Unboxed: 11 Expo West exhibiting brands from Black founders
Celebrate the culinary traditions and innovations that Black CPG founders have brought to the natural and organic products industry. Click through the gallery.
![Unboxed: 11 Expo West exhibiting brands from Black founders Unboxed: 11 Expo West exhibiting brands from Black founders](https://eu-images.contentstack.com/v3/assets/blt09e5e63517a16184/blt9d07e0405c7fc4e5/65cb1257a100da040a35fd3c/unboxed-black-founders-feature-4.png?width=700&auto=webp&quality=80&disable=upscale)
Yolélé Spice Rub and Dip Mix
Booth N1436
Chef Pierre Thiam, a native of West Africa, co-founded Yolélé in 2017 to bring the gluten-free, ancient grain fonio to the United States. The brand’s Yassa Fonio Pilaf won the 2021 Expo West Virtual NEXTY Award for Best New Pantry Food. Its newest product is Spice Rub and Dip Mix.
Three flavors: Afro-Funk, Rof and Yassa.
Afro-Funk includes dawadawa, a fermented West African seasoning, garlic and mushroom.
No added sugar, 30 mg of sodium per 1/4 teaspoon.
Rof includes parsley, chili and scallion. Scotch bonnet chiles.
No added sugar, 25 mg of sodium per 1/4 teaspoon.
Yassa is made of Scotch bonnet chiles, onion, bell pepper, thyme and scallions.
No added sugar, 20 mg of sodium per 1/4 teaspoon.
Sweet Kiwi Whipped Greek Yogurt
Booth N1544
Ehime Eigbe-Akindele launched Sweetkiwi, a low-calorie, frozen, whipped Greek yogurt, in 2011. The brand was a finalist for Best New Dessert in the 2023 Natural Products Expo West NEXTY Awards competition.
Available in five flavors: vanilla bean, cookies and cream, raspberry frosé, mango mojito and chocolate hazelnut.
Vanilla bean flavor ingredients include nonfat milk, nonfat Greek yogurt, live and active cultures, and a blend of superfruits including strawberry, green coffee bean, acai and turmeric extract.
Each 2/3 cup serving contains 110 calories, 21 grams total carbs, 100 mg sodium, 170 mg calcium and 190 mg potassium.
Rif Care natural period products
Booth 8815
Val Emanuel is a co-founder of Rif Care, which makes period care products from naturally antimicrobial/antifungal hemp fiber, which is also very absorbent. Emanuel won the Audience Choice Award in the 2023 Natural Products Expo West Pitch Slam.
The brand’s latest product is Period Wear, PFA-free leakproof underwear.
Made of regenerative hemp fiber, organic cotton and eucalyptus fibers.
One pair can hold as much blook as two regular pads or tampons. Provides up to 10 hours of protection.
Machine washable.
Reel Paper 100% recycled facial tissues
Booth 3047
Reel Paper co-founder Derin Oyekan grew up in Lagos, Nigeria and helped launch the bamboo toilet-paper brand in 2019.
Reel’s Tree-Free Toilet Paper was finalist for Best New Natural Living Product in the 2022 Natural Products Expo West NEXTY Awards competition.
Recently, Reel introduced 100% recycled facial tissues that are also FSC-certified and come in plastic-free packaging.
Red Bay Coffee Company Inc.
Booth 8006
First-time exhibitor
Keba Konte, an artist and photographer, started Red Bay Coffee Roasters in 2014 to counter the colonial supply system of the coffee industry, according to Entrepreneur. The brand’s mission is to expand diversity, inclusion, environmental sustainability and more in the coffee industry. It has a special focus on people of color, formerly incarcerated people, women and people with disabilities.
Red Bay Coffee’s canned cold brew is available in three flavors: Oatmilk Vanilla Latte, Oatmilk Mocha Latter and Cold Black Coffee.
Ingredients include Madagascar vanilla, organic oat milk, organic can sugar and cold brew coffee.
Gluten free and vegan.
