Michele Hoskins

Twenty years ago, a divorce ex-school teacher had children to support, a family secret and a dream. Michele Hoskins’ determination to “leave my daughters a business instead of just a recipe was the inspiration for Michele Foods.

Hoskins grew up the only daughter with two brothers in a home with loving, hardworking parents. “From a young age my parents told me, ‘Anything the mind can conceive can be achieved.’ That’s what gave me the ability to start my own company literally with no start-up capital and no business experience,” she says.

Today, she laughs when she recalls her early struggles and mistakes. “There was no mentor for me as an African American woman entrepreneur. Had I not been naïve as a vas, I might not have done this. All I had going for me was my goal.”

The foundation of Michele Foods is a secret syrup recipe handed down to daughters from a great-great-grandmother. But Hoskins had a vision that went beyond the family recipe. Today she sells Honey Crème syrups that “are condiments, and you can cook with them. We have over two dozen recipes for cakes, jams, and glazes you can make.”

The company’s products can currently be found in over 10,000 food stores nationwide. Some of the larger food companies that sell Michele brand syrup are: Stop & Shop, Super Wal-Mart, Albertson’s, Kroger, Publix, Super Target, Cub Foods, H.E. Butt Grocery, Jewel Foods, and Dominick’s Finer Foods.

Michele Foods has branched out into relates products such as providing condiments for Church’s Chicken.

Twenty years ago it was unknown for an African American woman to be the CEO of a manufacturing facility. That’s why the first thing I tell people is to invest in yourself, she adds, “if you don’t believe in yourself, no one else will.

I invested the capital I made from selling virtually everything I had. I never had any banks loans or investors, only one small line of credit when I started in October 1984. I learned how to live off of receivables early on.”

The banking part is still the most difficult aspect for minority entrepreneurs,” she adds, which is why she hopes programs to help minorities build businesses continue.

“Also, I put God first. I believe that anything can manifest itself with faith, hard work and perseverance. So never give up, the dream is something that unfolds to you as you work it. Whatever happens, look at it from a very positive and spiritual way.”

She has achieved much success through her 20 years in the business. She has been awarded the 2002 “Entrepreneur of the year” by the Woman’s Foodservices Forum, as well as she was the “keynote speaker” at Johnson & Wales University Graduation Commencement, at which time she received an Honorary Doctorate Degree. She has been featured three times on the Oprah Winfrey’s Show and on all major news channels, i.e., WGN, NBC5, Channel 7, Fox News, and Black Entertainment Television (BET). She was awarded the Phenomenal Women Award 2000 and Dollars and Sense Magazine voted her as one of the Top 100 Professional Women. Her other credits include Black Enterprise Magazine’s “The Emerging Company of The Year Award 1996,” The Entrepreneurial Women Award 1998 and Madam Walker Entrepreneurial Award 1999.

Michele enjoys speaking publicly and has been invited to be the keynote speaker at numerous functions discussing topics such as, becoming a successful entrepreneur and exploring diversity in the food industry. She also mentors individuals who have an interest in entering the food business.