Feeding Change: Dr. Leeja Carter’s Growing Movement for Equity, Health, and Hope
Dr. Leeja Carter is the kind of leader who doesn’t just talk about health equity, she builds it step by step, system by system, community by community. As the CEO of the Coalition for Food and Health Equity, she is helping underserved families in New Jersey and Philadelphia’s food deserts access quality, healthy food through a forward-thinking refrigerator delivery model that keeps provisions cool and dependable. The work is making waves beyond her local footprint, earning her a feature in AfroTech.
What makes Dr. Carter’s journey especially compelling is the courage behind her pivot. In 2021, she left a 15-year career as a professor to go all in—launching CFHE full-time and turning applied research and her commitment to Black women’s health and community wellness into an on-the-ground solution people can actually use. Through programs like Ujamaa Cafe and Ujamaa Well, she is addressing not only food access and affordability, but also the support systems that often determine whether families can thrive.
Now, her mission is expanding. Shes bringing Ujamaa Cafe to new locations including Nashville and Los Angeles, with more growth on the horizon. In this Pretty Women Hustle interview, Dr. Carter shares what it really takes to lead with purpose, overcome the challenges of building something meaningful from the ground up, and keep the focus on equity as her model scales nationwide.
What is the mission statement for your nonprofit?
Through placing hunger within the larger context of racial health equity we work to build power within communities through co-creating sustainable, community-grown cultures of health with the goal of ending hunger, improving health, and advancing economic equity within historically marginalized communities.
What was the inspiration behind starting Ujamaa cafe?
I wanted to create a corner by corner model where folks could access healthy food options procured from local entrepreneurs but in a manner that reduced shame, increased health, and optimized usage.
This summer, Ujamaa Cafe is expanding to Southern New Jersey and Nashville. What should people in those communities expect?
People can expect a community-centered approach that reflects the unique needs and strengths of their neighborhoods. Every Ujamaa Cafe location is built through local partnerships and designed to provide free access to fresh meals, healthy snacks, and wellness resources.
In Nashville, we are excited to collaborate with local leaders, organizations, and institutions that share our commitment to health equity. In Southern New Jersey, we will continue strengthening our footprint while bringing new opportunities for residents to access nutritious food closer to home.
Most importantly, communities can expect to be partners in this work. We believe the people closest to the challenges are also closest to the solutions.
How will CFHE support affordability and access to both food and health through the new Ujamaa Cafe locations?
We approach food access and health access as deeply interconnected. Through Ujamaa Cafe, individuals can access nutritious meals at no cost while also connecting to broader health and wellness resources through our community partners.
Our model helps reduce household food costs, supports preventative health efforts, and creates opportunities for education around nutrition and wellness. We are increasingly exploring ways to integrate additional health resources, screenings, and referrals into our community-based food access work because we know that improving health outcomes requires addressing multiple social determinants of health at the same time.
Essence Festival is coming up. What are you most excited for attendees to experience and learn about at Ujamaa Cafe?
Essence Festival gives us an incredible opportunity to showcase what community-led innovation looks like in action. I am excited for attendees to see that food access solutions can be both scalable and deeply rooted in culture, dignity, and economic empowerment.
Visitors will experience a recreation of Ujamaa Cafe and learn how partnerships between nonprofits, local businesses, funders, and community members can create meaningful change. We want people to understand that solving food insecurity requires collaboration and that communities already have the wisdom and assets needed to build healthier futures.
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