Being Brown and Bold

Ep#40 Cheetie Kumar on Being Brown and Bold with Jes Thomas

Cheetie Kumar is the chef/owner of Ajja, a restaurant in Raleigh’s Five Points neighborhood that draws inspiration from the diverse foodways and cultures, vibrant spices, and cooking techniques of the Mediterranean, the Middle East and beyond. Ajja opened in June 2023 and is a James Beard Foundation Award semifinalist for Best New Restaurant. Ajja was also named an Esquire Best New Restaurant and Eater’s Best New Carolinas Restaurant.  An India- and Bronx-raised Southerner and musician, Cheetie earned two James Beard Foundation Award nominations (and five semifinalist nods) for “Best Chef: Southeast” for her multi-cultural menus that blended the flavors of South Asia and the surrounding regions with local agriculture at the beloved Garland, which closed in 2022. Ajja builds on the legacy of Garland and continues telling the rich story of North Carolina’s growers, farmers and purveyors in a vibrant indoor-outdoor neighborhood restaurant. Cheetie is active in food advocacy and serves on the board of the Independent Restaurant Coalition, the Southern Foodways Alliance and several North Carolina-based organizations. In fall 2023, Cheetie joined World Central Kitchen’s Chef Corps, a global network of culinary leaders who champion World Central Kitchen’s work providing fresh meals following crises.

Ep#39 The Mantey Twins (tik tok dancers) on Being Brown & Bold Podcast with Jes Thomas

The Mantey twins are a set of identical twins based in Ohio. Moving to the U.S. from Ghana in 2014, this dynamic duo has built an impressive social media presence with an estimated 1.6 million followers. Additionally, one of them is a future medical doctor and the other an engineer? From dancing and singing to photoshoots and modeling, the Mantey Twins bring an air of excitement, confidence, and joy to all they do, pairing talent with wonderful personalities and authenticity in their craft. Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/mntytwns/] TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/discover/mantey-twins?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc]Article: [https://canvasrebel.com/meet-mantey-twins/] Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/@MNTYTWNS] - And Follow the host: Jes on IG https://www.instagram.com/jessoulfood/https://www.instagram.com/jessoulfood/ [https://www.instagram.com/jessoulfood/]

Ep# 38 Maya Kaimal on Being Brown and Bold Podcast with Jes Thomas

Maya Kaimal is an entrepreneur & Cook book author who has been an early inspiration for the South Asian culinary field in the US. Raised in Boston then Boulder, Maya’s passion for food and cooking blossomed at a young age. From watching Julia Child’s The French Chef with her mother, Lorraine, to tasting her father Chandran’s vibrant South Indian dishes, Maya’s interest in food was piqued. Her curiosity in spice, taste and cooking developed during trips to her father’s home in Kerala as Maya learned to cook with her Aunty Kamala. Maya worked at various magazines in New York and she saw an extraordinary gap between what she grew up eating and what the western palate thought Indian food was. One realization and three cookbooks later, Maya’s desire to educate and create hasn’t stopped. She is now dedicated to making Indian food that’s accessible to Americans, but true to her roots. In 2003, Maya launched her namesake company with her husband, Guy Lawson, out of their Brooklyn apartment after seeing a lack of quality Indian products in grocery stores. With her collection of family recipes, she works to create convenient Indian food that tasted as good as homemade. Maya lives in Upstate New York with her husband, twin daughters, and their noisy dog Instagram: @mayakaimal [https://www.instagram.com/mayakaimal/] Website: https://www.mayakaimal.com/ [https://www.mayakaimal.com/] To follow Jes, go to IG @jessoulfood [https://www.instagram.com/jessoulfood/]

Ep#37 Lisa Mattam of Sahajan on Being Brown & Bold Podast with Jes Thomas

Lisa Mattam is the Founder and CEO of Sahajan, the leading Ayurvedic, clean beauty brand. Since founding the brand in 2015, Lisa has grown it into a global force with an international presence. . In 2023, she spearheaded Sahajan’s global partnership with leading luxury hotels: The St. Regis, The Ritz, J.W. Marriott, and W Hotels, placing it as the exclusive skincare brand in 400 properties worldwide. In 2024, Sahajan launched at Sephora Canada becoming its first Ayurvedic Skincare brand. Under Lisa’s leadership, Sahajan has repeatedly been recognized for its excellence, most recently receiving awards such as the 2023 Cosmopolitan Clean Beauty Award and a 2023 Oprah Daily Editor’s Choice Award. Both Lisa and Sahajan have become media fixtures, featured in outlets including Vogue, PopSugar, Glamour and more, with Forbes Magazine dubbing Lisa a “pioneer in the beauty space,” for bringing Ayurvedic beauty to the forefront. Previously, Lisa spent over a decade working in Pharmaceuticals, which inspired her dual approach to Sahajan, blending clinical science with the power of Ayurveda—an integral part of her South Indian heritage. Which is why I am so excited to have this conversation. And outside of work, Lisa lives in Toronto with her husband and her two children. Website: https://www.sahajan.com/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/sahajanskincare/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sahajanskincare Follow Jes on IG for more podcast info:  @jessoulfood  [https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UCFX6yu8rf2nyVYqY_5etZ7A]

Ep# 36 Meherwan Irani & Vishwesh Bhatt on Being Brown & Bold Podcast with Jes Thomas

Meherwan Irani (Chai Pani) [https://chaipani.com/] & Vishwesh Bhatt (Snackbar [https://citygroceryonline.com/restaurants/snackbar/]) are both James Beard Award winners for their restaurants, chef abilities and cookbook. [https://www.amazon.com/Am-Here-Stories-Recipes-Southern/dp/1324006064]They are also a voice for the South Asian community as they have brought regional and personal Indian flavors at the forefront of culinary conversations. Local ingredients, ancient techniques and aromatic spices have made their kitchens some of the most popular in the country. They share their stories of growing up with cultures from several parts of India and the world. Listen to a couple of friends as they share light and serious moments of their lives and their careers. IG: @kissmybhatt1 , @snackbaroxford @meherwanirani @spicewalla https://botiwalla.com/ Follow Jes for more Podcast info and foodie fun  @jessoulfood  [https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UCFX6yu8rf2nyVYqY_5etZ7A]