Johnisha became enamored with food and cooking as a powerful means to bridge cultural divides. As a biracial kid growing up in the 1980s, she enjoyed eating the soul foods of both her Eastern European Jewish mother and her Catholic African American father. She also loved to partake in the cuisines of her closest friends’ families, fellow tester Karima Barrow’s Trinidadian father introduced her to delicacies such as pelau and goat roti.
Johnisha graduated from Johnson & Wales University with a degree in pastry arts, and worked at both a farmstand bakery and a seasonally focused restaurant. She has also managed a community-based culinary cooking program focused on the foodways of the African diaspora. Although she currently works as a grant writer for social justice oriented nonprofits, she still treasures her time experimenting in the kitchen. And whenever she plans visits to new places, one of the first things she investigates is where to find the best meals and pastries.
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