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

Jaylen, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you come up with the idea for your business?

The idea for Outspoken was born during one of the most challenging seasons of my life. It was my second-to-last semester at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), and I felt like everything was falling apart. I was navigating the end of an amazing relationship, my grades were slipping, and the chaos in the world—wars, division, and uncertainty—felt overwhelming. Life became autopilot, and the only things grounding me were my love for food and music. Artists like Otis Redding, Marvin Gaye, and Al Green kept me connected to my emotions when everything else felt numb.
During that semester, I was enrolled in a class called Consumer Behavior. For our final project, we were tasked with creating a brand that demonstrated how consumers form relationships with brands and how marketers build loyalty through effective strategies. I’ll admit, I had been so checked out that I didn’t even know where to start. One afternoon, my best friend Shadae and I were catching up, talking about the state of the world—the wars, the division, the hopelessness—and how it often feels like distraction is our only refuge. That conversation brought clarity: I wanted to create something that could make people feel less alone, something that combined my love for food and community with a space for artistic expression.
That’s when the name “Outspoken” came to me. I’ve never been the most outspoken person, but I aspire to be. I wanted to build a community where people could express themselves freely, whether through food, music, spoken word, or visual arts. The inspiration came from artists like James Baldwin and Nikki Giovanni, and the aesthetic I imagined was inspired by the film Love Jones—a soulful speakeasy vibe that celebrates individuality and creativity.
For my project, I wrote about this vision for Outspoken, and it felt like a spark had been lit. Fast forward to my final semester, as I was preparing for graduation, I received a call from my Uncle Raoul. He asked if I could cater his first “Supper Club” dinner in September, and I saw this as the perfect opportunity to bring Outspoken to life. But I knew I couldn’t do it alone.
I reached out to my closest friends and colleagues from CIA: Christina, Overton (OT), and Shemier (Shem). Christina was the first person I approached. Over dinner, I told her about my vision, and her immediate response was, “F*** it, let’s do it.” That same night, I called OT and Shem, and they were equally excited. Together, we worked on our first event—my uncle’s supper club—and it was a success. That night, Outspoken truly began, and the rest is history.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Jaylen Douglas, and I am the founder of Outspoken. For as long as I can remember, cooking has been one of my greatest joys. There’s something magical about combining unexpected ingredients and creating flavors that tell a story. Beyond being a creative outlet, cooking has been my anchor during life’s toughest moments, which deepened my passion for the culinary world. It’s not just about the food—it’s about the people. Whether I’m connecting with other cooks, chatting with customers, or swapping stories with waiters, I value the relationships and shared experiences that make this industry so special. And honestly, seeing someone smile after tasting a dish I’ve poured my heart into? That’s the ultimate reward. Before attending the Culinary Institute of America, my culinary journey was a mix of self-taught experimentation and lessons learned in my mom’s kitchen. She used to run a catering business, and I was her sous chef—a role that taught me everything from time management to working under pressure. It was just the two of us in the kitchen, so every dish had to be prepared quickly and with care. Those experiences laid the foundation for the cook I am today. Now, I push myself to perfect my skills, experiment with new ideas, and always stay curious in the kitchen. At Outspoken, we’re all about creating bold, unforgettable experiences. Our events blend food, music, and the art of self-expression to reflect the vibrant personalities behind the scenes. Every dish we serve and every event we host is designed to leave a lasting impression, honoring the seasons, refining our craft, and celebrating individuality. More than anything, we want to build a community where creativity, authenticity, and freedom are at the center—where we can all live, connect, and eat out loud. Outspoken is about making every moment memorable and leaving you speechless, one meal at a time. What sets Outspoken apart is its soulful, intentional approach. Drawing Inspiration from iconic artists, films, and personal authenticity, the brand blends culinary excellence with an artistic, speakeasy-like vibe that feels both intimate and bold. Its events go beyond traditional dining by incorporating music, spoken word, and visual arts, creating a multi-sensory experience that is one of a kind. 

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

My name is Christina Alcinay, co-founder of Outspoken. For as long as I could remember the goal for my family and me was for me to become an Architect. I always had a love for art, engineering, and just the creativity of it all, Growing up in a Caribbean household, you are taught that medicine, law, and engineering are your choices for a career path. So of course my parents were ecstatic when they saw my interest in architecture begin to grow. As the years went on, my parents did everything possible to nurture my love and skill for architecture. I was out in the best schools, internships, programs, etc. And everything was going to plan until…covid happened. In 2020, life paused and many of my friends, relatives, and even coaches passed. I go to realize how precious life is. Senior year of high school came along, and of course, it was time to apply to colleges. It was a no-brain to apply to schools with the best architecture programs. I got into most of them and even planned to enroll by late May. But with my father knowing me so well, he knew something was wrong. He asked with no judgment, “Are you sure you want to do this?” Because I was so scared to disappoint him I said, “Yes” with no hesitation. Weeks went on, and my parents became more skeptical. Finally, they say after prom came. My stepmom called me to have a heart-to-heart conversation. I decided to confess that I didn’t want to pursue architecture. I thought back to my time during COVID-19, seeing so many young people leave this earth. They didn’t get to live out their dreams, but I do. I thought about what I love to do the most, and that was cooking. I told her I wanted to become a Chef and go to culinary school She was immediately on board but she knew my Dad would take some convincing. So I made a PowerPoint breaking down my thought process, every culinary school in the area, what I would do that summer, etc. This was all so that my Dad only had one option, to say “yes”. Glad fully he was on board as well and it kickstarted my entire culinary journey. The moment after opportunities started lining up. I was accepted into the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), became a line cook, and created a relationship with my mentor, Chef JJ. I even had my first pop-up event for 20+ people to showcase my talents, sky was the limit. The next year I met Jaylen, Shem, OT, and well you know the rest.

Can you share one of your favorite marketing or sales stories?

Outspoken was officially launched in October 2024. Our entire team was super excited about what we were doing and what was to come. We knew that we wanted to have a launch party but never set an exact date or anything like that. We had over 6 events within the first 2 months. So of course we weren’t thinking about planning a fully catered party for over 100 people before the year of 2024 ended. But we came across an opportunity that we couldn’t pass up. Jaylen had a family friend who owned a lounge venue in Brooklyn and was willing to let us use it for a lower price. When Jaylen called me, we instantly knew that we should have our launch party there. We set the date for 3 weeks from that phone call, leaving us with such little time to promote. We came to see the space and put down a deposit. As we were leaving, we looked at each other like what did we just do. But within the next 10 seconds, we got so hyped, jumping up and down. Losing our minds because it was going to be our biggest event yet, with all our friends and family there to support us. It was our dream to come to life. The next day or two, we launched our tickets for the party. We weren’t making our project sales at all for the first two weeks. We started getting nervous, almost panicking that nobody would show up and we would waste a lot of money that we worked hard for. It was stressful. We planned the menu, decor theme, hired security, DJ, etc all for this party. But one of the brand ambassadors, Jelani, had a clutch moment last week and brought in about 60% of our ticket sales. At that moment, life was fun again and we could get excited for this party. The party was a success, we had a great time and all was right in the world. The food impressed everyone there and had them begging for more.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.outspokencateringllc.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/outspokencatering/

Image Credits

Raoul Brown
Eric Vitale