Join Ayeshah Abuelhiga to learn about the
Mason Dixie Foods startup story.
Ayeshah Abuelhiga is the Founder & CEO of
Mason Dixie Foods. A graduate of George Washington University, she has always worked hard to be #1: 4.0 GPA, class president, varsity track and field team captain, and editor of the paper. Ayeshah continues to strive to be the best she can be. Before founding
Mason Dixie, she held executive positions at Fortune 500 companies, including Toshiba and Audi. She consulted at Microsoft, where she learned about leadership and acquired the skills to run a successful business.
Growing up in the kitchen of her parents' soul food carryout restaurant in Baltimore made Ayeshah passionate about Southern Cuisine. Years later, Ayeshah craved one of her childhood comfort foods-- biscuits--but she could only find heavily processed versions made using artificial ingredients. She knew she could offer better quality comfort food. So, at age 28, Ayeshah opened a biscuit-centric restaurant and pop-up series in Washington, D.C., that immediately found a growing and devoted biscuit-loving audience.
In 2014, Ayeshah expanded her biscuit dream beyond the restaurant with business partner and Brand COO Ross Perkins. They saw a gap in the $1.3B frozen baked goods category and wanted to offer baked goods made from scratch to a more extensive consumer base. Mason Dixie Biscuits launched as the only clean-label, ready-to-bake line of frozen biscuits and immediately forged a solid customer base.
A natural leader on her journey, Ayeshah has thrown out the "rule book" to excel in a male-dominated industry. Mason Dixie Foods is the fastest-growing frozen baked goods company in the U.S., and their biscuits and scones can now be found in freezers at over 5,000 retail grocery stores across the country. Among her most significant professional accomplishments is hiring a diverse team of 13, each of whom shares her commitment to providing the best frozen baked goods in the world.
Ayeshah grew up in a disadvantaged environment, and the only career options she considered were doctor, lawyer, and teacher. The idea of entrepreneurship or any "out of the box" career was foreign to her, as she had no first-hand exposure in her community. Fortunately, Ayeshah eventually found mentors on her journey. She firmly believes that mentorship can genuinely impact a person's career and life trajectory, so one of her goals is to guide and teach life skills to underserved children.
Ayeshah likes to travel, take fitness classes, cook, and entertain friends when she is not working. "Nothing is more gratifying than watching people eat and enjoy their food," says, Ayeshah. "It is the most fulfilling thing in the world to help people feel nourished and savor the moment."
Please add this session to your schedule if you will attend in person. If you plan to join via Zoom, please add "Ayeshah Abuelhiga - An Entrepreneurs Journey (Virtual)" to your schedule instead.
