Profile

In Swahili, Jikoni means kitchen. At our core, that's what we are. A space to cook, to share, and to create. Jikoni was built with the creator and production crew in mind-- the walls are mobile, the surfaces are neutral and the ambiance is whatever… In Swahili, Jikoni means kitchen. At our core, that's what we are. A space to cook, to share, and to create. Jikoni was built with the creator and production crew in mind-- the walls are mobile, the surfaces are neutral and the ambiance is whatever you'd like to make it. We opened this studio so we can create our own space within this industry, also providing space for us to tell our own stories.
The opening of Jikoni created an opportunity and space for Black and under-represented voices in food to come together in a supportive environment that nurtures creativity and provides peer support. Outside of productions, we opened our doors to host panel events, and even started an event series highlighting the food of the African Diaspora. It would truly be a loss to this community if we had to close our doors.
The team is led by Kiano Moju, a Los Angeles-based culinary producer and on-screen personality, as well as the founder and principal of Jikoni. She was previously a producer with BuzzFeed's food video vertical, Tasty, where she produced such viral successes as Party Rice Around Africa, How to Make Moist Carrot Cake, Making Rainbow Croissants, and Making a 4 Flavor Cheesecake.
In May 2020 our company launched our online food community site, Jikoni.co in efforts to create space for Black and under-represented voices in food media to tell their own stories -highlighting the food of the African diaspora through editorial content and events.‚Äã
Aside from being a small minority woman-owned business (which makes it difficult to access capital), Covid-19 has complicated our financial position. With access to capital, we have the opportunity to attract very smart talented individuals to work for Jikoni. Our main constraint has been getting access to financial opportunities. Because we are very new, it has also been challenging to meet certain government criteria to get funding.