“I love running my own business and treating my employees like family. I feel like a boss and that is so damn empowering.”

I’m the owner of Maya Halal Taqueria in Oakland, CA. I opened 2 years ago, continuing the family business in the restaurant industry, but it was my opportunity to create something of my own. Growing up, my father had restaurants, so I was always waitressing — working with flavors and food, and finding great joy in bringing happiness to people through food. That upbringing is how I knew that food hospitality is my thing. I love talking to people and connecting to them through food.

I was blessed to be raised in a family where the quality and source of our food was of utmost importance, and consuming only halal meat was an integral part of our lives. As I became more independent in life, I started exploring different kinds of food and was immediately drawn to Mexican food. While I avoided pork, I loved trying the variety of Mexican cuisine from burritos to tacos to birrias. For me to be able to experience authentic dishes from different regions in Mexico made me realize that I wanted to bring that taste and culture to the wider Muslim community.

I love running my own business and treating my employees like family. I feel like a boss and that is so damn empowering. I don't feel like I have to depend on my parents, friends, or a man. And on top of that, I love being able to be in a position to help others. Everything I have, I've done it on my own and with faith in God. 

This is my first business but I'm not planning on stopping here. I want to keep going, I want to expand and I want to open up other businesses and allow the Muslim community to experience dishes from all over the world. So this is just the beginning for me. 

If you have a dream, and there's something that you want to do, just go for it. And if it doesn't work out, that’s okay. You just have to keep going because there's something else that's out there for you. But if you have this dream of being a businesswoman and opening up something for yourself, then find the faith in yourself and let God lead you. At the end of the day, you're not really going to fail. Because through the process you will learn about your own strength and power and become a source of inspiration for others.”