Afropunk weekend in Atlanta was totally amazing! All the different venues and the celebrations. However the one event that stood out in my mind was hosted by Toyota Green Initiative in conjunction with Chef Malissa ‘Mali’ Hunter who is also Partner of Tree Sound Studios, located outside of Atlanta, GA. As a three-year veteran of the TGI coalition; Mali travels with the initiative making the ‘green’ message relatable, through her yoga sessions, organic recipes and unique perspective as an eco-entrepreneur.

When guests arrived we were greeted by servers with a delicious deviled egg tray stuffed with crab meat and some stuffed with bacon. What a mouth warming appetizer accompanied by a mature wine brand. Mali has a reputation for winning the crowd over with her passion for storytelling and knack for marrying the tastes the audiences expects with clean recipes. The Toyota Green Initiative travels to HBCUs, ‘green’ festivals and conferences sharing the tenements of an earth-friendly lifestyle, providing a space for eco-thought leaders, and assisting local farms. 

Afropunk has created an experience at the intersection of eco-consciousness and expression, that allows platforms such as the Toyota Green Initiative more visibility with an audience of influencers and trendsetters. The cooking demo and dinner today, curated by Mali and produced by the Toyota Green Initiative was an extension of Toyota’s motto when it comes to healthy lifestyles.

Everyone had their own table with veggies that needed to be cut up so that we were able to make salmon skewers. All the seasonings were on the table. Each table also had a crock pot for the delicious pumpkin, squash, died tomatoe sauce and lamb to add for the perfect soup. Of course I’m not going to release all the secret ingredients. The vegetables were all fresh and in line with Toyota’s commitment to continuing and elevating the dialogue of sustainable living.