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

Hi Jennifer, is your business focused on helping the community? If so, how?
The Avana Company LLC is a creative brand rooted in diversity and dedicated to changing the narrative about communities of color by celebrating our culture, telling our stories, and amplifying our voices.

The Avana Company was founded based on the success of my podcast, the Telling HERstory Podcast, launched in September 2020. The award-winning Telling HERstory Podcast, which won Best Black History Podcast at the 2021 Black Podcasting Awards, takes listeners on a journey of discovery to learn more about the life and legacy of my maternal Grandmother, Mrs. Rosa T. Beard. Born in 1919, Great-Granddaughter of enslaved individuals, and Daughter of a man with a 2nd grade education, Rosa T. Beard became the first person in our family to graduate from college when she received her degree from Paine College in 1942. She went on to also obtain a Master’s Degree from Columbia University in 1951. On the show, I interview those who knew her in her many different roles—family members, friends, former students, colleagues, and others—to hear how her story, influenced their stories.

While I started on this podcasting journey to learn more about my maternal Grandmother, it is also my goal to preserve the stories of the lives of those she touched for future generations. In addition to posting the podcast interviews on all major podcast platforms, I also upload them to StoryCorps, an independently funded 501(c)(3) organization, to be preserved at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.

The Telling HERstory Podcast celebrates every day Black History heroes and tells the little known story of how one Black woman impacted an entire community and left an indelible mark on this world. Maya Angelou once said, “No man can know where he is going unless he knows exactly where he has been and exactly how he arrived at his present place.” We owe it to those who came before us to uncover their untold stories and make sure that they are preserved for generations to come. Learning their stories helps us better understand who we are. Through this podcast and The Avana Company LLC, it is my goal to not only honor the life and legacy of my Grandmother, Rosa T. Beard, but to also change the narrative regarding black Americans, particularly black Americans in the South during segregation, by putting a spotlight on black excellence, black families, and black love. These are the stories that need to and deserve to be told. Our future generations depend on it.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I should start a podcast. That’s what I told myself in August 2020 when I was trying to figure out the best way to honor and preserve the story of my Grandmother’s life and legacy. It didn’t matter that I didn’t know anything about podcasting. Anyone who knows me well, knows that once I make up my mind to do something…it’s not a matter of IF I can do it, but HOW I will do it.

Four weeks later, I launched the Telling HERstory Podcast on all major podcast platforms. One year later, that same podcast won Best Black History Podcast at the 2021 Black Podcasting Awards. Honored doesn’t begin to describe how I feel.

Now, I’m on a mission to pay it forward! The Avana Company LLC developed a free Podcast Launch Checklist to help others interested in launching a podcast get started: https://theavanaco.ck.page/launchchecklist. We also sale motivational merchandise through our Etsy Shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/theavanacompany

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If my best friend visited Atlanta for a week, we would definitely spend a lot of time on the Atlanta Beltline. The Beltline has it all!

If the weather is nice, we would go for walks along the Beltline to take in the sights, sound, and culture of the city. We’d grab a bite to eat at one of the restaurants along the Beltine or in Ponce City Market. Then we would go shopping at The Village Market Atlanta, inside Ponce City Market, to support small, black-owned businesses. We’d then head up to The Roof at Ponce City Market for great views and games, followed by dinner at 9 Mile Station.

We’d also spend a day visiting some of Atlanta’s greatest attractions, the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, Georgia Aquarium, and World of Coca-Cola.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I know I stand on the shoulders of those who came before me and I know that I am reaping the harvest of their hard work and prayers. Knowing that motivates me to honor their legacy by constantly striving to do better and to be better. I dedicate this Shoutout to my family for their sacrifices, unconditional love, and support, and to the entire Telling HERstory Podcast Community for consistently showing up and showing out!

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

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

Other: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/telling-herstory-the-life-and-legacy-of-rosa-t-beard/id1529351933 https://theavanaco.ck.page/launchchecklist https://www.etsy.com/shop/theavanacompany

Image Credits: Krystal Kofie Horhn of KK Horhn Photography, LLC.

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutAtlanta is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.