Meet Dr. Acooba Scott | Vegan Educator and Chef/Baker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dr. Acooba Scott and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dr. Acooba, every day, we about how much execution matters, but we think ideas matter as well. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
Years ago, I became aware that whenever the fact that I was vegetarian came up in conversation, people invariably responded with some version of: “I used to be a vegetarian” / “I tried that” / “That didn’t work for me” and so on. For a long time I found it frustrating, then it dawned on me that if so many people kept trying and failing at a plant-based lifestyle, there was a definite need for help to go the distance. At the time I was already informally fielding FAQ’s, teaching my children’s friends and others to cook, and giving many people an experience of vegetarian food. Up to that point I was treating it as a calling of sorts, and this new awareness caused a shift in my perspective and I started pursuing this business as my work.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I help to make vegan living (diet and lifestyle) accessible and sustainable, through education (information, tools, techniques and strategies) and by providing experiences of veganism (classes, food and baked goods).

My classes for children bring me the greatest joy, when I share in their sense of discovery that nutritious food can be delicious, their wonder at how easy and doable it can be, and their feelings of empowerment that they can prepare food for themselves and to share with their families.

Similarly, I find the joy that people – young and old – feel when they bite into a cookie or cake or piece of sushi and discover that it is both cruelty free and possibly the best they have tasted, to be delightful. So much so, that it is practically a form of currency – which is fortunate, because my work has not been an easy path.

My work is time and labor intensive, and there has not been a pre-determined or defined path or formula that I could follow. I am finding my way and making the path as I go along.

Because I refuse to compromise on quality and pay great attention to detail, it has also been costly, but I feel grounded in integrity and in my commitment to treat the people I serve with the same degree of care and love that I would treat my own family.

I truly live this work and this lifestyle, and offer what I’ve learned in a spirit of sharing from my heart.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Wow, the best time ever! Okay! Highlights of our week would include: – Hiking in Temescal Canyon
– Walking along the canals in Venice
– Visiting the Stoneview Nature Center, and from there trekking across the bridge to Kenneth Hahn Park in one direction, and hiking along the path to the Baldwin Hills Scenic overlook in the other direction
– Getting coffee and hanging out at Hot and Cool cafe in Leimert Park, then maybe coming back in the evening for some live music
– Getting coffee at the Conservatory for Coffee, Tea, and Cocoa in Culver City, then walking the neighborhood while drinking, maybe stopping in at:
– Jackson Street Market and spending some time in their backyard oasis
– Lunch at Satdha in Santa Monica
– Dinner at Crossroads Kitchen
– I’d probably take them on my daily walks through my Leimert Park neighborhood,
– Shopping at Mar Vista Farmer’s Market, then feasting on our bouinty
– Walking through the botanical gardens at UCLA
– Taking the train from DTLA to Sta Monica (and back)
– Going to Yoga-Urt for frozen yogurt
– and maybe topping the whole thing off with a visit to The Observatory

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Gosh, there are so many people and groups that have made it possible for me to do what I do today! My husband is my faithful partner in all things, and his belief,, generosity and support, have made it possible for me to follow my heart.

My children really inspired me to develop tasty, appealing and nutritious alternatives to the conventional, mainstream diet. We (my husband and I) raised them vegetarian from birth (they are all adults now) and wanted to make sure they never felt deprived or cheated in anyway, so whatever they could want or their peers were eating, I found a way to make a veggie version. So they really inspired a lot of my creativity and achievement in vegetable-centered cooking and baking. Our two youngest went vegan, and they became my teachers, encouraging me to go further along the path that I had chosen before they were even born. Thanks largely to their encouragement, after 25 years as a lacto-vegetarian, I became vegan, and I couldn’t be happier.

My entire family belongs to a spiritual organization – The Science of Spirituality (SOS), which holds vegetarianism as part of it’s foundational value for non-violence. This gave us a very large, international community of other vegetarian people to learn and grow and experiment with, which was an invaluable help in staying the course.

My parents are incredibly supportive, and after a period of misgivings at the beginning (I was 16 when I started), they have basically also adopted a plant-centered diet, with my dad eating mostly plant-based vegan and my mom mostly vegan. They are in their 80s now, and both very healthy and active.

My mother, her mother and grandmother established a long tradition of culinary excellence and achievement that I was fortunate to inherit and build upon. Even though I never met her, my mom’s grandmother’s story has been a great source of inspiration to me. She became stranded in a foreign country (Guyana, So. America, where I grew up), and used her culinary skills to build a successful business and a life. Whenever obstacles litter my path I think of her experience and example and know that with determination, great things can be accomplished.

I could keep going! I’m so grateful for all the help, encouragement, support and prodding I’ve received along the way, and truly believe that many hearts and many hands have made my story possible. If I were to pick one entity to dedicate this shoutout to I’d say my family.

(This is a lovely question, btw, and I’m enjoying reflecting on all the gifts in my life!)

Website: www.acooba.com

Instagram: @acoobascott

Twitter: @acooba

Facebook: Facebook.com/AcoobaJi

Youtube: Acooba (https://www.youtube.com/user/acooba/videos)

Image Credits
Marina Katura Scott