Once per month, we feature a Black entrepreneur on our blog and our social media as part of an ongoing effort to amplify awareness for Black-founded brands.

What is A Dozen Cousins?

A Dozen Cousins is a natural food brand making beans, rice, sauces, and more inspired by traditional Creole, Caribbean and Latin American dishes. Our brand’s unique products are made with wholesome, easy-to-recognize ingredients like beans, vegetables, and nutrient dense avocado oil while avoiding GMOs and artificial flavors.

What’s the origin story of A Dozen Cousins?

The brand is influenced by my childhood spent in the culinary melting pot of Brooklyn and is named after my daughter and her 11 cousins. I grew up in a big family where food was the center of all celebrations and gatherings. A Dozen Cousins was born after I noticed a gap in the market for authentic cultural foods that were also nutritious. Our authentic global recipes are a tribute to my experience growing up in Brooklyn where we blended my mother’s native southern cooking with the rich flavors she picked up from our Caribbean and Latin American neighbors.

How did you go from having an idea for a company to being a founder? What made you take the leap?

Prior to founding A Dozen Cousins, I worked with several brands in the natural foods space and I felt like there was a big gap in the market. Many of the cultural food brands at the time were highly processed while most natural brands tended to lack familiar flavors. I knew this was a big opportunity for people like myself that wanted convenient foods that didn’t sacrifice health, taste or culture.  A Dozen Cousins products combine authentic recipes with wholesome and easy-to-recognize ingredients which are ready in just 60 seconds.

Where can we try A Dozen Cousins?

A Dozen Cousins products can be found online at adozencousins.com, Amazon, Thrive Market and Hungryroot, and in retailers nationwide including Whole Foods Market, Sprouts, Kroger, Target, Costco, Walmart and more. To find out where you can find A Dozen Cousins near you, please visit https://adozencousins.com/pages/store-locator.