BEE 543 Building a Movement Through Tech & Community with Anthony Edwards, Jr.

·40 min·3 clips

Anthony Edwards explains how okra's history as a seed during the slave trade inspired the name of his app.

The episode begins with host Dr. Frances Arlene introducing Anthony Edwards, Jr., co-founder of Eat Okra, an app that helps users find and support Black-owned food and beverage brands. Anthony explains that the idea stemmed from his and his wife's move to Brooklyn, where they struggled to locate Black-owned restaurants. He details his background in the Army and as a full-stack engineer, which enabled him to build the app. The name Eat Okra is derived from the cultural significance of okra as a symbol of heritage and community. Anthony discusses the app's rapid growth during COVID and the George Floyd protests, leading to 200,000 downloads overnight and necessitating fundraising, including a $27,000 friends and family round and an equity crowdfunding campaign on WeFunder. He highlights the hard work and vulnerability of Black restaurant owners, urging consumers to be more understanding. Anthony shares insights on app development challenges, such as device variability and maintenance costs. He talks about balancing entrepreneurship with marriage, emphasizing communication and understanding each other's thresholds. Anthony mentions mentors like Jeff Lindor, who helped him see the investable potential of his business. He reflects on lessons learned, including the importance of budgeting and sales skills, and his current role as CTO of iMedView, where he leads an engineering team. Anthony describes memorable user stories, such as a couple traveling from D.C. to Philly to visit a restaurant found on Eat Okra. He admires brands like Brooklyn Tea for their community impact. The episode concludes with rapid-fire questions, where Anthony shares personal preferences like pizza as comfort food and Michael Jackson as his favorite singer.

As heard by us

A grounded look at how community helped Anthony understand Eat Okra as an investable business.

Anthony follows Eat Okra's growth through a practical gap: building a business before he fully understood its financial side. The clearest thread is how community changed the scale of the work.

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Why you'd press play

You want to hear how Eat Okra's Anthony found momentum through community, mentorship, and lessons he had to learn the lived-in way.

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