2022 Alumni - Cohort 3
Zen Castro
Zen Castro is a New Orleanian, Latine, and queer artist who goes by they/them pronouns. Zen is a first-generation college student studying studio art at the University of New Orleans. Printmaking, digital design, and painting are their mediums of choice. Their vision is to create a world that is equitable, safe, and accepting of others, which they currently help create at the LGBT community center’s youth group meetings they facilitate twice a month. Outside their studies and community organizing, they can currently be found at Latitude 29 and Espiritu and enjoying their thousandth rewatch of Bob’s Burgers. Zen has also been selected for Red Coat CAP Class of 2023’ and for the Convite Bartender Residency.
Toray Henry
“Bless up! I’m Toray! Yep that’s right 2Ray. I took up a interest in the service industry about 4 years ago not knowing much about anything. I read a few books watched a few YouTube videos and thought I was the shit. However learning all the things I didn’t know over the past year has been humbling and empowering to say the least.”
“My latest adventures brought me to New Orleans and eventually lead me to Turning Tables!”
“I couldn’t be more grateful to have stumbled upon such a stimulating and worthwhile experience with a bunch of individuals dedicated to being better than they were yesterday. Forever grateful to be link in this chain.”
“Did I mention I was Caribbean? Yep grew up on a tiny island called Antigua/Wadadli. Catch me at Latitude 29 showing people a good time, wid ah bottle ah rum. By the way my friend, do you want Jamaican pot still or Agricole? Let’s keep it funky!”
Erika Flowers
Erika Flowers resides in New Orleans by way of the Bronx, New York. She lends her creative growth through various industries to her 10+ years spent in the city and mentors she’s gained over the years. In 2021, Erika became a graduate member of “Turning Tables” Bar Program Cohort III allowing her to transition from server to bartender seamlessly and apply her knowledge towards her small business, Taste of the Tropics, which aims to increase cultural awareness through intentionally handcrafted and curated products, immersive pop up experiences, and storytelling that highlights Caribbean culture. Fittingly, you can find her behind the bar at the rum oriented “Cane & Table” in New Orleans which celebrates Caribbean inspired cocktails and cuisine. Combining her love of spirits and visual storytelling, she joins a group of esteemed spirit professionals across the U.S. as a member of Hotaling & Co's inaugural Cocktail Council.
Kiall Wilson
“Hungry creative entrepreneur, striving for a future filled with equality. Certified chef turned bartender, learning the rope of the business for his own business. Never shy away from a challenge or opportunity to learn something new. See the world from a forth dimension where everything is possible even the impossible. Carries the weight of his own goals and others as he pulls people to the top with him instead of leaving them behind.”
Kiall is a cofounder of Coursed-Out.
Coursed Out: Where food, conversation and healing meet. Providing Coursed-Out meals paired with Coursed-Out conversations. Dinners that aim to create a safe space for Black service workers to share their experiences and to create solutions for building a more equitable industry.
Jade Griffith
“Hi I’m Jade and I’m a New Orleans native. Due to Katrina my family relocated to Texas and once I became a young adult, I moved to New York City. While in NYC, I graduated with a degree in audio engineering but also fell in love with bartending. I recently moved back to New Orleans and started my mobile bartending business Bar SoHeaux. During my time with the Turning Tables, I gained a vast amount of knowledge about the service industry. I hope to use my knowledge I gained from the program to grow my skills and eventually dive deeper into beverage catering/ consulting and many other things. As I make my mark on the world, I’m creating a life I love.”
Co-Founder Coursed-Out.
Shaun Williams
Shaun's dream is to become the dopest rice expert the world has ever seen. She believes that rice is the great unifier that not enough people pay attention to and she seeks to change that through her rice based food and beverage concept, Oryza. Look out for her pop up dinner series coming to a restaurant near you! In addition to her rice obsession Shaun also enjoys making "healthier" cocktails by way of using homemade ingredients and utilizing herbs in her concoctions. Currently you can find her behind the bar at Jewel of the South, New Orleans.
Brittany Williams
Brittany Williams is a corporate communications professional turned wine enthusiast and hospitality professional from Houston, Texas. When she’s not busy building strategic communications plans for employees and their employers, Brittany is committed to creating safe spaces where BIPOC members, from industry workers to connoisseurs alike, can enjoy the cocktail and wine industry without judgment. A Turning Tables cohort graduate, Brittany holds a WSET II in Wine certification with merit, which has allowed them the opportunity to build her qualifications to break past the barriers controlled by industry gatekeepers. And when she isn't exploring her current city of New Orleans at retail wine shops and bars, you can find her gardening, dancing, and always fighting for black women in spaces where they’re often kept out. Currently at Tell Me Bar!
Ariana Nicholas
BIO Coming Soon
James Waiters
Bio coming soon.
Jamerra Gold
Bio coming soon.
Kendrick Allen
Bio coming soon.
Tae
“Turning Tables is a reminder that anything is possible with drive and determination.”
Bryan Diaz has been documenting Turning Tables through the stories and voices of alumni. since our pilot year in the Fall of 2020. Follow us through our journey.
