14 Bay Area BIPOC Women Food and Craft Entrepreneurs to Celebrate and Support

March 28, 2025

BIPOC people, and BIPOC women in particular, are among the fastest-growing groups of business owners. From 2023 to 2024, Asian American, Black/African American, and Hispanic/Latine women-owned businesses grew an impressive 7.1%, 5.7%, and 1.3% respectively. Being from the global majority allows BIPOC women to craft businesses that honor their heritage and bring historically underrepresented traditions and cultures from across the world to a larger audience. 

This Saturday, March 29, at Pop-Ups on the Plaza: Celebrating BIPOC Women Makers, you can meet 14 local BIPOC women food and craft makers who are bringing innovative and unique offerings to our Bay Area community.

Tina Stevens, A Girl Named Pinky

When Tina was planning her wedding, she decided to make her own cake even though she had little professional experience. She dedicated hours of her time to reading books, taking classes, and consulting professionals. With help from La Cocina’s Incubator Program, Tina formalized and launched A Girl Named Pinky. Now, she bakes custom cakes and desserts for special occasions all over the Bay Area. 

Nicole “Nikki” Garcia, Asúkar Palestinian Cuban Fusion

Nicole was born in San Francisco and raised by Palestinian parents. After meeting her husband, who was from Cuba, she discovered that she wasn’t accustomed to making a lot of the dishes that were familiar to him. As her cooking skills developed, she came to understand how Palestinian and Cuban flavors mesh well together, and launched a food business concept with support from Oakland Bloom’s Open Test Kitchen. Nicole makes empanadas, traditional Palestinian teas, and other quick and easy Palestinian-Cuban foods.

Nicole Williams, Belle Noire

After regularly receiving offers for the jewelry pieces she would wear in her daily life, Nicole started Belle Noire (French for “Beautiful Black”) to connect women makers in Africa and the African Diaspora with a local market. Nicole, a third-generation San Franciscan, is also a member of In The Black marketplace in the Fillmore District.

Cianni Jackson, CIK Apparel

CIK Apparel is owned and operated by Cianni, a San Francisco native and mother of three. She began the apparel line in June 2020 and has since started vending at the In The Black marketplace. Her jackets, patches, and hats feature motivating slogans that uplift and celebrate Black culture. Cianni is determined to reflect her love for her family within her business, and the letters “CIK,” pronounced “sick,” are both a play on words and an acronym for her children’s names.

LaToya McInnis, Cocoacentric

Designer and San Francisco native LaToya began Cocoacentric in 2017 with a vision to create a bold statement style. After working at several fashion conglomerates, she sought to express her creativity within her own label. A member of In The Black marketplace, Cocoacentric curates sustainably made jewelry and accessories to uplift and empower women to feel beautiful.

Kim Leonard, En Vie Naturals

Before starting En Vie Naturals in 2009, Kim worked in the cosmetics industry for 16 years. Put off by the amount of animal products and harmful chemicals she saw on ingredient labels, she was motivated to start her own business focusing on natural, vegan beauty products. You can also find her naturally made aromatherapy sprays, body butter lotions, and joint pain relief products at the Mission Community Market and In The Black marketplace.

Princess and Brownie Sims, The Final Sauce

Growing up, sisters Princess and Brownie Sims watched their Aunt Marion spend hours making batches of her famous barbecue sauce. In 2014, Brownie recreated the recipe, and soon after, Princess joined her sister in the kitchen. The Final Sauce specializes in barbecue sauces, spice rubs, hot sauces, vinaigrettes, and marinades.

Imani M-Glover, The Lemonade Bar

Imani has had an entrepreneurial spirit from a young age. She even sold popcorn balls to fundraise for high school extracurricular activities that weren’t in her single mom’s budget. After Imani got married, she and her husband invested in a hot dog cart, where Imani started selling fresh squeezed lemonade. In 2018, she went all in, working with Mandela Partners to launch The Lemonade Bar, which sources local ingredients for freshly squeezed and frozen lemonade.

Alisha Wilson, Lil’ Alijo Catering & Events

Born and raised in San Francisco, Alisha “Lil’ Alijo” has always had a passion for art, design, and food. She learned to cook from her Mother Lois and Aunt Marie. After graduating art school, Alisha honed her design, marketing, and culinary skills to build her business, with the support of En2Action’s Ujamaa Kitchen program. Lil’ Alijo specializes in Caribbean, Cajun, and Creole cuisine.

Jojo Zhu, Papa’s Dumpling

Jojo Zhu started Papa’s Dumpling 2019 after she found a lack of representation of Northern Chinese cuisine in the Bay Area. For Jojo and her family, making dumplings is a labor of love. Fresh dumpling ingredients are cut by hand into big enough pieces so that when you open up the custom-dough wrapper, you can see the kind of dumpling you’re eating. Papa’s Dumpling makes everything fresh each week, so they only sell their food at farmers markets, including Foodwise’s Mission Community Market and Ferry Plaza Farmers Market (coming soon).

Raychelle ‘Remy’ Howard, Remy Creations

Raychelle Howard, a San Francisco native, was emancipated at 17 and found her passion for cooking and catering shortly after getting her own place to live. In 2021, she launched Remy Creations and has since then been catering, bartending, decorating, and providing rentals for events of all sizes. She specializes in hearty Cajun dishes, like Cajun Pasta and Crab Fried Rice.

Leisel Whitlock Petersen, Sainte Sophie Creole Confections

Born in San Francisco and raised in Louisiana, Leisel’s Creole roots inspire her confections, including the signature Nogues Praline Candy and Mix. This unique blend is based on a family recipe passed down from her grandmother, setting it apart from traditional pralines. Leisel honors her heritage with recipes inspired by many Creole cultures from around the world. Learn how to make Liesel’s signature pralines at a free cooking demo at the Foodwise Classroom on March 29.

Amalia Avenado, Tonantzin Mexican Cuisine

Both Amalia and Saul Avenado were born in Mexico City. As a couple, they built Tonantzin as a way to bring culinary traditions from their Mexican roots to the Bay Area, working with La Cocina to launch the business. Their dishes focus on Chilango and Oaxacan classics like tlayudas Oaxaqueñas, quesabirrias, and more. Tonantzin currently offers catering for events such as weddings, quinceñeras, birthdays, and family events.

Support these 14 BIPOC women-owned businesses this Saturday, March 29, at Pop-Ups on the Plaza: Celebrating BIPOC Women Makers at the Embarcadero Ferry Terminal Plaza. 

Pop-Ups on the Plaza is a series of Port-sponsored events celebrating Bay Area BIPOC entrepreneurs, including businesses in Foodwise’s Building Equity program. This program is proudly funded in partnership with the San Francisco Human Rights Commission’s Dream Keeper Initiative. Additional support is provided by the Ferry Building.

Topics: Building Equity program, Entrepreneurship, Small business