Meet Demi Lizzann | Botanical Sourcer, Aromatic Connoisseur and Ethnobotanist.

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

Hi Demi, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I’m inspired by the beauty and wisdom of nature, and how it can enrich our lives in meaningful ways. The diverse cultural traditions and practices that connect people to wellness and healing deeply resonate with me. I’m also inspired by the resilience and creativity of people who are dedicated to making a positive impact. Their stories fuel my passion and inform my worldview that what we create empowers and uplifts others. Ultimately, it’s the interconnectedness of all things that keeps me inspired every day.

The idea for Traces of Akoya came from my passion for botanical science and my desire to share the healing power of aroma with others. While exploring different cultures and aromatic traditions, I realized how powerful scents can be in promoting mindfulness. This inspired me to create a brand that offers high-quality, ethically sourced botanical products that honor ancient wisdom while embracing modern practices.

Starting Traces of Akoya came from a sincere desire to create a container for connecting with myself, nature and culture through holistic wellness practices. Ultimately, that passion and purpose inspired others. So then I wanted to offer self care products that honor ancient traditions while prioritizing sustainability and ethical sourcing. This journey has revealed itself as a platform for empowering others to embrace living wholesomely and cultivating a sense of interconnectedness with the world around them.

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.
My work lives at the intersection of science, scent, and story. Through incense making, botanical perfumery, floral arrangements, and immersive educational workshops, I create aromatic experiences that reconnect people to nature, culture, and their own inner wisdom. What sets me apart is my commitment to honoring the traditions these practices come from… not as trends, but as sacred, living expressions of human connection.

Each creation is rooted in research, cultural respect, and intuitive craftsmanship. Whether it’s hand-rolling incense, designing a botanical scent, or curating a sensory installation, my goal is to offer more than a product. I offer a portal. A way in. A quiet invitation to return to yourself and the earth.

Getting to where I am today was far from easy. There were seasons of deep uncertainty… of questioning whether this work would be valued, or whether the path I was carving even made sense to anyone but me. But every challenge reminded me to trust the process, to follow the breadcrumbs, and to keep choosing alignment over approval.

I’ve learned that slow is sacred. That consistency is louder than hype. And that doing what you love , especially when it’s outside the norm requires both reverence and rebellion.

What I want the world to know is this: Traces of Akoya isn’t just about beautiful things … it’s about living with intention. It’s about preserving cultural wisdom, inviting people into ritual, and remembering that we *are* nature, not separate from it. This brand is my way of sharing that remembrance, one scent, one bloom, one breath at a time.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Im so grateful to be born in Atlanta, when I host my people I skip the typical tourist map and go straight into the heartbeat of the city.

We’d start with brunch at Petit Chou, lemony ricotta pancakes, enjoy a oatmilk chai, as our conversations spill over into the afternoon. Then we’d head to the beltline finding our way into Ponce City Market to people-watch and wander like we’re in a modern-day bazaar — no real destination, just discovery.

We’d dance the night away at Tambor, Controllerise, Pisces, or The Basement — depending on the mood. Whether it’s house, hip hop, or something in between, we’d move our bodies until the beat breaks into a new day.

And when that sunrise hits? Arabia Mountain. Sacred and strange in the best way… my absolute favorite place where silence speaks and the rock remembers.

We’d co-work at CreateATL, vibing out in the atmosphere of brilliant minds, then shop and roam through Little Five Points, digging through vinyl, vintage, and whatever else calls to us. For the soulful evenings: Gallery 992 or Apache Café. Im always down for jazz, poetry, and raw expressions of truth.

Of course, I’d host them at my incense-making workshop at Nyarai Waistbeads and Creative Studio… to indulge in the scent, sounds and color of their Heart’s Desires.

We’d spend a full night at Jeju Korean Spa, soaking, scrubbing, sweating, napping, journaling … basically shedding layers we didn’t know we were still carrying.

Then I’d cap our journey at Grant Park… where we’d lay out under a tree with a charcuterie board, sip botanical wine, and watch the world move by in soft focus. That kind of simple presence you cant capture, a moment you just live.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Absolutely. My shoutout goes to the quiet, consistent voices that encouraged me to hold on to my light — the friends who showed up for my first offerings, the people who asked the questions I didn’t have the answers for at the time, and the books that found me in my longings for understanding.

Specifically, I want to thank the people global indigenous collective. Their resilience, power, knowledge, creativity, and rootedness remind me that curiosity is sacred and the path of sincerity always begins with care… for other, myself, and my home.

Thank you to the Atlanta Afro-spiritual Community for cultivating my regard for ancestral wisdom, ritual, and collectivism. Thank you to my family for trusting me even when they didn’t know what the heck I was doing and why but still held space for me and supported in the ways they knew how.

And of course giving thanks to my ascended ancestors –
Sheila Ann Marie, Harold Harris, Maildoma Patrice Somè and all those unnamed but known.

Every step I’ve taken with Traces of Akoya is layered with the essence of those who poured from their loving purpose, knowingly and unknowingly. So this shoutout goes out to them — for being part of the prayer that holds this journey together.

Website: https://www.tracesofakoya.nu

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/traces-of-akoya/?viewAsMember=true

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/vibrational-essencee

Other: Our community platform – Spirits Ascented: https://spirits-ascented.mn.co/share/ivheHmObvnTddEsP?utm_source=manual