Transcendence Coffee Co-Founders Lisa Yala And Mitalee Bharadwaj: The Future Is Sharing Cultures

05/04/23 • 41 min

Hosted by Abena Anim-Somuah
Produced by Kerry Diamond and Catherine Baker
Edited by Jenna Sadhu
Recorded at CityVox Studios in NYC

This week, we look into the future with Mitalee Bharadwaj and Lisa Yala, co-founders of Transcendence Coffee, the NYC-based flavored syrup brand. Computer engineering majors at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Mitalee and Lisa were lab partners as well as baristas at the on-campus coffee shop. Mitalee and Lisa’s South Indian and Algerian backgrounds, respectively, served as inspiration for their two syrup flavors—gulab jamun and baklava—which they brought to market just six months after coming up with the idea.

Mitalee and Lisa join host Abena Anim-Somuah to talk about bringing joy to coffee, their r&d process, their hopes for future distribution, and knowing their product’s worth.

Don’t miss Mitalee and Lisa’s voicemails to their future self and their Future Flash Five predictions.

Thank you to Kerrygold and Walmart for supporting our show. Learn more about Kerrygold butter & cheese here and about Walmart’s annual Open Call program here.

The Future Of Food Is You is a production of The Cherry Bombe Podcast Network. Check cherrybombe.com for show transcripts. Who do you think is the Future of Food? Nominate them here!

More on Mitalee: Instagram, newsletter
More on Lisa: Instagram
More on Transcendence Coffee: Instagram, website, store locator

Follow Abena on Instagram
Get your Cherry Bombe magazine subscription here

Hosted by Abena Anim-Somuah
Produced by Kerry Diamond and Catherine Baker
Edited by Jenna Sadhu
Recorded at CityVox Studios in NYC

Mitalee and Lisa join host Abena Anim-Somuah to talk about bringing joy to coffee, their r&d process, their hopes for future distribution, and knowing their product’s worth.

Don’t miss Mitalee and Lisa’s voicemails to their future self and their Future Flash Five predictions.

Thank you to Kerrygold and Walmart for supporting our show. Learn more about Kerrygold butter & cheese here and about Walmart’s annual Open Call program here.

The Future Of Food Is You is a production of The Cherry Bombe Podcast Network. Check cherrybombe.com for show transcripts. Who do you think is the Future of Food? Nominate them here!

More on Mitalee: Instagram, newsletter
More on Lisa: Instagram
More on Transcendence Coffee: Instagram, website, store locator

Follow Abena on Instagram
Get your Cherry Bombe magazine subscription here

Previous Episode

Cookbook Author & Glossier Impact Lead Roya Shariat: The Future Is Family

Hosted by Abena Anim-Somuah
Produced by Kerry Diamond and Catherine Baker
Edited by Jenna Sadhu
Recorded at CityVox Studios in NYC

Welcome to Season Two of The Future Of Food Is You! For the season opener, we look into the future with Roya Shariat, Senior Manager for Social Impact & Brand Partnerships at Glossier. Roya also has a culinary side to her life. She and her mother, Gita, collaborated on a cookbook titled Maman And Me: Recipes from Our Iranian American Family, coming out October 24th. The book is filled with Roya’s childhood favorites, American twists on Iranian dishes, and, of course, classic tahdig recipes.

Roya joins host Abena Anim-Somuah to talk about how she got her unique job at Glossier, going viral on TikTok with her mother, navigating her way through the publishing world, and more.

Don’t miss Roya’s voicemail to her future self and her Future Flash Five predictions.

Thank you to Kerrygold and Walmart for supporting our show. Learn more about Kerrygold butter & cheese here and about Walmart’s annual Open Call program here.

The Future Of Food Is You is a production of The Cherry Bombe Podcast Network. Check cherrybombe.com for show transcripts. Who do you think is the Future of Food? Nominate them here!

More on Roya: Instagram, Maman and Me, website, TikTok, Consumed newsletter. Pre-order Roya’s cookbook here.
Follow Abena on Instagram

Get your Cherry Bombe magazine subscription here

Next Episode

Rahanna Bisseret Martinez of “Top Chef Junior” and “Flavor + Us”: The Future Is Inclusive

Hosted by Abena Anim-Somuah
Produced by Kerry Diamond and Catherine Baker
Edited by Jenna Sadhu
Recorded at CityVox Studios in NYC

This week, we look into the future with Rahanna Bisseret Martinez, a freshman at Cornell University’s hospitality school, finalist on Top Chef Junior, and author of Flavor + Us: Cooking For Everyone. Part of 4 Color Books, Bryant Terry’s imprint at Ten Speed Press, Rahanna’s debut cookbook was influenced by her love of farmer's markets, her Haitian and Mexican heritage, and her time working at restaurants like Chez Panisse.

She joins host Abena Anim-Somuah to talk about her time on reality cooking shows, life at Cornell, her admiration for Serena Williams, and, of course, her book, which will be out May 16th.

Don’t miss Rahanna’s voicemail to her future self and her Future Flash Five predictions.

Thank you to Kerrygold and Walmart for supporting our show. Learn more about Kerrygold butter & cheese here and about Walmart’s annual Open Call program here.

The Future Of Food Is You is a production of The Cherry Bombe Podcast Network. Check cherrybombe.com for show transcripts. Who do you think is the Future of Food? Nominate them here!

More on Rahanna: Instagram, pre-order Rahanna’s debut cookbook Flavor + Us

Follow Abena on Instagram
Get your Cherry Bombe magazine subscription here