Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Traviel Harrison . We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Traviel , appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

My partner and I wanted to do something outside of our full-time jobs to give us more financial freedom. We both switched to a vegan diet a few years prior and realized the benefits of eating plant-based foods. We saw successful, vegan businesses like “Plant-Based Princess,” and “Buttafly Kisses.” They inspired us to start our own company and gave us advice on how to get started.

We wanted to do something that would help our local community. Diet is a serious issue facing the black community. Meat and dairy products are linked to life-threatening conditions like heart disease, osteoporosis, hypertension, and cancer. We know how difficult it can be to switch to a vegan diet which is why we serve classic comfort foods like our “Cauliflower Chik’n Biscuit,” “BBQ Pulled Mushroom Sandwiches”, and “Classic Mac and Cheese.”

We also wanted to promote a diet that is environmentally and socially responsible. The meat industry is responsible for more deforestation, greenhouse gas emissions, and environmental pollution than any other industry in the world. Climate change is expected to impact the most vulnerable populations first and we want to uplift people of color so they can protect themselves as natural resources become increasingly limited and natural disasters become more frequent.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Cooking is not something Trevor or I received any formal training in. This all began with both of us cooking recipes from our favorite vegan influencers. At first, we shared these foods with friends and family. We both created our own versions of popular comfort food recipes. The overall positive response told us that we could serve delicious, vegan dishes in our community.

Vegan Village provides customers with food that is not only delicious but a healthier alternative to meat and dairy products, as well as, more socially and environmentally responsible. We are a black-owned company that understands the struggles our communities face and want to uplift and celebrate black people as much as possible. It is heartwarming to see how excited black folks are to come out and support us. It fuels our passion to continue growing this company.

The vegan industry has exponential growth potential as more and more Americans are switching to a vegan diet. In many cities, the vegan populations are severely underserved. We are constantly developing vegan versions of popular comfort food dishes. Some of our current popular items include our “Cauliflower Chik’N Biscuits,” Classic Vegan Mac & Cheese,” and “Cajun ‘Shrimp’ & Rasta Pasta.” Our goal is to continually expand the vegan dishes we offer. Atlanta has an incredible vegan community that supports and celebrates pop-up vendors. We are so grateful for our customers and understand that we wouldn’t be anything without their support.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Our VeganVillageATL Instagram page has been an extremely successful tool for building our following and reputation. Our Instagram page is designed and up-kept by our marketing specialist, Angel Harmon. The most important aspect of a social media page is to continuously engage your following. We do this by posting testimonies from satisfied customers and providing details about when and where customers can get our food. We typically serve food at festivals, restaurants, night-life venues, and healthy food markets. If these venues also have social media accounts we will typically share marketing materials with them so we can increase our viewership.

We’d love to hear about you met your business partner.

I met Trevor, my business partner, in college. My major was in business and marketing and Trevor’s major was in logistics and airport management. We worked out and played basketball together. Eventually, we became good friends. After college, Trevor was the first one to switch to a vegan lifestyle. I thought he was crazy at first but he eventually showed me that it was the best way to live. He introduced me to holistic, plant-based nutritionists like Dr. Bobby Price and Afya Ibomu. I like to think of our friendship as similar to a mastermind group. Whenever we come across opportunities to grow or learn, we let each other know about them. This has significantly contributed to our success as entrepreneurs.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/veganvillageatl/