Zewiditu Jewel is helping lead a team of modern-day alchemists. Her partner, Derrick Faulcon, discovered an untapped market in the culinary space, and the two of them turned an unknown opportunity into a golden product. The final result? Cloudy Donut Co.: a widely acclaimed brand offering a stunning variety of vegan baked goods.
Cloudy Donut Co. opened its doors in Baltimore and has since expanded to New York and made history as the first Black-owned food and beverage business in Brooklyn Heights. Cloudy Donut has attracted thousands of customers since its inception in 2019. Cloudy Donut Co. counts Serena Williams, ASAP Rocky, Addison Rae, Ed Sheeran, and others among its customers. Amidst this success, Zewiditu Jewel prioritizes creativity, authenticity, and community for the business. And now she is sharing her insights and perspectives with BAUCE.
Making the Leap
Before joining Derrick at Cloudy Donut, Zewiditu Jewel had experience in education and the arts. Her decision to join Cloudy Donut was a gradual one that required intentionality and commitment. Zewiditu Jewel explains, “Cloudy Donut was started by Derrick Faulcon in 2019. I was a teacher during the time he started Cloudy Donut… Fast forward to 2020 – I was in D.C., and he was in Baltimore, so I would visit him. The Friday before the world shut down, Derrick had picked me up and then we were in lockdown the following week. So, I got immersed in Cloudy Donut and was helping with preorders. After a few months Derrick said I should come work with him at Cloudy… we compared the money I was making at my job versus working with Cloudy Donut, and it made sense. I started on the admin side like social media.” That joint decision for Zewiditu to join the business has resulted in monumental growth. Cloudy Donut now has over 80,000 followers on Instagram, and Zewiditu has contributed to its brand and success in a myriad of ways.
The Role of Real Estate
The prospect of a brick-and-mortar business can be deeply daunting. But being your own landlord is an absolute game changer. Zewiditu Jewel shares, “Derrick owns the real estate in Baltimore. During [the pandemic] we saw so many of our peers under the pressure of their landlords and not being able to pay their bills. For example, if you are in a food hall you have less control over your business… If you’re in the business of having as much control as you can and doing things on your own terms, I would encourage understanding the potential to take over the lease.” Baltimore represents the first chapter in the Cloudy Donut story. The team has since made major waves in the New York City food scene. Zewiditu Jewel confirms, “We knew that we wanted to go to a larger market. Our first goal was to go to California. But we decided to push forward with New York first… Derrick has always moved in luxury spaces, so he did full research, and we visited New York a lot before getting our rental space in Brooklyn Heights… I had lived in NYC for 10 years and had never heard of Brooklyn Heights, and it’s one of those neighborhoods where if you know you know.” Given that the median home price in Brooklyn Heights is $1.5 million, suffice to say that the area is exclusive and a bit homogenous. After making history as the neighborhood’s first Black-owned food and beverage business, Zewiditu Jewel has coined a term for this act: reverse gentrification. Reverse gentrification is a notion she defines as bringing Black-owned businesses to affluent communities lacking in diversity.
Celebrate Your Wins
The life of an entrepreneur often comes with uncertainty, major setbacks, and overall exhaustion. In particular, founders and co-founders who approach their work with a fervid intensity and deep passion are more susceptible to burning out, per the Harvard Business Review. Recognition of progress can help counteract this burnout. When asked about advice for her younger self, Zewiditu Jewel advises, “I would say to enjoy the ride. As entrepreneurs we don’t do that enough. Sometimes we don’t have the ability to slow down because we have too much going on. Because we’re moving so fast, sometimes I don’t take a moment to be present and celebrate myself. There have been times when I’ve done things and I post it on social media, but I didn’t take a moment to truly celebrate it. But we have done a lot of really amazing things.” Zewiditu Jewel’s reflection almost seems like an understatement based on the tremendous momentum that she and Derrick have built for their brand. This includes collaborations with L’Appartement 4F in Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn Tea, Kosas, and Camille Rose Naturals, among others. The Cloudy Donut team also forged a historic collaboration with Oatly, the largest oat drink company in the world, as their first North American truck tour and partnership with a Black-owned business. With this partnership, Cloudy Donut opened the door for other Black-owned businesses.
Derrick Faulcon’s hard work and vision combined with Zewiditu Jewel’s creativity and passion to create a top-tier business. Cloudy Donut embodies a dream that exists because of deep ambition, clear resilience, and a brand that celebrates its roots and community. The good news? There is even more excitement on the horizon. This includes 7Streams, an initiative to educate people on using their talents to optimize different income streams. Zewiditu Jewel shares, “I am really excited about 7Streams by Derrick Faulcon…Derrick is a mentor to me, so I already get these jewels from him. Now he’s putting this on a large scale for entrepreneurs and creators alike.” Through 7Streams, the Cloudy Donut founder can spread hard-won wisdom with a wider audience. In the interim, Cloudy Donut continues to share sweet success for an array of eager customers. For more wisdom, be sure to follow Zewiditu Jewel on her Instagram page.
