Rising ICON #47: Jametta Raspberry
What name do you prefer to be called?
Jametta Raspberry
What are your pronouns?
She/Her
Where did you grow up?
I was born in Gary, Indiana but I grew up in Eagan, MN
What city are you currently based in?
St. Paul
How do you typically introduce yourself to new people?
My name is Jametta Raspberry, chef and founder of House of Gristle and Executive Director of Roots for The Home Team.
What’s one thing you wish more people knew about you?
I wish people knew how sensitive I really am and how deep my feelings go. I am mostly always presumed as strong and that I can handle anything that comes at me. I have faced a lot, yes and I have had to be strong to survive some major crisis, but I am a very sensitive and emotional person. I am an empath and I feel everything. Sometimes I am not given the same grace as others when I am experiencing my moments of compassion. I need more space and time in solitude to work through these moments. It’s like I need to recharge my battery pack before I can do anything else.
Who do you help?
Black people. We deserve all the help and then some. Until our communities can be fully restored to our standards and expectations, there will always be work for me to do. The effects of 500 years of slavery and oppression thereafter are not our faults and it weighs heavily within our culture.
What are you building now?
I am building myself up to become a better leader. I choose to lead by example so it’s incredibly important for me to dig into the nooks and crannies of myself and repair everything that is broken. Sometimes I am unaware of my shortcomings until I enter a major project. The end result may be bright and shiny, but the journey can be rough and unstable. It’s important for me to focus and fix those things internally before I try to teach someone else. It’s a constant cycle of work.
What were you building ten years ago today?
10 years ago, I was building a safe space for me to exist. I would’ve been in the prime of the most difficult time of my career, however, I was beginning to dream of what that would look like. That was around the time I imagined and started to create the vision for House of Gristle. I began to form a world where I could comfortably immerse myself in my artistry, free from hostility and unnecessary competition.
What do you predict of yourself 10 years from now?
I predict that I will have established myself as a respected entrepreneur and a reliable asset to my community. I predict I will have at least one brick-and-mortar operation with plans to scale my business. I am hoping by then, I will have more time to spend with my family and traveling the world.
What’s a fact or statistic you wish everyone knew about your industry?
All though my industry was heavily devasted by the impacts of the pandemic, we are extremely resilient and are on trend to grow into a $1Trillion dollar industry.
Why do you believe the work you do matters?
For centuries black bodies were used and exploited to prop this industry up without reparations. My work matters because I am holding space and making sure that we are properly represented when critical conversations are being had especially when it pertains to the future of dining and food service.
Who is your mentor and what is the best advice they’ve given you?
Finding a mentor that I can identify with has been a career-long challenge. Right now, I look up to Nadege Souvenir (CEO St. Paul Foundation) who, by example, teaches me how to be a bold and fearless leader and to look good while doing it.
What piece of content about you or your company are you most proud of?
I am most proud of an article I was featured in Huffington post while I was organizing a grassroots food distribution effort during our civil unrest.
What publication do you hope to appear in next?
Black Enterprise Magazine
Who would you love to be interviewed by?
Oprah Winfrey
If you had to give a TEDTalk tomorrow, what would the title be?
Everything counts as work.
What award would mean the most to win?
Peoples choice
What makes zero sense to you?
That we still haven’t come to terms with how incredibly powerful black women are.
What’s a word in your industry you hope gets re-evaluated?
Chef
What game are you changing?
The chef career path can be a rewarding game.
What’s the next thing you’re a part of that you want to invite more people to participate in?
Roots for the Home Team. This is a groundbreaking organization that can become something bigger than all of us.
Where can we follow you online?
https://www.instagram.com/chefraspberry/
https://www.houseofgristle.com/about
https://rootsforthehometeam.org/who-is-roots/
https://www.facebook.com/chefjamettaraspberry/
What’s one thing that makes every leader better?
Time. It takes time to learn from mistakes and form new habits.
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We’re grateful to each Rising ICON for their transformative work. Thank you, Jametta, for sharing your story!
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“My work matters because I am holding space and making sure that we are properly represented when critical conversations are being had, especially when it pertains to the future of dining and food service.”
Notice: It’s important for our readers to understand the origin of the interview content. The featured ICON contributed responses that were not edited from the original submission. All claims are made solely by the contributor and do not reflect the views of LAUREL or its partners. Thank you for supporting rising leaders. The future is bold.
