Eat.Plank.Live Podcast

Join us for an amazing journey into the life of Chef Coco whose experience spans over 30 years in hospitality, fashion, entertainment, and culinary education. Her culinary and hospitality experience include the New York Plaza Hotel, Windows on the World Restaurant. Chef Coco is also currently a Chef Educator at Escoffier School of Culinary Arts online and she also mentors' young chefs and fashion students in the USA, several countries in Africa and India. She is a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts and was also an educator at her alma mater. In a prior life, Chef Coco was the fashion designer and stylist for celebrities such as LL Cool J, Music Producer Teddy Riley, and Positive K and was Assistant Designer to Play from the rap duo Kid N Play, just to name a few.

In Swahili, kukuwa means, "to grow". It's the name for Kukuwa Kyereboah and her fitness company Kukuwa Fitness, which create and lead African dance workouts inspired by several countries like Ghana, South Africa, and Tanzania. 

In this episode, we chat with Tekisha Harvey, the cofounder of CannaCurious magazine, a digital magazine targeted to women interested in learning more about the benefits of CBD and cannabis.

In this episode we chat with Iman Oubou, the founder and CEO of SWAAY Media, a former Miss New York US, philanthropist, champion of Women, and published Scientist. 

In this episode we chat with Felicia Leatherwood, celebrity hair stylist extraordinaire. Her work has been featured on such high profile acts as Oscar Award nominee Ava Duvernay, Issa Rae of HBO's Insecure, Will Smith, Jill Scott, and many many others. Whether you have 3A, 4C, or 12Z hair-we made that last one up- you'll want to take a listen to this episode. We cover the very personal and sometimes controversial topic of natural hair.

In this episode we chat with Sam Mogannam, chef and owner of the Bi-Rite Family of Businesses: Bi-Rite Creamery, 18 Reasons, and Bi-Rite Farms. A native of San Francisco and son of Palestinian parents, Sam shares his journey to ownership of one of SF's most renowned establishments. We talk about everything from responsible sourcing to his overseas experience kneading dough with his feet!

In this episode we chat with Shellye Archambeau who is one of tech's first black female CEOs, a Fortune 500 board member for Verizon and Nordstrom, and the author of Unapologetically Ambitious: Take Risks, Break Barriers, and Create Success on Your Own Terms. 

In this episode I chat with Bun B, the 2nd half of the Grammy nominated group, UGK. We explore everything from his launch into the food world to insights into his favorite foods, bbq techniques and his YouTube channel, Trill Mealz.

Join me for an exceptionally fun and captivating convo with Ray Isle, the Executive Wine Editor for Food and Wine Magazine. We talk about everything from the history of rose' to the rise in popularity of canned wines. If you love wine, this is a must listen!

In this final episode of Season 1, we speak with Urska Srsen, the Croatian co-founder of Bellabeat, a company focused on science-based wellness devices. A sculptor by training, Urska shares how growing up in social culture heavily influenced by fitness guided her path in life, ultimately leading her to building a tech company anchored in a holistic view of women's health. Bellabeat is a Y combinator graduate company with over $11MM in sales and 40+ employees.

Join us for an enlightening conversation with Qaadirah Abdur-Rahim, a former U.S. Air Force Reservist and the CEO of the Future Foundation, a nonprofit committed to changing the world for Atlanta youth, through education. Coming from a family heavily grounded in athletics and professional sports, Qaadirah shares her story of how a dedication to fitness fuels her determination to succeed and make a generational difference in the lives of children.

In this episode, we chat with Gideon Akande, a Chicago based fitness and wellness coach. Gideon shares details about his journey from the business world to becoming a force within the fitness world. From his award winning career in boxing to winning Men's Health Next Top Trainer, Gideon provides a candid perspective on what it takes to achieve your fitness and life goals.

In this episode, we chat with Valerie Williams, a former Stripe Executive and current CEO/Founder of the Converge Firm, a boutique consultancy focused on helping startups thoughtfully scale through: talent planning strategic partnerships and DEI practices Join us for a fun and vulnerable discussion about how her relationship with food and fitness evolved over the years and supported her journey to a successful career.

In this episode, we discuss the intersection of fitness and wellness with reproductive health for men and women along with strategies that couples can implement during this time of COVID-19 to cope and stay on their fertility journey. Dr. Geraldine Ekpo graduated summa cum laude from Georgia Tech with a B.Sc. in Biomedical Engineering and obtained her medical degree from the University of Michigan Medical School. She is an inducted member of the prestigious Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) Honor Medical Society. Dr. Ekpo’s expertise includes, IVF, egg freezing and other forms of fertility preservation, low complexity options for ovarian stimulation and all other aspects of assisted reproductive technologies. 

In this episode we chat with Elise Young, a NYC/CT based trainer. Elise shares her journey of how her love for fitness was cultivated at an early age which helped her in later years to manage and overcome some of life's challenges. As a corporate trainer for Googlers (Google employees) and the Discovery channel, she shares her strategy for helping busy professionals achieve their own fitness goals.  

All trainers are not created equal. In recent days, a lot of people have turned to online fitness classes to help them stay on track. Although the circumstances are unfortunate, the COVID-19 crisis has provided trainers everywhere with the opportunity to expand their craft in creative ways. It has also provided consumers with access to trainers that were previously out of reach. In this episode, we explore tips on how to find a trainer that works well for you. 

In this episode we chat with Graylon Sanders, an Oakland native and Bay area trainer. Graylon shares his life journey, love for fitness and tips/tricks to achieve your wellness goals.

Sugar. It feels like it's hidden in almost everything despite how healthy we try to eat. In this episode, we explore our lifelong love-hate relationships with sugar and how we try to manage cravings as part of a healthy lifestyle.

Travel can throw the best of us off our game. From stress to delayed flights, life-sized airport snacks, and drinks on the beach, it's very easy to over indulge. Whether you're hitting the friendly skies for work or a girl's vacation, we share some practical tips to get you through your trip.

The inaugural episode of Eat.Plank.Love. We explore all things wellness related while discussing how our journeys with regular exercise, fitness, and healthier eating have evolved over time.