We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Bella Karakis. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Bella below.
Bella, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Parents can play a significant role in affecting how our lives and careers turn out – and so we think it’s important to look back and have conversations about what our parents did that affected us positive (or negatively) so that we can learn from the billions of experiences in each generation. What’s something you feel your parents did right that impacted you positively.
My parents were both born during WWII in the former Soviet Union in what is now Ukraine. They were both first in their families to graduate from college. My Mom became the Soviet equivalent of a CPA and my Dad, a building engineer. Being Jewish, they both had to surmount hurdles getting into college, thriving in school and finding jobs after, due to the rampant antisemitism they faced. Leaving the Soviet Union with an 8 yr old kid (me!), my Dad lead the way to the U.S. His vision was crystal clear and never wavered. He would not settle for anything other than being accepted into the US.
Our 4 months journey lead us through Yugoslavia, to Austria and then to Italy, until a sponsor accepted us to settle in Birmingham, Alabama, which at the time, was like landing on the Moon for us. Dad was bullish about assimilating, and adopting his new country wholeheartedly and fast! From that point forth, even though English was his second language, and he was not as proficient, this was always his language of choice. He was always grateful for the opportunities this new country provided him. My parents were a great team, and as a team, would set a goal, believe in it wholly, and single-mindedly worked to make it a reality.
Growing up, my Dad taught me that I can achieve anything that I set my mind to achieving. That the hardest part is to set my goal, but once it is set, that I must believe in it, tune out all naysayers and all of my own doubts, and move with single-minded focus forward toward my goal.
Years later, when I was in high school, then college and then again, in law school, whenever I had self-doubts, worried that I will not achieve my own goals, not do as well on a test or whatever that worry happened to be, I just needed to sit next to my Dad and say out loud that I have doubts and fear, am not sure of myself and he would inevitably say “You’re funny’ with a small quiet giggle, and tell me that “of course you will ace it because that is the way it will be.” It was his off-the-charts belief in me that always, always helped me pull through. How could I do anything less than what he believed???
My parents, and especially my Dad, instilled in me that I can be anyone I set my mind on being. That I can accomplish anything I set my goal on accomplishing. That all I had to do is to make up my mind, plot the course, focus and it will be mine. This mindset affected every step I have made in life.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I am the co-founder and CEO of e.terra Kitchen, a flexible commercial kitchen with 2 locations in Harlem NY, with over 8,500 sq ff of space. e.terra is a culinary workspace solutions company for chefs, bakers and makers of products. These NYC commercial kitchens provide on-demand, commercial production space and comprehensive support, customized to the needs of F&B brands, from Startups, to CPG Manufacturers and Delivery-only/Ghost/Virtual Restaurants. One of our locations has a private kitchen that is ideal for media production and culinary events. Aside from our kitchen members, we also support international big food brands with their press activations, special projects, recipe development, film production, media interviews, documentaries and photo shoots.
Prior to co-founding e.terra Kitchen and Maiden Voyage Catering, I was a co-founder of a shared commercial kitchen and food hall concept, as well as co-founder of a mobile hospitality company with 2 food truck operations, in the DC Metro area. Before my transition to the hospitality industry, I was a full-time, practicing trademark attorney. As an attorney, I had substantial experience in negotiation strategy, transactional/deal flow, domestic and international intellectual property law. With over 20 years of IP experience, both in a law firm and in-house settings, my practice spanned over 120 countries worldwide. I managed and enforced worldwide trademark portfolios and advised clients in various industries, including food and beverages, hospitality, nutrition, entertainment, fashion and apparel, consumer and luxury goods, import and export, among others.
The e.terra/Maiden Voyage Catering team volunteers monthly to support the community in efforts aimed at reducing food insecurity in Harlem and other economically-challenged communities in NYC, volunteering our time for meal prep, serve, packaging and delivery, as well as food rescues with organizations such as City Harvest, Gods Love We Deliver, Encore Community Services, Free Food Harlem, Union Settlement, West Side Coalition Against Hunger and Monday Night Hospitality.
In 2023, we launched Makers Pantry, to further support the smaller F&B brands who call e.terra their business home as well as select small local brands who collaborate with e.terra, by providing them a platform to showcase their unique, handcrafted, small batch, products to the corporate community, and in 2025, the goal is to launch a first retail location for our unique line of cookies and products produced at e.terra by our full F&B community!
I received a BA from the University of Pennsylvania & a JD from Touro Law. I am a proud graduate of the Goldman Sachs 10K SB Accelerator Program, Cohort 38.
I am an avid life-long learner and believer that knowledge is power, and strongly believe in supporting the community that I work and live in, through volunteering and mentorship. I am a huge proponent of collaborations and believe that we always succeed and rise together, never apart, as it truly takes a village.
I immigrated from Ukraine and speak fluent Russian. My favorite hobbies include reading, baking, gardening, traveling, & beach going, and call Manhattan home.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
What helped us to build our reputation in the market is above all else, our caring team. e.terra Kitchen and its sister company, Maiden Voyage Catering, are known for taking those extra steps beyond just providing space for food production and storage. Our team shows care from the initial conversations we have with a prospective member to the tour we provide of the kitchen, to helping onboard them and walk them through the regulatory process to secure the proper licenses to helping them with all of the following support services that make us different from other kitchens: 1) we take the time to get to know the prospect and their business goals and dreams; 2) we advise them to help them set goals that will be meaningful for their business growth; 3) we provide employment assistance via our partnerships with colleges and culinary programs in NYC that provide interns for our members: 4) we do events to help further market member products and services to the local community; 5) we provide catering and other vending opportunities to members via our catering division, MVC and our strategic partnerships in the area; 6) we accept deliveries and handle expediting for members when they are not on premises; among other services. But above all else, we welcome them into our community with open arms, we are there to celebrate their wins and help them navigate tough business times. It is truly a community and a support system that we offer.
Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?
The following 5 books:
1) How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie
2) Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill
3) Bring Yourself, How to Negotiate Fearlessly, Mori Taheripour
4) Setting the Table, Danny Meyer
5) Unreasonable Hospitality, Will Guidara
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.eterrakitchen.com/
- Instagram: @eterrakitchen
- Facebook: @eterrakitchen
- Linkedin: @eterrakitchen
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCksJdBRTsA5u6gesnQNOPBQ
