Kansas City Ecosystem Builder Chef Esra England

Q: What about your life or work would you like other’s to know about you?

A: I am a God-fearing family man with three children (Journey, Jordan, and Jaylah) and a spouse (Amanda). I graduated from Michigan State University with a BS in Clinical Laboratory Science in 2008. After working in corporate America for 10 years, I decided to pursue my passion for cooking. I enrolled in culinary courses at The Culinary Center of KC (Overland Park). After graduating in 2016, I started the KC Cajun Food Truck and Catering Kansas City catering service.

We have been working with various groups such as Disabled But Not Really and Mark Launiu with the District KC to help create more opportunities for youth in our communities. Things like workshops, fundraisers, healthy food giveaways, and eventually even scholarships. We are looking to partner with more organizations that share the same vision and mission to create a direct change.

Q: What advice would you give for someone who is wanting to help build greater equity in the entrepreneurial ecosystem/community here in Kansas City?

A: You have to support each other. Many times programs are set up and resources are dedicated but they are not being delegated equitably. You have to ensure you are doing your part to be a part of the solution (supporting small businesses, expanding support programs, voting for the correct politicians) and not part of the problem.

Q: Can you share an example of how the ecosystem has supported you?

A: The Ennovation Center in Independence and Square One have been extremely influential in the success of KC Cajun. They helped tremendously in the initial start-up phase as well as provided the much needed resources to navigate through the process.

Q: What do you consider to be your life’s work?

A: I am trying to create opportunity and education for people who are in the margins (ex-cons, ex-addicts, high school dropouts etc.) and those who feel as though corporate America has turned its back on them.

I also believe it is extremely important to be a positive role model for the youth in my community and to invest as much time and resources as I can to educate others about business and opportunities in business. Ultimately, I hope this will provide an outlet and vision for our youth to see the potential and benefits of learning a trade and becoming an entrepreneur.

Overall, people from my community and background don’t always see a way out of their current situation. I believe if I can be that inspiration to any person, then I have succeeded in my mission.

Q: What are you most proud of that’s come from the entrepreneurial community work in Kansas City that you’ve been a part of? How has that impacted the community?

A: Working on different councils such as with ESHIP Kansas City has allowed me to voice my views and work in improvement projects to help create change. I am also a part of a team that is pursuing internship and scholarship programs for culinary art skills and training programs for our youth.