Community Enthusiast: Jennifer Hernandez

Living Latina is a series telling the stories of amazing Latinas that are in our life. They are models for Cadena, friends of Cadena and overall women we greatly admire.

Jennifer is a phenomenal woman. I met her through a community event that focused on voter engagement and I continued to see her at community events. I saw her grow into her own space of community empowerment and have felt so lucky to witness how a young Latina can transform her livind experiences into a space of impact. You can always catch her empowering her Instagram followers, although I'd dare to say they're more like friends (yes, all 7,000 of them and counting). That's the thing about Jenn though, she genuinely cares about you and her community and wants to see everyone around her flourish. With a friendship like hers, you're sure to show up as the best version of yourself. Now let's get into it. Read more about Jenn below!

1. How did your upbringing impact and shape who you are now?

I grew up with a foundation of hard work and sacrifice displayed by my loved ones. My oldest sister cared for me as a newborn when she was just 9 years old because my mami had to return to work. My parents worked a lot to provide for my family, I remember trying to stay up past my bedtime just to see my dad get home but always fell asleep before he arrived. Those memories are what motivate me to constantly show up as the best genuine version of myself in anything I do.

2. Your talents and your moral compass have led you to create and run a successful meal prepping business focused on your local community. Why did you want to focus on your local community?

My story is the story of so many families and it was important to me to focus on my local community because they are deserving of affordable and nutrient dense meals. If my services could help save a busy mom or student from hours of cooking so they could prioritize other tasks without breaking the bank, I know I've done my job.

I’m passionate about the stories and experiences that make up our community, it’s a constant reminder of how human we really all are. I love showing up for them through my platform with positive affirmations and words of encouragement. We are all on a journey, I'm just the friend cheering you on from the sidelines!

3. What does it mean to you, to run a business around cultura and sazon?

To me cultura and sazon serve as a reminder of my roots and the community I want to serve. I know it’s difficult to create a healthy habit like meal prepping and choosing more nutrient dense options when all you’ve known is the delicious foods of our cultura but I help bring all of that together with EBJH.

4. Who inspires your cooking?

It’s not so much who, but what inspires my cooking and that goes right back to cultura! I’m fascinated by different cultures, cuisines, traditions, and the stories that each of those things entail. I want my customers to feel that warm homey feeling when they taste my food and that’s what inspires me to create quality meals for them.

5. What is your favorite dish to cook?

I love making roasted chile rellenos, I wouldn’t consider it a traditional recipe because i’ve taken the concept and made it slightly healthier (no frying or flour batter involved) but to me it tastes like the real deal and is mami approved!

6. What is next for you and how can we support and champion you?

I’m currently zoned into my last semester of college and have been working on an e-cookbook for the lovely people at home who want to better their lifestyle without having to sacrifice the flavors of our rich culture! My goal is to create recipes that are affordable, fast, easy, flavorful, and nutrient dense.

This project will serve as a transition for EBJH as I slow down in person meal prep and shift my focus onto reaching a larger at home audience. I will still continue to use my platform to inspire, empower, and represent my community and plan to attend more pop up markets once it’s safe enough to do so!

Jenn, let us know where we can keep up with you:

Instagram & Facebook: @eatsbyjenn.her

@eatsbyjenn.her

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