Sharing the stories behind the brand and businesses I’ve had the pleasure to be a part of during my career is one of my favorite possibilities for this website. Instead of starting with one of my own business concepts, this week I want to introduce you to the talented folks and the hard work invested that have made Raleigh Raw a hub for health, wellness, and connectivity in Downtown.
Sherif Fouad and Leslie Woods are the plant-fueled entrepreneurs I’ve had the pleasure to work with in many capacities – in fact, Sherif’s inspiration and beginning efforts for Raleigh Raw began to percolate while he was part of our team behind the bar at a few Eschelon concepts, including Zinda. I’ve personally always had a passion for helping young minds build an idea from concept to execution so helping Raleigh Raw grow from a web-based business to singular retail operation to now fulfilling people’s juiciest cravings via a recurring-revenue subscription model has been particularly rewarding. (Controlling costs on their product is just one of the critical efforts in Raleigh Raw’s development to make expansion at scale a reality. My deep experience in the food and beverage space is an asset that I’m grateful to be able to share with clients and I’d be glad to put those efforts to work for your business concept, as well.)
There’s also the concept of “community” at play here – Sherif and Leslie have created a haven amidst the hustle of Downtown Raleigh where I personally hold many of my working meetings during the week. On any given day, Raleigh Raw hosts those grabbing a quick, healthy option to go and on the other end of the spectrum, entrepreneurs like myself who camp out for hours on end enjoying the cafe menu while getting things done. (More on the “getting things done” note to come…)
Want to meet up at Raleigh Raw and talk shop? Please connect with me and let’s make it happen.