Feb 16, 2024,06:00am EST
Ayesha Curry, at 34, is deeply immersed in the culinary world, extending her influence across various endeavors in the food industry. The chef and spouse to Golden State Warriors’ Steph Curry has ventured into nearly every aspect of food-related enterprises.
In addition to authoring two bestselling cookbooks and headlining her cooking series on the Food Network, she has crafted her eponymous cookware line, available at major retailers like Target and Walmart. Further expanding her footprint, Curry established the lifestyle brand Sweet July, encompassing a magazine, book imprint, and diverse products such as coffee, candles, and a superfood-infused skincare range. Her collaboration with renowned chef Michael Mina, International Smoke, blossomed into full-fledged restaurants in Las Vegas and San Francisco. Among her notable achievements is the co-founding of Napa Valley’s wine label, Domaine Curry, in 2015, which she later sold to industry giant Constellation in June for a sum Forbes approximates to be in the low eight figures. Through these ventures, Curry has essentially defined a roadmap for success in the culinary sphere, all without a formal culinary education.
“You have to wrap your arms around whatever it is you’re putting out there, and it truly does have to stem from a place of desire in your own life,” she shares with Forbes.
Moreover, Curry actively supports other entrepreneurial endeavors. She has invested in numerous startups, including Mill, a food scrap recycling trash can, and The Supplant Co., a sugar alternative. After a decade with the mushroom-growing startup Back To The Roots, Curry joined its board in 2022.
“For me, it’s more about impact over legacy,” expresses the mother of three, who, alongside her husband, established the Eat.Learn.Play. Foundation in 2019 to combat childhood hunger in the Oakland area. “My hope is to make a lasting impact in the space. People don’t have to know it was me or know my name. But if we can change the way the industry looks and the way products are looked at and used and the impact on the community, that will be worth it.”
Raised by a mother who ran a hair salon from their family home’s basement, Curry is fully committed to her ventures. She opened Sweet July’s inaugural retail outlet in Oakland in 2021, with a second slated to launch later this year. It’s a bold gamble she embraces with enthusiasm.
“I’ve learned you have no idea what’s going to work,” she reflects, “and what’s not.”