwealthkitchenboston
Ismail Samad
Director of Manufacturing Business Operations, CommonWealth Kitchen
he/him
@commonwealthkitchenboston
Jacki Klosek
Goodwin Proctor
Lynnette Marrero
Founder, Speed Rack; Board Member, Restaurant Workers Community Foundation
she/her
@drinksat6
Mauricio Guzman
Logistics and Distribution Manager, Milk Bar
he/him
@_momoneymo
Desiree Foxwell
The Boston Beer Company
Mike Van Dorn
Brodo
Meredith Medlin
Director of Partnerships + Impact, Accion Opportunity Fund
Devita Davison
Executive Director, FoodLab Detroit
Susy Jones
Senior Sustainability Project Manager, Office of Sustainability, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
she/her
@SustainableMIT
Participating Buyers
Michele Barricelli
Market Specialist, Baldor Speciality Foods
She/her
Charlotte Myer
Director of Grocery Merchandising, Fresh Direct
She/her
John Lawson
Senior Regional Grocery Buyer for Whole Foods Market North East
He/him
Sandra Chan
Category Manager for Prepared Foods, Fresh Direct
She/her
Chris Nguyen
Culinary Development Chef, Whole Foods Market
He/him
Greta Patel
Restaurant Associates
Ron Capistrano
Shop Owner, Southeast Asia Food Group
He/him
Kofi Ampadu
General Partner, SKU’D Ventures
He/him
Deepti Sharma
Founder & CEO, Food to Eat
He/him
Evan Fuller
Vice President and Food & Beverage Director, Chelsea Market
He/him
Alvin Selehi
Co-Founder, Shef
Nicole Hansen
Regional Director, Restaurant Associates
she/her
Thuy Nguyen
Category Manager: Bakery, Drinks, Prepared, Sweet Snacks, Vitamins & Supplements, Good Eggs
She/her
Rob Edell
Doordash
About the Event
Hot Bread Kitchen’s Food Entrepreneurship Forum is a 3-day virtual event for anyone invested in rebuilding a more equitable and inclusive small business community—from owners to buyers, customers to employees, aspiring entrepreneurs to folks who want to see their beloved local businesses thrive. The Forum will feature educational panels, workshops, pitching opportunities, and cooking classes–all with a focus on uplifting Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (MWBEs) and working to ensure every entrepreneur has the opportunity to thrive.
Donations help us cover the cost of the event and creating opportunities for more small business owners.
In Partnership With
Community Partners
Thank you to our Sponsors
Demonstrate your company’s commitment to an equitable food industry by sponsoring this event! Contact Debbie Kellogg for more details.
