Janique & Anthony Edwards
FOUNDERS, EATOKRA
“What can we do now that will help mitigate systemic barriers for the next generation?”
What have you been working on? Gas yourself!
Out of over 2M apps available in the App Store, EatOkra was among the recipients of a 2021 Apple App Store Award. Just to be able to type that out, and read it to ourselves, feels surreal. There’s so much we want to do for Black culture and Black entrepreneurs in the food industry, it’s hard for us to stop and smell the roses sometimes. We’re getting better at it, but it’s definitely not something that comes natural for us. Today, over 350K people have downloaded @eatokratheapp to locate Black-owned restaurants across the country. This is year six of an almost entirely bootstrapped effort, and this spring we’re beta testing in-app ordering, which would allow people to finally purchase their food on the app.
How does your culture inform your creative work?
Seeing and experiencing Black culture is validating when you’re maneuvering through a world that tries so hard to deny your full humanity. That’s why we’re so adamant about the preservation of Black spaces. Black-owned businesses are places where culture can be experienced and celebrated, unapologetically. It’s affirming to walk through the door of a restaurant and know you were considered based on the art hanging on the walls, the music playing in the background, the people behind the counter and even the food being prepared and served. That recognition is worth advocating for.
What is your greatest struggle/challenge these days?
Our biggest struggle these days is trying to navigate the tricky waters of being both partners in life and partners in business. Being in business with your spouse requires a lot of compartmentalizing. There has to be boundaries and a safe space for the love to exist and grow outside of the day to day grind of entrepreneurship. If you’re an entrepreneur, you know that it is indeed a grind, and although there can be many great highs, there can be some lows too. We’re both really ambitious, and we take great pride in our work, so it’s easy to get emotionally swept away in the minutiae of business. Each day we just try to figure out different ways for us to show up for each other as friends first and foremost, because that friendship is the foundation of everything we’re trying to build for our family and community.
What does community mean for you as a creative?
Community means looking out for one another. It means giving a kid at the corner store a quarter, because she’s 25 cents short on getting a bag of chips after school. I give that very specific example, because I was that kid, and I was fortunate enough to grow up in a South Bronx community where I was looked after in that way. As a creative, I’m always looking for ways to create moments where people can feel reassured, whether it’s another creative or a business owner. I want to know, “How can I lift you up?”
What inspires you in your creative process?
We’re inspired by the idea of a more equitable future. We have a 2 year old daughter, so we’re always thinking about how we can do work that will impact her life. What can we do now that will help mitigate systemic barriers for the next generation, whether that be in the food industry or in tech. Can we create a brand that helps lead that charge toward a world so many of us dream about? That’s what motivates us everyday. That’s the legacy that we want to leave behind.
Is there anything happening in your community that you'd like to shed some light on?
Dine Diaspora (@dinediaspora) is an agency based in Washington, DC that amplifies the influence of African food culture around the world. Their Black Women in Food Initiative identifies, amplifies, and supports Black women in the food and beverage industry to advance their work and contribute to a more equitable and sustainable food system. Each year, they call for public nominations for diverse Black women who are leading in the food industry to be nominated for 6 categories that highlight their unique accomplishments. The nominations are reviewed by expert judges and 31 women are selected and honored. In addition, these women are provided opportunities, resources, and networks for personal and professional growth. We really love the whole initiative, because it’s a great response to the varying challenges that Black women face in the food industry, such as lack of diversity and investment disparities. Most importantly though, it fosters that community of support that we think is so important to creating a more equitable space.
