Renia Harris – The Kroger Co.

Kroger Corporate Suppliers Supplier Diversity & Inclusion MORTAR Renia Harris

Name & role within the business:

Renia Harris: Co-owner/Dir. Bus. Dev

Name of business:

Beyond the Grill Spices

Industry:

Seasoning and spices

Brief description of the goods/services you provide:

Hand-crafted seasonings you can use for grill cooking & inside your kitchen.

Location & markets you serve:

Ecommerce-based business; HQ in DC metropolitan area

Any notable achievements you are proud of (both personal & business):

I graduated from University of Houston Victoria in May 2021 with my Global MBA. We (Beyond the Grill Spices) are in early conversations with Celebrity Chef Sammy Davis to feature & sell our seasonings in his new restaurant, Catch 22. Chef Sammy Davis & his wife are restaurateurs (10 restaurants) and previous winners of Food Network’s Chopped Redemption (pre-announcement pictured below).

Is this your full-time job currently? If not, describe your current job and any tips/tricks on how you balance both:

No; I am Territory Sales Manager for Google. I am responsible for training retail associates (BestBuy, Home Depot, Lowes, Target) in my territory on Google & Nest products so that they are educated enough to explain these features and concepts to customers. I have the privilege of constructing my own work schedule, which affords me the ability to manage the business, and finish my MBA.

What drives your passion for this business?

We are married chefs who have a passion for creating flavorful & memorable meals. Traveling & food is a huge part of our lives – we take culinary classes in every country we visit and bring back spices from these countries to produce unique flavor profiles for our meals. After years of my husband working in restaurants & catering events as a couple, many customers and family members inquired on if we would be willing to travel, offer training on how we prepare our foods, and even if we could ship some of our meals & spices across the country. Our spices are simply an extension of how we show love and affords us the ability to cater without borders.

Favorite small/local business you frequent:

Guidance Whiskey was created from my fellow Tennessee State University alum, and fraternity brother Jason Ridgel. He founded Guidance Whiskey in 2018 and this 2-year aged whiskey has been my “go to” since its debut. I’ve gifted it for birthdays and Christmas presents, and I keep a bottle on the shelf in my house.

What are you most hoping to take away from this program?

I hope to be able to walk away with a strategy on getting my products featured in retail locations. I want to understand in this environment what winning tactics are necessary to win over retail buyers nationwide.