Food Entrepreneurs

Caroline built GreenIsland Bakery with family recipes for the signature shortbread handed down through generations. In addition to a melt in your mouth cookie, she partners with organizations to support women recovering from traumatic experiences.

In 2014, Tory bought a bottle of craft gin but had no tonic syrup to pair it with. With such a beautiful, complex craft gin, she questioned why she would mix it with tonic water filled with high fructose corn syrup and synthetic chemicals. 47 recipe iterations later and the True Tonic Syrup was born. 

Blue's Coffee & Tea Co. is a family affair paying homage to their grandfather with a thoughtfully crafted cup of coffee or tea. Barbara and her family make it personal with deep relationships from farmer to roaster.

J'Nae is making her grandma's special occasion treats available to you every day. Her empanadas have unique flavor twists that make your mouth water.

Jackie is the matriarch and kimchi guru of 3 generations churning out Korean favorites with a fresh twist at BangPop. Their japchae noodles and bibimbap bowls combine the love and culinary expertise of all 3 generations.

Christine is the donut expert crafting the classics & new flavor combos for District Doughnut.  As co-founder and executive pastry chef, Christine has been perfecting all things donuts for the last 10 years. 

Jacki is the first cottage food certified maker in Ward 7 and her jams bring back sweet childhood memories in Georgia where she first made peach jam with her momma. She uses the old-time water bath canning process.  JackiCan jams are DC state fair winners and come stamped with approval from her fellow church ladies. 

Jaclyn Johnson is the owner of Made with Love Catering, which has been in business since 2014 and based out of Tastemakers in NE D.C.   Jaclyn's passion for food and catering began at a young age while cooking with her grandmother and learning how to make her family's favorite meals.  Jaclyn continued to cook and host small gatherings while attending the Howard University School of Business, and throughout her 10 year corporate career before becoming a full-time caterer. Every dish she prepares is infused with the values learned while cooking with her grandmother. Jaclyn's food is Made with Love, because it tastes better that way. 

Stephanie Williams has always believed in making all-natural, from-scratch meals for her family to promote a healthy lifestyle. When it came to snacks, she wanted something more—a healthy alternative to what she was seeing in stores—so she developed her own granola recipe. Her delicious recipe quickly became a hit with family, friends and community and Stephanie seized the opportunity to quit her job and make great-tasting granola for everyone while enjoying the opportunity to spend more time with her children. Today, Stephanie and Oh-Mazing are allowing people everywhere to create an abundance of Oh-Mazing! moments.

Deborah was born on the Eastern Shore of Maryland where her love of baking started at an early age, baking with the matriarchs of the family. After many years of baking for family and friends, during the pandemic, Deborah decided to pursue her bakery dream with Sweetdele’s Sweet Treats.

Lauren Witchie loves a good candle and started making Witchie Wicks candles as a way to connect with others on a spiritual level. Each scent represents a symbol of empowerment. 

Pauline came up with the idea for the Mocktail Club when pregnant with her first child and looking for something beautiful and fun to sip on. She crafted the perfect beverage for every celebration and every day in between. This is perfect for people who want a healthier lifestyle and alternative to alcohol, with the added benefits of prebiotics and antioxidants.