Meet the Makers

When she was furloughed early in the pandemic, Manya Yeva found herself at a crossroads. “I got laid off from work, and I wasn’t doing anything in my career that felt fulfilling to me. This was the perfect opportunity to finally start a passion project for myself. I have always loved food and the art of cooking. Hot sauce has been an obsession of mine, so I started testing out recipes to create my “perfect” hot sauce. Slowly I gave it to friends and family to try, and before I knew it, bklynsaus was created.”

In addition to working hard to craft the perfect hot sauce, Manya also wanted to give back to her neighbors at a time when the city was struggling mightily. Born and raised in Brooklyn, she identified community-based organizations to support. A portion of proceeds from bkylnsaus go to Brooklyn-based organizations, like the Red Hook Initiative, which confronts generations of institutional racism and inequity while serving Brooklyn’s largest public housing community, and Green City Force, an organization that works throughout NYC to engage young adults from public housing in workforce training in sustainability and environmental justice. “I owe everything to this city I call home. I just want to be able to help it.” To Manya, hot sauce is just the beginning to becoming a pillar of her community, as her goal is to eventually operate a hub for fellow Brooklyn makers where they can collaborate and sell their wares.

When asked about challenges she has faced as a woman business owner, Manya says, “Hot sauce is a male-dominated industry. There’s always that extra step of wanting to prove yourself as a strong woman in business. It’s always in the back of your head. However, I have aligned myself with some amazing woman-owned businesses in NYC so that we can do this together. The kitchen space I use is proudly woman-owned and I have made some great friends along the way. Community is the best way to face these challenges. We’re stronger together.”