The Red Bay Coffee Anniversary Tin Can was made to celebrate the brand’s 10th anniversary. This ground coffee is described as fruity, lightly floral and delicate.
Nobull Kitchen Beignet Mix
Booth 7309
Nobull Kitchen co-founder Ossume Collins started in the restaurant industry two decades ago. In 2020, the restaurant founders began formulating their beignet recipe for CPG. They introduced their beignet mix a year ago, in natural, vanilla and chocolate flavors.
Made with kosher flour, kosher and cage-free eggs, vanilla.
Allergens include egg, wheat and milk.
Per 1/4 cup serving, this mix offers 120 mg potassium, 50 mg calcium, 19 g carbohydrate, 130 mg sodium and 5 g protein. One cup of mix and 3-4 tablespoons of water yields 10 to 15 beignets.
Can be cooked in oil or in an air fryer.
New Breed Meats Seasoned Chick’n
Booth N152
Samantha Edwards and Rochelle (Willis) Mekowulu created this plant-based meat brand after spending years talking about nutrition, offering wellness classes and cooking for their community.
Jerk Chick'n and Lightly Seasoned Chick'n were introduced in January, but the brand also offers plant-based burgers, sausage and grounds.
All products are free of GMOs, gluten, soy and cholesterol. Vegan.
Lightly Seasoned Chick’n is made of pea protein, sunflower oil, natural flavor, onion powder, nutritional yeast, garlic powder and sea salt.
Each 3-ounce serving contains 110 calories, 6 g fat, 250 mg sodium, 4 g fiber and 10 g protein.
Jamaican Jerk Chick’n also includes brown sugar, cane sugar, spices and citric acid.
Each 3-ounce serving contains 120 calories, 7 g fat, 580 g sodium, 9 g carbohydrates and 9 g protein.
Certified National Minority Supplier Development Council.
Mocktail Club Non-alcoholic Cocktails
Booth 7200
Pauline Idogho was inspired to create adult, nonalcoholic cocktails after she couldn’t find a sophisticated beverage while she was pregnant. She launched Mocktail Club in 2018 and exhibited at Expo West in 2023 with (included) ACCESS.
Mocktail Club’s RTD beverages are available in four flavors: Bombay Fire, Capri Spritz, Havana Twist and Manhattan Berry.
Ingredients include fruits, plants and herbs such as blackberry, cardamom, chili peppers, cranberry, ginger, lime, pear shrub and pomegranate.
Apple cider vinegar provides prebiotics, while superfoods supply antioxidants.
No artificial flavors, colors, preservatives or caffeine.
Sweetened with organic agave and monkfruit.
Non-GMO Project Verified. Gluten free and vegan.
Donates 1% of sales to support clean water access.
Hella Cocktail Co. Nashville Hot Bloody Mary Mixer
Booth N1621
Although Jomaree Pinkard and his two best friends together founded Hella Cocktail Co. more than a decade ago, Pinkard alone is the chairman of this minority-owned beverage brand.
Known for its high-quality ingredients, Hella Cocktail is dedicated to supporting diversity and its community. The brand goes beyond making RTD non-alcoholic, gluten-free and vegan Bitters & Soda with premium mixers including Nashville Hot Bloody Mary and Habanero Margarita, and crafted bitters.
Its newest mixer, Nashville Hot Bloody Mary mixer, is made with 100% tomato juice, horseradish and red pepper extract.
No artificial flavors, colors, MSG or sodium benzoate.
The brand’s Bloody Mary mixers are not vegan because they are made with Worcestershire sauce, which contains anchovies.
Grass Grazed Grazed Snax
Booth N1534
Derrick and Paige Jackson—and their children—became farmers after Derrick retired from the U.S. Army in 2019. (Their fifth child was born about the same time they began farming.) They started out with livestock, raising hogs and chicken on pasture following regenerative agriculture practices. Their mission is “to produce protein with the promise of integrity.”
The Grazed Snax Original Pork Stick is made from 100% pasture-raised pork and has no added sugar.
Each stick provides 6 grams of protein.
