A look at what we served at the inaugural TOAST: Brunch!
Clockwise from top: fruit & nut rye morning bread, sprouted rye bread, jam, honey & walnut from Gjusta; caramelized onion, zucchini, & sundried tomato frittata; rainbow carrot & flower petal salad; photo The Dinner Party Association
Artisanal Toast Bar: avocado & sea salt on sprouted rye, nut butter & truffle salt on fruit & nut rye, ricotta & jam on sourdough baguette, and radish & microgreens on sprouted rye
Mimosa Bar: ice sculpture wine cooler crafted by Troubled Ice; Brut sparkling wine from One Hope Wine; Orange, peach, and mango juices to round out our mimosa mixers
Cinnamon Toast Crunch filled jam jars
Want to learn more about our Toast:Brunch? Take a peak…
When I launched Toast Meets Jam I knew that I wanted this to be a place not only to showcase awesome female entrepreneurs but also a place to bring them together. I had the idea to create a brunch series and invite all of the young women who had been, or would soon be, featured on a Toast Meets Jam interview. We could gather and nosh on some tasty bits and sips while making new friends and building a community with like-minded women.
As luck (or the power of attraction- your call) would have it, just as I was trying to figure out how to pull this off, I was introduced to Megan Ranegar of The Dinner Party Association. Megan’s forte is hosting amazing pop-up parties and backyard soirees. Much to my overwhelmingly appreciation, she offered to team up to help bring my idea to life.
For our series, we chose the theme TOAST: A Brunch for Gals we Raise our Glasses to. Our invite list included top notch lady bosses that crossed both our networks and our menu plans stuck close to theme.
We hosted the brunch at the Toast Meets Jam HQ – aka my house in Venice and were joined by nearly twenty incredibly talented women.
Before we dove in for our meal, the group went around and introduced themselves. From running a PR and branding agency, to producing a top ranking podcast, to owning a healthy cookie company, and beyond, these girls’ have more than earned their #girlboss stripes.
One of these women was Tatiana, the owner and ice sculptor behind Troubled Ice. She was the creative genius behind this jaw-dropping center piece for our Toast Mimosa Bar. To top it off One Hope Wine stepped in and as our amazing sparkling wine sponsor and served up their yummy Sparkling Brut.
Of course this brunch wouldn’t have been complete without a Toast bar. If you follow me on Instagram you’ve likely heard me rave about Gjusta, the bakery/cafe concept from the Gjelina family. This generous bunch offered us their to-die-for breads and spreads to create this fabulous looking tray of deliciousness.
We wanted to send every girl off with one last toast, so we created a special take home treat, a jam jar of Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Hallmark also hooked us up with adorable cards from their new Signature collection.
I’d dreamed up an amazing day filled with great food, new friends, and incredible connections. Thanks to Megan, our sponsors, and these women we made it possible. Now, I will certainly #ToastToThat!
Want to join us for the next TOAST Brunch? Drop me a line at jen@toastmeetjam.com
Coming Up Next…
I’ll be sharing a few of our favorite recipes from our TOAST menu… mmm mmm : )
Friends Ann Wang and Jessica Willison are the co-founders of Enrou, an online marketplace for one-of-a-kind, handmade goods that empower developing communities around the world. Though the two come from very different backgrounds (Ann international development and Jess fashion & e-commerce) , through Enrou, they’ve found a way to blend their skills into one similar passion. Now, they’re on a mission to improve the world by changing the way people shop.
The name Enrou stems from “enroute’ and is short the company’s mission to get people on the way to change. Their vision in building Enrou was to develop a marketplace where every purchase creates opportunity. When you shop the site, you’ll find products handcrafted by artisans in developing countries around the world. When you make a purchase, not only do you receive the product but with it the story of how it was crafted. The aim is that the sharing of these stories will create a more personal connection and authentic buying experience.
Your purchase directly impacts the person who made the product by providing him or her with skilled work, income and job training. Further extending the impact of your purchase is the reach it has on the communities where the brands are based. Each purchase helps these brands support on-the-ground initiatives like women’s empowerment, job training, and health education.
In a world where it seems that our social feeds are too often filled with stories of consumerism gone wrong, Ann and Jess have forged away for conscious consumers to pick a new path. By channeling our everyday purchases into purposeful investments, their goal is to redefine consumerism by making the global market one brimming with opportunity — for all.
To find out more about the building of Enrou, I met Ann and Jess at Cafe Gratitude in Venice. Cafe Gratitude is a plant-based LA favorite where you can stop in for organic vegan fair along with a side of self reflection. With dishes named after motivational mantras like I am terrific you’re sure to leave full in every sense of the word.
