Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashanti Toi Minter.
Ashanti Toi, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I’ve gotten to where I am today by having faith in God, taking risks, accepting the outcome wherever it may lead and never looking back. Born and raised in Northern California, I grew up with a multicultural background and was blessed to experience a diverse pallet at a young age; which helped me develop a distinctive approach to cooking. Although cooking has always been my passion, my journey in life has prepped me for all that I have in store…
I officially moved from California in late 2009 to pursue my entrepreneurial goals full time. I graduated from Culinary School Cum Laude in Nutrition, Culinary, and Business and now am the proud owner and CEO of That Simple, LLC.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Being a (black) female entrepreneur in a male-dominated industry is definitely not the recipe for a smooth road lol. And when you add being an introvert with a creative/artistic background in a social media influenced society, then the road gets a little more rocky.
I believe that sometimes I can be my biggest obstacle because I have a hard time accepting help. It’s also very challenging for me to open up to others; like when doing interviews or being “openly social” in a public environment. However, I have been diligently working to improve on these challenges and making good progress. I would like to take hardships that I’ve endured in this business and use them to help others navigate through the Chef world. I want to help provide an open door & opportunities that I did not have to help others succeed with their obstacles.
Please tell us about That Simple, LLC.
That Simple is a full-service culinary platform based in Atlanta, GA, but our services are also rendered nationally. We specialize in cooking classes, tasting demonstrations, pop up kitchens, dinner parties, restaurant and recipe consulting, private dinners, meal preps, corporate functions and so much more. What sets us apart from others is our vision to create a space and platform to help other chefs build and expand their business as well. I am truly proud of my company’s growth. This started with just me cooking as a little girl and has now evolved into a culinary pipeline connecting others through foodtastic experiences.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My favorite memories from childhood is cooking in the kitchen with and for my family and the rare opportunities that I had been given through “Gate Programs” in school to develop skill sets on how you can be a successful entrepreneur while working in a corporate environment.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ThatSimpleCooking.com
- Email: ThatSimple@ThatSimpleCooking.com
- Instagram: Chef_AToi
Image Credit:
Jaxon Photogroup, Eric Sun Photography, APicture and Co, Keith Anthony Photography
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