Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Philip Teverow, Co-Founder and CEO of Yolélé, located in Brooklyn, NY, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Yolélé is all about bringing African foods to a wider audience. We make delicious and accessible foods like chips and pilaf mixes that feature climate-resilient ingredients like the nutrient-dense ancient grain fonio grown by smallholder farmers in West Africa on regenerative farms. People buy our products to satisfy their curiosity about African foods, to meet their dietary needs, and to ensure that their purchase decisions contribute to something good in the world.

Tell us about yourself

The company is the fruition of my partner chef Pierre Thiam's vision. Pierre moved to the US from Senegal to attend university and ended up becoming one of the world's leading African chefs and cookbook authors. Dismayed by the absence of African foods in restaurants and the unavailability of the ingredients that form the building blocks of the exciting foods he grew up eating, he wanted to do something about it. I've been in the food business for decades, always helping entrepreneurs turn ideas into businesses. Pierre and I were friendly. When I heard him describe his ambitions, I knew he needed help. I saw it as a valid business proposition (ancient grain, gluten-free, cooks in 5 minutes).

I saw it as the kind of impact opportunity I had been looking to bring into my work life, and I knew I had the experience to make it happen -- I imported quinoa to the US in the 1980's! We joined forces and launched Yolélé in 2017. I have always loved turning people onto new foods, but what keeps me going even on the most challenging days is the very real impact that we make. We are providing dignified livelihoods from sustainable farming for people who, without us, have no income opportunity at all.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Establishing a joint venture in Mali with leading agri-processors there to connect smallholders with global markets and secure USAID funding for that business.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

The need to pay attention to every tiny detail, the worry about getting it all done.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Figure out how to generate profitable sales with as little capital investment as possible.
  2. Chart a path to profitable growth and calculate the capital required to achieve that growth.
  3. Make contingency plans.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

You need to 100% love what you're doing and be in love with your underlying purpose, to get through the day/week/year. And it really helps to have advice from people who have done it before.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://yolele.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yolelefoods/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yolelefoods/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/YoleleFoods
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/yolélé-foods/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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