Biggest ever amount raised by a restaurant on Kickstarter worldwide

29 June 2023 - Press release

YOLANDA BROWN OBE PUSHES BOUNDARIES AND RAISES QUARTER OF A MILLION POUND FOR MUSIC VENUE AND RESTAURANT 'SOUL MAMA', AS VC FUNDING OF BLACK WOMAN START-UPS PLUMETS TO LESS THAN 0.4%, WHILE CHANGING THE FACE OF VENUE OWNERSHIP

 

Musician, broadcaster, author and philanthropist, YolanDa Brown OBE DL, alongside music manager, creative entrepreneur Adetokunbo "T" Oyelola have raised a record-breaking £248,148 for music venue and restaurant 'Soul Mama' - the largest ever amount raised by a restaurant on Kickstarter globally!

As woman-led start-ups, particularly those founded by black women, continue to be underfunded, YolanDa is breaking boundaries with the most successful restaurant Kickstarter ever.  With black women receiving only 0.35 percent of all VC funding, the London-based entrepreneur took matters into her own hands and engaged the community to bring Soul Mama to life – a music venue for musicians and music lovers by a musician.

Speaking about the Kickstarter and Soul Mama, YolanDa says: "Throughout my career I have always had to think out of the box, innovate, find creative ways to be heard and seen, change perspectives all for the dream. My dreams are big, to add joy, light and laughter to as many lives as possible using music, education, food and more."

She adds: "Soul Mama is special and will do just that, I am grateful to every single person that backed our crowdfund and I cannot wait for this new chapter."

Soul Mama, YolanDa's brand-new London-based grassroots music venue and restaurant will be bringing Jazz, Soul, Gospel, Reggae and much more to Islington Square, alongside high-quality cuisine fusing authentic tastes of Africa, the Caribbean and South America. With some of music biggest names taking to the stage, Soul Mama is first and foremost grounded in community and will be providing a much-needed platform for underrepresented musicians and chefs from across the globe, filling a gap in the UK's live music and restaurant space.

Additionally, YolanDa will be creating the Soul Mama Foundation, a not-for-profit, charitable foundation with a percentage of all profits going to the foundation to support causes around women, children and education.

From a menu inspired by mamas from around the world to sourcing ingredients ethically, the venue will not only be a space for food and music lovers to enjoy, but it will also bring opportunities to undiscovered and emerging artists to touch our souls. Set to open this autumn, more information will be revealed soon.