No preservatives or artificial ingredients.
MSG and gluten free.
Veteran owned.
A Dozen Cousins Rice Seasoning Sauces
Booth N213
Ibraheem Basir is not only the founder of A Dozen Cousins, a brand of traditional Creole, Latin American and Caribbean foods, he’s a strong advocate and activist for bringing more people of color to the natural products industry.
As a co-founder of Project Potluck, Basir received New Hope Network’s Justice Award at Natural Products Expo West 2022. Project Potluck’s goal is to support people of color as they launch and build successful companies in the consumer packaged goods industry, particularly in creating nutritious natural foods.
The brand won a 2019 Expo West NEXTY Award for Best New Pantry Food for its Cuban Black Beans.
A Dozen Cousins now offers a line of rice seasoning sauces—the brand’s first product that isn’t ready to eat—in three flavors: Caribbean Coconut, Arroz con Gandules and Mexican Red.
Caribbean Coconut Rice Seasoning includes coconut paste, onion, dried coconut and tapioca starch.
One serving (2 tablespoons) of sauce, without rice, has 35 calories and 280 mg sodium.
Arroz con Gandules Rice Seasoning features pigeon peas, green bell pepper, jalape ño peppers and habanero pepper paste.
A serving contains 30 calories and 390 mg sodium.
Mexican Red Rice Seasoning ingredients include tomato paste and jalapeño peppers.
One serving has 10 calories and 380 mg sodium.
A Dozen Cousins Rice Seasoning Sauces
Booth N213
Ibraheem Basir is not only the founder of A Dozen Cousins, a brand of traditional Creole, Latin American and Caribbean foods, he’s a strong advocate and activist for bringing more people of color to the natural products industry.
As a co-founder of Project Potluck, Basir received New Hope Network’s Justice Award at Natural Products Expo West 2022. Project Potluck’s goal is to support people of color as they launch and build successful companies in the consumer packaged goods industry, particularly in creating nutritious natural foods.
The brand won a 2019 Expo West NEXTY Award for Best New Pantry Food for its Cuban Black Beans.
A Dozen Cousins now offers a line of rice seasoning sauces—the brand’s first product that isn’t ready to eat—in three flavors: Caribbean Coconut, Arroz con Gandules and Mexican Red.
Caribbean Coconut Rice Seasoning includes coconut paste, onion, dried coconut and tapioca starch.
One serving (2 tablespoons) of sauce, without rice, has 35 calories and 280 mg sodium.
Arroz con Gandules Rice Seasoning features pigeon peas, green bell pepper, jalapeño peppers and habanero pepper paste.
A serving contains 30 calories and 390 mg sodium.
Mexican Red Rice Seasoning ingredients include tomato paste and jalapeño peppers.
One serving has 10 calories and 380 mg sodium.
The theme of this year’s Black History Month is “African Americans and the Arts,” designed to highlight Black Americans’ influence in such areas as the visual and performing arts, literature, fashion, culinary and “other forms of cultural expression,” according to History.com.
Guess which of those arts New Hope Network is going to focus on?
Africans who were brought to the Americas as slaves carried with them the food traditions of their homelands. Many Americans of all ethnicities have enjoyed red beans and rice, which comes from the Creole culture, according to the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
More recent immigrants have been inspired to create foods from their homelands. Other Black people started food brands because they couldn’t find a nutritious, convenient version of a favorite. African Americans also are blazing trails in the growing non-alcoholic adult beverage category.
As a celebration of Black History Month and the increasing diversity in the natural and organic products industry, New Hope presents a dozen brands founded by Black men and women who are exhibiting at Natural Products Expo West in March. Click through the gallery to meet these brands and their founders.
Editor's note: One of the brands originally included in this gallery was erroneously identified as having Black founders. The slide was removed from the gallery and the product was removed from the cover slide on Feb. 13.
Natural Products Expo West, the leading trade show in the natural, organic and healthy products industry, begins March 12 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. Click through for the agenda, registration, travel information and more.
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