Meet Abena Foli | Founder

We had the good fortune of connecting with Abena Foli and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Abena, how did you come up with the idea for your business?
Having worked in the food industry as a product developer and regulatory expert, I noticed the gap in West African originated food products in the US retail space. Such products could be found in US-based African stores. However, they were typically not packaged in formats the American consumer could relate to, and often not labeled per the US FDA food labeling guidelines, as most of them were imported. During the winter of 2015, we had a white elephant gift exchange at work, and were to bring an item that was handmade. My passion has always been around food and my West African cultural heritage. So, I made the first prototype of what is now the Original Spicy version of our West African Seasonings, as my gift. The person who ultimately received it provided feedback on how he had used it, and that is when I decided it was time to start a business to retail Spicy West African Seasonings.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I moved to the US in the fall of 2006 to pursue my college education, with the intention of getting a degree in biochemistry. Along the way, I discovered the field of food science at a summer undergraduate research program I took part in at the end of my first year. This discovery changed the direction of my future academic and career pursuits. After graduating with my bachelor’s degree in biochemistry, I pursued a master’s degree in food science specializing in food safety microbiology. During graduate school, I had the opportunity to do a research and development internship at General Mills, which exposed me to another aspect of food science. Apart from the technical skills I gained there, I was exposed to the nuances of corporate America and how it differed from the academic setting I had been in. Given my love for cooking, I surmised that I wanted to be a research and development scientist after school. My first role after school, was as a product developer focusing on innovation in the tea, coffee and mayonnaise product categories. As the only scientist in the department, I got to wear many hats not only as a formulation scientist, but as a sensory scientist, lab tech and regulatory scientist. This foundation was crucial in giving me a well-rounded foundation in food science, in addition to my previous experiences. If there had been other scientists in the department, I would not have had this exposure and would have had tunnel-vision in my understanding of food science. As much as I thought I loved research and development, regulatory lined up more with how I approached issues. So, I pivoted to food regulations and labeling compliance after that first role and have been at it for the past ten years, currently leading the regulatory capabilities for the company I work for. Along the way, I have learned to be fluid in my pursuits, and to understand that professional ambitions may not necessarily align with our passions. Other factors can impact this such as personality, how we approach issues and longevity in a field. For me, I did not give up product development, since I still get to do that with POKS Spices. However, regulatory suits me best professionally, and I get to have the best of both worlds. Pivoting early in my career is one of the best decisions I made as more information came my way, which I believe has served me well in my both my academic and professional careers.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
One of the exciting places I will take any friend or family visiting the DFW metro area will be the George Bush Library on the SMU campus. After the tour of the library, we will grab a meal in uptown Dallas depending on the cuisine that my guest will be up for that day. What I love about the DFW metro area is the diversity in cuisines that can be found here, apart form Tex-Mex and Texas BBQ. On another day, we will definitely head over to Pecan Lodge for their beef ribs, and hit up the Dallas Aquarium for the rest of the day. The Dallas Zoo is also another place for a good fun day of activities. If the visit is during the fall we will definitely visit the Dallas Arboretum and grab a meal in downtown Dallas afterwards. One of our favorite hangout spots is Legacy West in Plano, given the mix of restaurants and shopping locations there. We love going to Carrollton for good Korean barbecue, and will add that to the list of places to take a guest for a meal.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Currently, POKS Spices is set up as a family business with my husband and I being co-owners. From the late summer of 2017 through early 2019, I had to take a back step from the business due to pregnancy-related debilitating illness, and to focus on settling into the routine of being a new mother. My husband Eugene stepped in to ensure that the business did not fail, by fulfilling orders during that time, even as we stripped to basic business functions. Without his effort, POKS Spices would not have rebounded and survived.

My passion for food and the depth of knowledge I have of my West African cultural heritage, come from my father who has been a farmer in Ghana for the past 40 years. It was my dad who taught me how to cook and to blend West African seasonings. On the other hand, my grit and work ethic come from my mother. My parents serve as advisors and critics of our products, given their knowledge of the history of authentic West African foods and flavors. Our first two products were originally called Original Spicy “Daddy’s Recipe” and Extra Spicy “Mama’s Recipe” as an ode to my parents for their sacrifices to ensure that my younger brother and I achieved a successful life. When we launched our third product in 2020, we had to streamline our product names and removed the “recipe” tags. However, our customers who have been with us from the beginning still refer to the products by the “recipe” tags.

Website: https://www.poksspices.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/poksspices

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/poks-spices

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/poksspices

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/poksspices

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4ciK5zGtdb_vG1H_cul3eQ