November 2024 Startup Grant Awarded to Kasbo’s Market

We’re excited to announce the $10,000 Startup Grant recipient for November 2024. Congratulations to Benita Kasbo-Perez, founder of Kasbo’s Market.

Recently, WomensNet Advisory Board member Jama Hernandez sat down with Benita for an exclusive interview. You can listen to their conversation and view the transcript below.

Video Transcript

WomensNet: Hi everyone. My name is Jama with WomensNet, and we’re so excited to introduce our November 2024 winners. Today we have with us Benita from Kasbo’s Market, and she’s our startup grant winner. We’re so excited to know what you are doing, and how you’re making a really great impact and positive things to happen in this world. And so thank you for taking the time to be here and welcome. Benita, please tell us about Kasbo’s Market.

Benita: My name is Benita and I am a cheesemaker. I’m originally from Aleppo, Syria, and I created, Kasbo’s Market share authentic Middle Eastern food with the community around me. The first product in this consumer product is Syrian cheese that I have launched in the marketplace.

WomensNet: Wonderful. Awesome. And so maybe can you tell us a little bit about what or who inspired your business?

Benita: This idea for sharing authentic Middle Eastern food came to me back in 2017. A while back I started helping with Syrian refugees and I served as a translator for Syrian refugee dinners in my local community during the height of the Syrian Civil War. When all of that chaos started and all the tragedy around that, I just felt really compelled to try to connect these two worlds that I’m a part of since I’m originally from Syria, but I grew up in America and I saw a big disconnect in the food industry of where consumers didn’t fully understand or grasp what is truly Middle Eastern food. And they didn’t have an idea that in the Middle East we are cheese makers. And this was a traditional recipe that I grew up eating and that we used to make at home. I was fortunate enough to meet a cheesemaker that I shared my recipe with and she encouraged me to bring it to the market. So it took me a little while to get things going just because of, you know, being a busy mother. But I was actually able to finally launch completely during Covid and I have now started to change the cheese category within the industry.

WomensNet: Wonderful. And how amazing to, to replicate a little bit of home here in the States for, for these ones. How beautiful.

Benita: Absolutely.

WomensNet: So what are some effective things that you’ve done to let people know about your business- because Syrian cheese is such a specialized product. So please tell us know how you’ve helped others to know.

Benita: Sure. So I felt in the beginning that it’s so important to go to your find your community. And the way I started was I went online, I started researching local cheese shops that are in my area so that way I could start there. And then by doing that I was able to connect with cheese professionals. And as I started, I literally would go out with cheese in my bag and I would start leaving blocks of cheese for people. And I created brochures for myself and, and truthfully, I created like an image that I was actually bigger than I was. And I think it’s really important that when you go out there and you create a product, and even if you’re a one-person operation, which I still am today, that you present yourself in a manner that makes you look bigger than you are.

So by going out literally knocking on doors and meeting people, I was able to start to spread the word. And then that combined with the influence of social media, which truthfully, I know we always think about social media as what we’re putting on our own page, but I, I used it in a different way. I went and I supported other people’s pages that led them back to me. So whatever business that you’re in, you want go find either who the people are that could help support your growth, who are maybe not your customers, but maybe they’re the professionals that are within the industry. So I just kept looking for more people to follow and more people to learn from and support their pages that then led them back to me to say, Hey, you know what? There’s this woman who has this unique product, let’s now help her.

So that was extremely helpful to me. The other thing I did was I went online and I researched where are events for people within the cheese community. So one great example I can give you is, every year there’s Culture Magazine, which is a magazine around cheese, and they hold events throughout the U.S.A. Well, they had one in Philadelphia, which is only two hours from me. And I cold emailed them, everyone that was on, on their list and I said to them, hi, I am a local cheesemaker. I make this unique product. I explained to them what it is. I said, do you need a speaker for your events? And and they replied to me and they said, no, we’re full. But a week later, the owner of the magazine who I had emailed called me and said, I saw your email and I absolutely want you to come to the event.

And I was able to then present my product to 65 Cheese Professionals that led me to so many other opportunities that are truly changing my business today. And that just happened this past April, it was not that long ago. So I highly encourage people to not just think of them, think of themselves as their own Instagram page or their own LinkedIn, but how can you support others so that way they then can support you and then you will not only gain professional knowledge connections, but then they will help you grow because now you’re a part of their ecosystem.

WomensNet: That’s pretty incredible. That’s amazing. That’s so inspiring.

Benita: Thank you. Oh, and can I add one more thing? My product was featured in the New York Times, and I just always encourage people, like back to the idea that, to not think that because you’re just one person that you don’t deserve the opportunity for big PR opportunities. I encourage everyone to always, always feel free- the worst thing that can happen if you send an email is that no one responds. So I personally cold emailed Florence Fabricant, who’s a famous food writer, and I told her all about myself and my product, and at that time I was only in two stores, and six weeks later wrote back to me and I drove to New York City. I dropped off my product with her doorman, and a week later my product, myself, my business, and a picture of my cheese was featured in the New York Times food section. So I, I think it’s so important that you just have to be your own biggest fan and put yourself out there through email, DM, and just keep pushing yourself forward to get to the next step.

WomensNet: Thank you for those practical tips and insight. And what I love about your stories is- you’re absolutely right. The worst thing that’s going to happen is no one’s going to respond, but you can let them make that choice. You don’t have to make that choice for them. And so I’m really glad you did reach out and connect with these ones. And here you are today! Thank you so, so much for sharing a little bit about what you’re doing and the practical and helpful tips. Can you tell our network how to find you?

Benita: I’m on all social media as Kabos Market, which is K-A-S-B-O-S market. And then my website is Kasbosmarket.com. On my website there’s a form that you can complete if you would like to email me directly or you can just send me an email at kabosmarket@gmail.com.

WomensNet: Thank you for taking the time. We really appreciate it.