kubé Nice Cream a brand by Creamy Coconuts, LLC Story
The Founders
Kai B. Nortey
CEO/Co-Founder
Kai Nortey is a visionary and socially conscious, Black woman, business leader who is tenaciously building an ethnically inclusive, food justice and health economy in the Oakland-Bay Area of California. She believes that there must be a paradigm shift away from supporting big, broken food companies that use and hide toxic, bleaching chemicals (sodium metabisulfite) in many common foods.
Mrs. Nortey is lactose intolerant and has healed her own gut flora issues with kubé raw coconut milk and nice cream. Raw coconut milk/cream, from mature coconuts, promote a balance of good gut flora due to the immune boosting properties of lauric and caprylic acids on the medium chain fatty acids, which are anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, and anti-viral. As a result, kubé nice cream is both the manifestation and culmination of Kai’s health needs and her interdisciplinary professional background.
Kai holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and a minor in Biology from Mills College, in Oakland, along with a Master of Science in Integrated Marketing Communications and PR from Golden Gate University. Kai has worked in the fields of biology, bio-tech, marketing communications and PR, community activism, juvenile justice policy, and restorative juvenile justice programs for youth.
Kai strongly believes that in order to re-build healthier, sustainable food models, we must support locally resilient, artisan food systems. Artisan food systems are making a “come back” and exist to restore economic equity, health, value, dignity, environmental sustainability, and trusted relationships back to diverse communities. kubé nice cream is a conscious business that exists to restore health, dignity, and trust back to all people, particularly to folks who are lactose intolerant, the allergen population, ice cream enthusiasts, and to people of color who have been historically excluded from employment within the plant-based, food industry.
Kai defines Food justice as the right to know what ingredients are in your food, the right to determine new, healthier food systems, and the right to determine healthier outcomes for people, animals, and mama earth.
Ernest Nee-Nueh Nortey
President/Co-Founder
Nee-Nueh is a first generation born Ghanaian with extensive experience in hardware and software development. His interpersonal and leadership skills are exceptional and can lead any team towards goals and success.
Having allergies to seafood, shellfish, dairy, soy, nuts and mushrooms; has caused him to always cook his own meals and search for foods that met his dietary needs. He loves cooking, especially with the fresh fruits and veggies that come out of his family's garden.
Not only does he love searching for allergen friendly foods, he has a deep passion for community development, composting, environmental programs. Nee-Nueh also strongly believes in business models that embrace diversity, inclusion and belonging in the workplace.
Nee-Nueh holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies from Tabor College, in Hillsboro, KS. He has over 15 years work experience as a Sr. Technical Writer in Hardware, Software, Financial and Procurement industries. In each of his roles he has initiated foresight and strategic relationships to evolve the goals of Corporate Social Responsibility.
Fun Facts: He's hand cracked and scraped over 3500 coconuts to make kubé nice cream products.
The Team
Jenny Kassan
Business Attorney
Jenny has over two decades of experience as an attorney and advisor for mission-driven enterprises. Jenny is certified as a coach by the International Association of Women in Coaching as well as an author. She earned her J.D. from Yale Law School and a masters degree in City and Regional Planning from the University of California at Berkeley. Jenny is also a fellow at Democracy Collaborative and the co-founder of the Force for Good Fund.
Added over 5 years ago
This start-up company has a lot going for it; a new and healthy niche in the highly competitive ice cream market, a minority and women led business that has already proven products and a patent pending. To boot, the founders have already put $85k of their own money into the business.
Added over 5 years ago
Great Info and Team.