Fairy Fresh Foods
$12,500
Healthy Food Loan
Charleston County
Feeding Innovation Goose Creek Winner
Through her plant-based meal preparation business, Fairy Fresh Foods, Shaquille Fontenot prepares fresh and nutritious meals that she defines as healing. She believes that food is one of the key elements to uplifting and supporting communities that are systemically disadvantaged and started Fairy Fresh Foods to combat the effect food insecurity has on communities of color.
“A child in North Charleston has more access to junk food than they do to healthy foods,” she said. “Yes, potato chips will feed them but is that type of food going to heal and support their bodies? No! That kind of food pollutes your spirit. It’s important to me to help heal communities of color through the food we eat. Food is important.”
Shaquille is the winner of Feeding Innovation Goose Creek. For eight weeks, she and other entrepreneurs attended classes that helped them create or expand their healthy food business plans. At the end of the program, each participant had an opportunity to pitch their plan to a panel of judges for a chance to be awarded $12,500 in seed capital.
Shaquille was inspired to start her business when her health improved after incorporating more plants into her diet. She wanted to share the healing benefits of plants with others. She operates her healthy food business out of a commercial kitchen in North Charleston. With the awarded capital, she has upgraded her equipment, worked on marketing efforts, and expanded her delivery area.
“This experience allowed me to have access to spaces that weren’t designed to let people of color in,” she said. “Now that I am here, I plan on doing my part to make sure other people who look like me have a chance to get here too.”
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