We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Afi Green. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Afi below.

Hi Afi, thanks for joining us today. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.

So, In 2020 during the high of the pandemic, I was laid off from my position as Kitchen Manger at Shared Commercial Kitchen, I wanted to stay in the food industry, so I took a huge leap of faith like many people. And start my own company called DIY Kitchen Diaries Cooking Classes, where I would share quick and easy vegan recipes. I started doing Facebooks livestreams once a week, showing you how make many of my favorite foods. Then in 2021 I got a contracted job with a community garden center The Greater Newark Conservancy, where over the last 2 years I teach their Family Fun In The Kitchen Class once a month. That position led me to receive several other freelance contracted teachings positions. And now in 2023, there are weeks when I 3-4 in-person cooking classes. In beginning its was very challenging to get consistency, but I just kept pushing my name, by participating as vendor at a couple of my local area Famers Markets, and my online presence.

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 started DIY Kitchen Diaries, because I wanted way to share some of my knowledge of the way I grew up back in the late 70s and the early 80s. My parents raised me and 8 siblings on a non-meat diet, and I’ve eating this way ever since. I don’t teach my classes to convert you to eating the way I eat, just want to share my delicious recipes. The plant-based world has come a long way since I was a kid. And I create budget friendly and easy to follow class and I guide you through the recipes, I provide the ingredients and necessary tools. I feel one the ways that sets me apart from many people that offer vegan cooking classes, would be the 40+ years of eating this way, it has become second nature to me. I still learn new things every day, I also decided to continue my education by attending Culinary School for Patisserie and Baking, after completing school I relocated to the Midwest, and open my own small cake shop for 2 years. And 2018 moved back to East Coast where I currently reside. This journey has created several opportunities for me, some of them awesome and some of them not so great. But they all have their purposes. for why I continued teaching.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

I bootstrapped the money for both of my businesses. I had full-time job as a Head Chef when I was living in the Midwest while I had the cake shop and when I got back to the New Jersey and used the savings to help build DIY Kitchen Diaries. I am in also the process of taking out a small SBA loan to help assist me with working capital.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Being super dedicated to my craft and showing up and giving 200 % of myself. Its super tough keep going sometimes, because of the time and hard work that goes into having consistent work.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.diykitchendiaries.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/diykitchendiariescookingclass
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/afigreen
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/chefafigreen