What initially drew us to Denise Woodward was the beautiful imagery across her Instagram Feed, what inspired us was her amazing business - Partake Foods. Born out of the desire to fill little ones with healthy, delicious food regardless of dietary/allergy restrictions, Denise launched Partake Foods from her Jersey City home. A little bit about Denise and the Jersey City life she lives with her family.

About her Jersey City based Company.

Partake Foods is an allergy-friendly food company with a mission to make delicious, nutritious meals and snacks that anyone can partake in - whether they have food allergies or not. Our first products are 3 flavors of mini cookies - Sprouted Grain Chocolate Chip, Carrot Oat, and Sweet Potato Millet - that are Free of the Top 10 Allergens, Certified Gluten-Free, Certified Vegan, Non GMO Project Verified and Kosher.

Favorite Jersey City places

With a 2.5 year old, I'm always looking for family-friendly spots. We love Liberty Science Center, Hamilton Park, and the various splash pads around town in the summer. The Waterfront is a relaxing reprieve after a long day. And for a sweet treat, I love Milk Sugar Love.

What do you consider the biggest hidden Gem about Jersey City? Hooked! My husband & I discovered Hooked this summer, and love the fresh, locally sourced seafood there.

About Denise & Her Family.

I'm originally from Fayetteville, NC. After graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, I moved to Charlotte, NC, where I met my now-husband, Jeremy. After a 5 year stay in Chicago, we moved to Jersey City, and have been here for 5 years (& love it!) I spent the bulk of my career in Consumer Packaged Goods at Coca-Cola, but left Coca-Cola in August 2017 to launch Partake Foods, which was inspired by my 2.5 year old daughter, Vivienne. “My daughter Vivienne suffers from multiple food allergies, and when I couldn't find anything that met her dietary restrictions, my nutritional standards, and still tasted good, I started Partake.”

On Living/working from Home.

Because our "office" is still my house, I take advantage of the amazing coffee shops to get work done/have meetings - I love Bucket & Bay, Bwe, and Warehouse Cafe. Also, it's great to have NYC so close by, but be able to still come home to Jersey City, where it's a bit quieter, less crowded, and more friendly!

Raising Awareness of Black & Female Entrepreneurship.

As a Black female CEO & founder, Denise is passionate about raising awareness of Black and female entrepreneurship and increasing opportunity for women and people of color seeking careers in the food industry. Food and beverage has a colorful future, and Denise is dedicated to mentoring up and coming leaders and students excited to forge their paths in the industry. Click here to learn more about the Black Futures in Food & Beverage fellowship program for actively enrolled HBCU students.