The Checkout

Ora Wise is a Brooklyn-based chef, community organizer, cultural producer, and educator whose current work invests in community controlled and regenerative food systems. For over a decade, Ora focused on media-based education, including co-facilitating the Palestine Education Project's high school program Slingshot Hip Hop: Culture & Resistance from Brooklyn to Palestine, serving as Youth Education Director for a progressive synagogue, and co-leading the Indigenous Youth Media Delegation to Palestine. In recent years, Ora founded The Dream Cafe, an experimental cooperative pop-up restaurant in Detroit as part of the Allied Media Conference and co-produced The Asymmetrical Table, a food sovereignty dinner series in downtown Manhattan centering the cuisine and activism of Palestinian women chefs. She currently co-directs the grassroots food justice collective FIG which operates political education and food distribution programs in partnership with frontline community organizations, farmers, and chefs.

Episode #135 Notes:30 Why did you start Ayo Foods?4:00 On the reality of starting a startup food business.6:45 The day to day of Ayo Foods.10:00 On ‘The Ethnic Food’ aisle. 14:00 Retailers and supporting diverse entrepreneurs. 17:00 The economics of selling to distributors and retailers.20:00 Closing thoughts.