Folk Tales

Brian Hicks, co-founder of Humphreys Street Coffee, a Nashville-based social enterprise, and Harvest Hands, a community development non-profit. Fifteen years ago, Brian and his wife were running an after school program and had the idea of teaching coffee- and soap-making to the older students. In a matter of months, Brian and the students would be writing a business plan for the CEO of Dollar General, which led them to Sandpoint, Idaho to be trained on the prized Diedrich coffee roaster—by the inventor. In this week’s episode, Brian shares his unlikely path to building a social enterprise, the importance of owning your retail footprint, and how one former student has been particularly instrumental in their success.

To see photos from this episode, visit: https://instagram.com/folk___tales

To learn more, visit HumphreysStreet.com or on Instagram at @HumphreysStreet

And if you’re in Nashville, stop by their coffee shop at 424 Humphreys Street.

Lauren Palmer is the owner of Bloomsbury Farm, an organic farm a short drive outside of Nashville. As a first generation farmer, Lauren’s path has been uniquely creative, experimental, and community driven. She started by planting what she wanted to see on her plate, and now regularly collaborates with local chefs on growing new crops and harvesting in different ways. In this episode, Lauren shares how she has intuitively grown her business over 12 years, and what she envisions for the future.

To see photos from this episode, visit: https://instagram.com/folk___tales

Follow Lauren and Bloomsbury Farm at: https://www.instagram.com/bloomsburyfarm/

Learn more about Bloomsbury at: https://www.bloomsburyfarms.com/

Ethan Kiyoshi Summers is the founder of Oil / Lumber, an apparel and furniture design studio that makes everything by hand in their Nashville workshop. Sustainable by necessity, all of their products are made-to-order using traditional Japanese technique and design principles. In this episode, Ethan shares his eight-year journey from leaving the corporate world to partnering with the likes of Patagonia and chef Sean Brock's new flagship restaurant Audrey - and, this year, Oil / Lumber's biggest project yet.

To see photos from this episode, visit: https://instagram.com/folk___tales

Follow Oil / Lumber at: https://www.instagram.com/oilandlumber/

Learn more about Oil / Lumber: https://www.oilandlumber.com/

Lokelani Alabanza is the founder of Saturated, a plant-based, CBD-infused ice cream company based in Nashville, Tennessee. With over 350 flavors like Magnolia, Peach Chili Crisp, Hold The Oats, and Juneteenth, Saturated isn’t just an alternate to dairy-based ice cream — it’s a unique expression of nostalgia, history, and preservation. In this episode, Lokelani shares about her craft, her founder’s journey, and her expansive collection of Black-authored vintage cookbooks.

To see photos from this episode, visit: https://instagram.com/folk___tales

Follow Lokelani at: https://www.instagram.com/yokiyanifanza/

Follow Saturated at: https://www.instagram.com/saturatedicecream

Learn more about Saturated: https://saturatedicecream.com/