More About Ann & Jess
Ann Wang is co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Enrou. Before co-founding Enrou, Wang studied International Development at UCLA. She has been dedicated to global social justice through her tenure at UCLA and beyond. She also worked in the Alumni Scholarships Program and the UCLA Volunteer Center, where she contributed to the Social Media & Marketing Internship Program, sharing her passions for technology and community service.
Jessica Willison is co-founder and chief communication officer of Enrou. Prior to Enrou, Jessica was a communication studies student at UCLA and an editorial intern for the fashion website Refinery29.
The two graduated from UCLA in the Class of ’13. The seeds for Enrou were planted in their final year of school together. Together they bootstrapped with their own savings to get their budding business off the ground. They’ve since gone on to compete and win Forbes Pressure Cooker Contest at the annual 30 Under 30 Summit which awarded them $400K in prize money.
What is Enrou?
Enrou is a central marketplace for one-of-a-kind, handmade goods that empower developing communities around the world. Through the power of trade, Enrou is helping to create sustainable change within global communities and to end the cycle of poverty through small-business and community development.
When you shop Enrou, you empower the community where the product was made. This happens through our dual-impact model — every Enrou product helps reduce global poverty in two distinct and powerful ways.
The first impact is the direct investment in the person who made your product — your purchase provides him or her with dignified work, as well as an income and job training.
The second impact is in the community where your product was made — your purchase supports development initiatives on the ground, such as health education and women’s empowerment programs. These initiatives help improve quality of life for the people today and their future generations.
By channeling everyday purchases into purposeful investments, we are redefining consumerism and making the global market a better market, one brimming with opportunity — for all. (Source:Enrou)
An Interview with Ann Wang & Jessica Willison, Founders of Enrou
Coming up next on Toast Meets Jam… Ann Wang & Jessica Willison, founders of Enrou.
How much thought do you put into the products that you buy? Do you stop to consider whose hands sewed the shirt you’re wearing? Ever wonder where the fabric in the sheets on your bed came from? Or given a second thought to where the money you’ve handed over for your latest purchase is actually going?
These are questions that Ann Wang & Jessica Willison are hoping they can get you to stop and think about. These two young women are founders of Enrou, an online marketplace for one-of-a-kind, handmade goods that empower developing communities around the world. By providing a central hub of socially responsible brands, Enrou seeks to generate tangible ways for consumers to leave a positive social and financial impact around the world.
It’s their mission to help our generation become more conscious consumers. By channeling our everyday purchases into purposeful investments, their goal is to redefine consumerism by making the global market one brimming with opportunity — for all.
To find out more about the building of Enrou, I met Ann and Jess at Cafe Gratitude in Venice. Cafe Grat is a plant-based LA favorite where you can stop in for organic vegan fair along with a side of self reflection. With dishes named after motivational mantras like I am terrific you’re sure to leave full in every sense of the word. First timer tips– make sure to ask your server for the question of the day and leave plenty of room for one of their raw desserts.
Want to learn how these ladies have grown Enrou from idea to a thriving business in just under a year? Check back to watch our full interview and make sure to subscribe to Toast Meets Jam so you’re sure to catch all the latest episodes.
In the meantime, why not get to know Enrou? You can them here:
For our interview, Michelle agreed to meet me at Toms’ Flagship store on Abbott Kinney. You’re likely familiar with Toms as the brand behind the now famous, and oft replicated one for one model. For every pair of shoes purchased, Toms donates one to someone in need.
While their flagship location serves as a storefront for the famed shoe brand, it also offers guests an introduction to the many other parts of the brand, in particular, Toms’ coffee. Their roasting club is a subscription service that gets you one bag of coffee every month. For every bag purchased, Toms provides one week of water to someone in need.
At the Toms store you can sample their single origin brews and nom down on a delicious mix of pastries. Order at the counter, then mozie outside and find and find a seat on their outdoor couch.
You’ll find plenty of blankets to cozy up with, ample power outlets for those in need, and a host of people who are sure to become your new BFFs while you enjoy your coffee.
If you haven’t yet caught on, I’m a bit obsessed with the place. It was only a matter of time before I found my way there for an interview. To catch mine with Michelle Edgar, the founder behind The XX Project click here.
Ann Wang is co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Enrou. Before co-founding Enrou, Wang studied International Development at UCLA. She has been dedicated to global social justice through her tenure at UCLA and beyond. She also worked in the Alumni Scholarships Program and the UCLA Volunteer Center, where she contributed to the Social Media & Marketing Internship Program, sharing her passions for technology and community service.
