Diaspora Spice Company
“My ambitious vision is to cultivate a revolutionary, flavorful, and just spice trade, transforming a flawed system into a fair exchange.”
Growing up in Mumbai, India, Sana Javeri Kadri witnessed the deep-rooted connection between food and culture. After relocating to the United States, she recognized that the dynamics of South Asian spices had seen little evolution since medieval times—farmers remained underpaid, supply chains were convoluted, and the spices available were often stale.
Upon her return to Mumbai, she immersed herself in research, exploring farms and markets, and engaging with The Indian Institute of Spices Research, which she describes as a pivotal moment in her journey.
Beginning with just one spice—turmeric—her “ambitious vision was to cultivate a revolutionary, flavorful, and just spice trade, transforming a flawed system into a fair exchange.” This involved sourcing directly from farmers, ensuring they earned a fair living wage, while promoting sustainable farming practices and advocating for transparency in the supply chain.
However, their commitment to partner farmers extends beyond fair pay. Through their Farm Worker Fund, Sana and her team strive to enhance the social and economic conditions of farming communities by implementing both immediate and long-term solutions to access fundamental rights, healthcare, education, and dignified living conditions.
At Diaspora, community is at the core of their mission, enabling them to share their narratives of “freedom, challenges, and diaspora through the medium of food.”
LONA
“We hold the belief that every woman deserves the power to shape her own life.”
As reported by Forbes, women globally earn, on average, just 77 cents for every dollar a man makes, and the earnings are even lower for BIPOC women. At the current pace, it’s estimated that it will take 257 years to eliminate this pay disparity. LONA is determined to expedite this change.
By offering grants, mentorship, and expert guidance to women-led startups and businesses, LONA empowers women to seize economic opportunities and pursue their entrepreneurial dreams.
From the South Asian queer spice venture, Diaspora, to Indigenous artisans in Guatemala, and Black-owned culinary enterprises in California’s Bay Area, LONA’s grantee program fosters sustainable solutions for female entrepreneurs. “We hold the belief that every woman deserves the power to shape her own life.”
Moreover, LONA encourages its grantees to become mentors for future generations, fostering a culture of support and empowerment that can influence a larger network of women and girls as they give back.
