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Meet Kenya MomPremier, a vibrant wife, mother of two homeschooled sons, and newest owner of Jackson’s Green Bean cafe. Located in the heart of downtown, Green Bean offers pour over coffee, cold pressed juices, tea and pastries.
The bubbly new business owner was born in the seventh ward of Washington, D.C. While speaking about her birthplace, she affectionately refers to the cosmopolitan area as chocolate city. “DC gave me a strong sense of culture as it relates to Blackness.”
She later moved to a small yet quaint town in Mississippi. “Growing up in Terry gave me a chance to understand more about nature and how I was connected to it.”
Now, you may be wondering if MomPremier is truly her last name, and if it is, where did it originate? Laughing as she speaks, the JSU alum says people often ask, “Is that really your last name?”
MomPremier was the surname given to her husband, by his father’s Creole ancestors. The name means, ‘my first, as in first born’. After several generations, it became a last name. Her father named her Kenya because he wanted her to have a direct correlation with the continent of Africa. “He also gave me this name so that I could attract the right man.”
Inspired by Jackson
During one of her frequent visits to Mississippi from Dallas, MomPremier and her husband decided to check-out the Jackson nightlife. As they were driving through downtown, she remembers thinking, “Geez, a lot has changed since I was a student at Jackson State.” After grasping the renewed environment, she was immediately inspired.
“I told my husband that I wanted to be a part of this change,” she continued. “I didn’t know how yet, but I wanted to be included in the transformation that was happening in downtown Jackson.”
After brainstorming, she decided that her business would have to reflect things that she represented. “I like nature and hills. I like community and doing things organically, so I brought all those things together, and Green Bean was created.”
The local coffee café is simple yet soothing; providing customers with a peaceful environment that promotes healthiness.
Joining the health movement
Beaming with pride, she says, “Green Bean is just a portion of the health movement that is already taking place in Jackson. There are other cafes and businesses emphasizing that health is not just about food, but also, your inner peace and finding ways to meditate.”
The coffee shop owner believes a healthy community starts with you. “It’s important to eat authentic foods, maintain healthy eating habits, meditate, and take time to just be with your thoughts.”
Speaking with passion, she continues, “Start with yourself, first. Take some time to be with your thoughts. People are so busy, they don’t often listen to themselves breathe. As a form of meditation, try listening to your own breath and you will find that it is quite soothing.”
Investing in others through Incubator
MomPremier has already introduced a way to assist local business owners through a program called Incubator. This program gives small business owners an opportunity to be a part of Green Bean’s growth. Incubator offers seed funding, management training, mentorship and up to 10,000 in investment capital with no strings attached.
“They will be selling our cleanse and getting 15 percent of what they make. Right now, I am opening up the program to our employees, but I also want to expand it to others who possibly can’t get a loan from a bank or get investors to believe in whatever they are aiming to do.”
Individuals who participate in the program must:
- Meet with a mentor monthly
- Achieve sales goals (Sell 10 juice cleanses monthly for 24 months)
- Attend annual Green Bean retreat
For more information about this program, visit www.greenbeanusa.com.