Amber Jackson, who is in the process of earning her MA in Gastronomy with a focus in Business & Entrepreneurship at Metropolitan College, was recently featured on the Jennifer Hudson Show, where her business was spotlighted as one of Rhode Island’s must-visit destinations.
A food scientist and entrepreneur, Jackson owns Black Leaf, which not only serves delicious and restorative self-made brews but additionally acts as a vital gathering space for the area’s Black community.
In a shining example of a food entrepreneur recognizing an opportunity and meeting the challenge, Jackson’s inspiration came when she moved to the Providence area in 2017 for her career, and she found it difficult to find belonging in ways she valued and needed.
“I was really desperate to try and find a place to find community for someone like me, someone that looks like me,” she told Hudson. In 2019, she took matters into her own hands, opening her business, which boasts the slogan, “Tea. Culture. Community.”
“So [I’m] really using my background in food science and my love for community and Black culture to create that space through programs like young Black professionals mixers and a conversation series called Tea Talks,” she said.
Watch the segment below:
Read more at the Jennifer Hudson Show.