Lashawnda Scaccianoce has been passionate about food and feeding people since she was young. In fact, she was only 11 years old when she had her first catering “job”. As a mother of 5 children, she has always participated in her community. She has served on school PTOs and volunteered with various community-based organizations, including the Rotary and Children’s Services Network. In her previous career, she was a pre-school and substitute teacher.
Category: women
Mina Wilcox, Art Mina
Mina Wilcox comes from a long line of entrepreneurs. Her grandfather was a printmaker, and her parents ran a restaurant in Japan. So, with her husband’s encouragement of her artistic abilities, and despite the challenges of having English as her second language, she decided to open her own business in 2014. Art Mina features her beautiful hand-printed artwork on California Eco-Friendly items.
Tana Harris, Harris Hoisting
Tana Harris had been in the construction industry for nearly 20 years when she started thinking about starting her own business. In 2013, she attended Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center’s introductory business class. What started as just an idea came to fruition as Harris Hoisting, the only African-American woman owned hoisting company in the city of San Francisco.
Wanda Blake, Wanda’s Cooking
Wanda Blake’s cooking apprenticeship started in her mother’s kitchen. It then continued in the kitchens of great aunts, aunties, grandmas, and cousins. In 1981, Wanda attended City College of San Francisco to study hotel and restaurant management. In 2015, she launched Wanda’s Cooking.
Gladys Mondragón, Sunshine Organics
Gladys Mondragon is co-owner of Sunshine Organics farm in Watsonville. With the help of Tania Zuniga from Kitchen Table Advisors, she has been able to expand production and bring stability to her business.
Denise Doss, Niecy’s Delight
Meet Denise Doss the owner of Niecy’s Delight. She specializes in production of a pound cake recipe developed by her 103-year-old Grandmother, Carrie Doss of Littlerock, Arkansas. She currently produces three flavors, Pure Vanilla, Classic Lemon, and Forever Pineapple
Yordanos Asmelash Haile, Asmara Cafe
Asmara Cafe specializes in traditional brewed Eritrean and Ethiopian coffee and food such as chicken kilwa, foule and sambusas. Owner Yordanos Asmelash Haile is a first-generation American having immigrated to the U.S. from Eritrea in East Africa. She aims to highlight her cultural flavors through the menu at her coffee shop.
Rafaela, Bayleaf Mama
As with many of us, Rafaela has always enjoyed cooking, cooking with her mother and grandmother especially, being a true family tradition. She has always worked to perfect her craft, be it through old family recipes or in new discoveries, so when times became a little difficult, it was in cooking and baking that she found some comfort and eventually… a new way of independence, her own business.
Alicia Maria Kidd, Wine Noire
Wine Noire LLC., an import, export and wholesale distribution company based in Berkeley, CA. Launched in 2017, The Wine Noire specializes in helping winemakers who are women and people of color get their wines into the marketplace, as well as directly into the hands of consumers.
Socorro Manzano, Tacos Manzano
Ms. Socorro Manzano is the owner of Tacos Manzano, a cozy and proud establishment that started just when the pandemic crisis erupted in 2020. But Ms. Manzano rose to the challenge.