New Jersey native Dr. Wanida Lewis founded Crescendo Foods, Ghana’s first shared kitchen coworking hub, in 2021.

A food scientist by profession, Crescendo Foods’ focus is to “create a Pan-African ecosystem to celebrate culture through food as well as art.” It also serves as a safe place where innovative ideas can be nurtured.

Located in the country’s capital, Accra, Dr. Lewis and her team are preparing to host participants who want to learn about African cuisine, specifically Ghana’s cuisine and food culture, during their first culinary culture exchange program, Plate 2 Plate, this July.

“If you are familiar with art and residency programs, these usually have someone who comes into the space, they get a designated workstation for a certain amount of time, they learn about, you know the culture or whatever they are learning and then they will be able to have a project of their own that they will be filling and sharing with the local public. We’re doing the same thing, except it is for the culinary space,” she shares during the episode.

The program will run three weeks starting in July, offering a totally immersive experience.

Since moving to Ghana, Dr. Lewis isn’t shy about sharing lifestyle differences between her current home country and the U.S. sharing in the 2023 print issue of Cuisine Noir, “Being here forces you to slow down, to be more intentional about who you are, who you’re with.”

Listen to the episode below and afterward, visit the website for additional information about Plate 2 Plate as well as upcoming events, programs and more.