How do you define futurism in reference to your work?
For me, it's creating platforms for storytelling that normalize the inclusion of Black people in content about food, home, lifestyle, and luxury.
How are you recording your personal history for future generations?
I'm bringing people along for the journey. At 23, I launched what is now an events agency that services well-known corporate clients, and at 26 I launched a food magazine that I self-funded and brought to print for a market that has only just barely begun to acknowledge me in the space. These two endeavors were possible. So I want to use any platform that I can to share that journey and show Black people and particularly Black women what is really, really possible.
What does the future of your industry look like?
I hope the future of my industries (industries plural because I operate in a hybrid of hospitality (as an event producer) and food media (as a magazine publisher) look more diverse and less elitist. I hope we are creating spaces for culture and conversation to really thrive. I hope the entire community is thriving.
What did you learn about failure as a child? What what you tell your younger self about failure now?
I've failed at so many things. And I've gotten so many things wrong. For so much of my life, I've aimed for perfection. It's a terrible habit that I picked up as the Black girl in a predominantly white neighborhood. In my mind, my Blackness was already working against me so everything else I did needed to be perfect. These days I am constantly working to correct that now. I would tell my younger self not to shrink for anyone; perfection is not real, and their opinion doesn't matter.
If you were asked to teach a class what you title it?
Start Niche, Go Broad: How I built a brand from a love of dinner parties.
