In honor of Black History Month, The Hatchery is partnering with Foodbevy on a special event to celebrate black entrepreneurs in our community. We’re excited to bring together successful black founders on February 18 to talk about the businesses they’re scaling, their experiences as black entrepreneurs in the food and beverage industry, and their best advice for early and aspiring business owners.
Proceeds from this event will go towards advancing The Hatchery’s mission of helping local food and beverage entrepreneurs start and grow successful businesses. We are building a thriving community of diverse founders at our incubator in Garfield Park by providing accessible education, affordable production space, and access to financing through our partners at Allies for Community Business.
About the Moderator:
Jordan Buckner is on a mission to help food and beverage companies build successful businesses, and launched Foodbevy.com to create a pipeline for companies to grow from startup to scale by reducing the resource and network gaps. Jordan also co-founded TeaSquares, a line of superfood energy bars designed to help people stay focused and alert so they could achieve their passions.
As a part of our partnership with Foodbevy, please consider supporting Black-Owned brands for Black History Month by purchasing a Good Food Brands snack box. We’re highlighting black-owned food and beverage entrepreneurs who ventured out to start their own business and created amazingly delicious and healthy products. Discover your new favorite cookie, chips, granola, and more. Order at GoodFoodBrands.org.
About the panelists:
Fred and Perteet Spencer, Co-Founders and Presidents, AYO Foods
Perteet, CEO, brings nearly 20 years of packaged good sales and brand marketing experience to AYO. Her deep industry experience includes time at LEGO and General Mills. Most recently, Perteet led sales and consulting teams at SPINS where she advised fortune 500 companies and emerging natural brands on winning growth strategies. Inspired by her family’s own West African traditions, her love of Natural Products, and her co-founder husband, AYO was born. Fred Spencer, COO, brings over 20 years of entrepreneur, finance, and strategy experience to AYO. He has started, built, sold, and operated over 9 companies, including Global African Foods, a mid-market Wholesale/Importer of West African dry goods. Most recently Fred was the principal and managing member of PAC GROUP DEVELOPMENT, LLC a real estate development company specializing in multiunit residential and commercial development in Chicago.
Eudell Watts IV, Co-Founder and Owner, Old Arthur’s Barbecue
Eudell is co-founder and owner of Old Arthur’s Barbecue Products, LLC. This family-owned enterprise was inspired by a set of heirloom recipes crafted within the Watts family more than 160 years, and passed down through 6 generations. Mr. Watts is an accomplished Bio-Pharmaceutical Marketer, with more than 25 years’ experience within Fortune 100 companies. His mission is to leverage the organizational and promotional proficiencies learned in his earlier career, to share his family’s legacy, rich history and award-winning flavor of their product line, named after their namesake, Pit Master Arthur Watts.
Cheryl Crockett, Founder & CEO, Crockett’s Cookies
Cheryl Crockett started making lunchroom style butter cookies for family and friends. These iconic style butter cookies were once prominent throughout Chicago public schools. The taste and sweet smell brought her back to childhood and she wanted to share that with the people around her. Now she operates Crockett Cookies at a 4,000 square foot facility in the West Fulton Market area. Over 5000 cookies are baked per day to fulfill orders at hundreds of Walgreens and several Whole Foods across Chicagoland, both city & suburbs. Crockett Cookies also ships throughout the United States. Cheryl has been featured in Crain’s Chicago Business, Chicago Tribune, Food Business News, and WGN.
Taylor and Maya Mason, Owners, Taylor’s Tacos Chicago
Taylor Mason was months away from graduating from Pepperdine University when her mother had back to back brain aneurysms. She decided to forgo her fantasy life of being Oprah and Ellen’s love child and return to her hometown of Chicago, IL. She worked as the Director of Operations of her dad’s youth traveling sports program while she assisted with her mom’s recovery. When Taylor wasn’t working, she was either curating performance art shows or dreaming of the street style tacos back in LA. Once her mother was nursed back to great health, it only seemed right for Taylor to launch Taylor’s Tacos Chicago. In 2016, Taylor met her now-wife, Maya Mason. Maya’s immense food knowledge and hospitality experience was a catalyst to their success. Taylor’s Tacos has over 20 different taco options, permanent pop-up locations throughout Chicago, multiple catering packages, and a Taco Tuesday pick-up and delivery service. Taylor’s Tacos is working on getting its own retail catering events space in the future!
Special guest:
Angela Taylor, Wellness Coordinator, The Garfield Park Community Council
Angela Taylor is the GPCC Wellness Coordinator, focusing on the Garfield Park Garden Network, the seasonal Neighborhood Market, youth interns, and integrated wellness activities. Angela is one of the founders of the Garden Network, a board member of Chicago Community Gardeners Association, and, with her family, manages the award-winning Fulton Street Vegetable and Flower Garden. Angela is a retiree from the Illinois Department of Human Services and a lifelong resident of the community.
The Garfield Park Community Council is a community-building organization made up of dedicated residents and allies working together to develop leaders and create opportunities and programs that build a vital Garfield Park community. To learn more and to support the Garfield Park Community Market, please visit the virtual market.
We are excited to provide this event in partnership with Foodbevy, thank you for your continued support
