In 2010, we decided to adopt a vegan diet after losing Erika’s father to cancer. Erika began experimenting with “veganizing” family recipes to bring that wholesome familiarity to our new found cuisine. The food became a hit with family and friends and we began planning menus for what would become Detroit Vegan Soul meal delivery and catering. Kirsten developed the business plan and two years later, with a shared entrepreneurial spirit, Erika’s culinary creativity, and Kirsten’s business and marketing acumen, we opened Detroit’s first 100% vegan soul food cafe in historic West Village.

Kirsten Ussery

CO-FOUNDER

An entrepreneur residing in Charlotte, NC, Ussery started her career in Charlotte interning with the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce and Duke Energy. She then lived and worked for 20 years in Detroit, MI directing internal and external communication activities for C-Suite executives in statewide government and private global companies. She partnered with Erika Boyd to co-create the Detroit Vegan Soul restaurant brand in 2012. Detroit Vegan Soul has provided employment opportunities for many people who otherwise would not have to the opportunity to work and advance in the food industry.

Ussery has been a speaker on various panels about entrepreneurship including the Small Giants Conference, Net Impact Food Panel and JPMorgan Chase’s CityLab Detroit Global Summit. She is a graduate of the Goldman Sachs 10K Small Business Program. With over 20 years combined experience in both communication/public relations and the food industry, Ussery is a veteran in research, management, operations, communications, and marketing.

Erika Boyd

OWNER, CO-FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE CHEF

A lifelong Detroiter and entrepreneur born and raised on Detroit’s northwest side, Erika Boyd’s early cooking influences came from her mother, grandmother, and father.  At a young age she shadowed her mother, a nutritionist who worked as a food service manager for the City of Detroit running a community food service program. While assisting her mother, Erika was able to observe and learn all about how to prepare balanced meals and manage food inventory. From her grandmother, a gifted and talented cook with Georgian roots, well known for her delicious food, Erika learned to prepare soul food dishes. Her father was co-owner and cook at a popular lunchtime café which served comfort food and operated in Downtown Detroit’s Book Tower building for several years.

In 2012, Boyd partnered with Kirsten Ussery to co-create the Detroit Vegan Soul restaurant brand and in 2013 they opened their first brick and mortar restaurant in Detroit’s historic West Village neighborhood. Four years later in 2017, they opened their second location in Northwest Detroit’s Grandmont Rosedale neighborhood.

Boyd is day to day operator, Executive Chef and Co-Founder and has had the honor of being a featured Chef at the Michigan Veg Fest, Windsor Veg Fest, and New Jersey Veg Fest. She has also been featured in numerous local Fox 2 and WDIV TV cooking segments. Most recently, she was one of several women entrepreneurs featured in Mastercard’s Black Women Small Business Campaign – We All Thrive.