Welcome!

We're thrilled to have you join the Kin Collective as a brand ambassador for our small business. We can't wait to share these incredible and unique products with you and share about the amazing artisans we've had the pleasure of working with.

Our Brand Ambassador box features these products and artisans:

Vicky Cakes

Cortney grew up without ever tasting home-cooked pancakes. But after his first breakfast at his mother-in-law’s house, he knew he had to introduce her delicious pancake recipe to the world. And that’s exactly what Cortney and Christian (husband and wife founders of Vicky Cakes) did. When asked what made those pancakes so special that day, Cortney reminisced about the atmosphere and recalled Vicky herself whipping up her pancakes in a cast iron skillet to achieve the perfect balance of fluffiness and crispy edges with ease.

Vicky Cakes are vegan friendly (even loved by vegan queen Tabitha Brown!), but they don’t stop there. Whether you cook them vegan style or with all the dairy options, you can still achieve an easy to make and delicious pancake. We learned that even Vicky prefers to use her mix rather than make her pancakes from scratch. Yes, they’re that good. When we made these ourselves, we did so with a regular skillet, but the second time around we used a cast iron in an attempt to achieve the same famous balance of crisp edges with a fluffy center. Mission accomplished! For some extra flavor, try adding cinnamon, nutmeg, or fresh fruit.

Remix Waffles

Waffles were a part of Ryan Bonaparte’s family tradition. Every time he visited his uncle, he was treated to the most delicious waffles he had ever tasted, made from scratch by the master himself. It was this experience growing up that set Ryan off on a quest to find the best waffle recipe the world had to offer. Rather than going straight to the source for his secret recipe, Ryan started experimenting on his own. The avid learner (he’s an MIT graduate with a master’s degree from Columbia!) decided to tackle this the way he knew best: through studying and experimentation. After spending weeks eating waffles at all hours of the day, he found his perfect recipe, and Remix Waffles was born. Today, there’s a waffle mix to fit every taste bud and be remixed however you’d like (and yes, they’re all uncle approved).

We first ordered Remix Waffles because we loved Ryan’s philosophy: Create a waffle mix to make your own. Whether you add syrup, fruit, or chocolate, this waffle mix is the perfect foundation for play. As waffles are a go-to breakfast favorite in our home, this was a hit. We added cinnamon, nutmeg and bananas and each time delighted in how the additions complemented the original flavor of the mix.

Cuples Tea

Husband and wife Eric and Lynnette Dodson’s first dates involved drinking tea. They founded Cuples Tea with the desire to educate the Black community on the benefits of tea in contrast with sugary beverages. Cuples currently partner with local venues to offer an “urban tea experience” that includes education, music, art, literature, and good vibes in a socially connected atmosphere. You can check out the Cuples website for virtual tastings, and if you’re ever in the Baltimore area, they will be opening their first retail shop soon! 

When we tasted Cuples’ Autumn Leaves green tea for the first time, we were immediately won over by the intoxicating aroma that made the entire house smell delicious. This unique blend contains apple pieces, rose hips, and natural creme brulee flavor that creates an experience that is difficult to put into words—you just have to try it for yourself! And for our non-caffeinated tea drinkers, you’ll find Blueberry Passion Herbal in our box. While the blueberry scent may be the first thing you notice, this fruit tea is balanced by hibiscus , elderberry and rosehip, making it the perfect summer brew to sip hot or cold while reading a book or socializing with friends.

Red Bay Coffee

Keba Konte is an artist who first used coffee as a way to share his art when he opened his first cafe. Eventually his dreams grew into creating diversity and better wage opportunities in the coffee industry. Although art is still a large part of his life, Red Bay Coffee has taken over and grown by leaps and bounds. Keba strives to create a high-quality, sustainable coffee and a company that is known for its inclusion and diversity within all levels of his team. And when Keba says diversity is important, he truly means it. His team is made up of people of color, formerly incarcerated team members, women, and people with disabilities.

Everyone loves the smell of coffee, right? Well, Red Bay coffee does not disappoint. We could use the bags as air fresheners throughout our home, it smells so delicious! And once you’ve ground the beans and roasted this coffee, it’s even better. We initially tried the Brazilian Cake Lady, a medium roast that can easily be sipped black. And for coffee drinkers desiring something richer and more full bodied, we’ve included East Fourteenth Street, a coffee bean grown at high altitude that has traveled from Tanzania and Ethiopia as part of a co-op that provides direct trade opportunities for farmers to coffee roasters. 

Oh Mazing Granola

Stephanie Williams initially founded Oh Mazing as a home-based business that enabled her to be around for her young kids. But what started as a successful delivery meal service was quickly overshadowed by her granola recipes that she included in her meal kits. Ironically, Stephanie has a nut allergy and wasn’t a fan of granola until she started making it herself. Over time she found that she had more and more fans of her granola and dropped the meal delivery service altogether.

As soon as our Oh Mazing granola arrived, bags quickly disappeared within minutes. It’s just that delicious and easy to snack on. We found it the perfect topping to our morning yogurt as well as an energizing snack on our family hikes. We can’t even pick a favorite flavor as each one has something special to offer. Although, if you made us, it may be a tie between the Lemon Bar and Caribbean Delight.

Stay Fresh Candle

Stay fresh was born in the late 90s as a hip hop music label created by rapper and musician Kenan Bell. The name was meant to remind him (and others) to always be current and open to fresh perspectives. With the help of his partner Cristina, they added a new product to their brand name: candles. With Cristina’s background as an aesthetician and a passion for product chemistry, this team created the perfect natural candle made of clean fragrances for you to enjoy in your home.

All stay fresh candles are hand blended, and each scent is created with mindful intention. From the reusable vessel, to the 100% all-natural soy based wax, to the cotton wick and packaging, no detail is forgotten. Every element has been thought out with the goal of creating a sustainable candle product that also fills your home with warmth and spirit. Every time we light one of these candles, the subtle yet distinct aroma fills the space and puts a smile on our faces.

Symphony Chips

Symphony Chips was originally a spice company started with his father’s recipes. As retired chef, his father who worked in hotels, restaurants and banquet halls in Las Vegas constantly creating spices to serve his guests. One day Dondre’s dad whipped up some eggs for him, but not your regular eggs, he had added one of his specialty spices. It was at this moment that Dondre knew they had something. 

In the early 2000s Dondre started with spice demos in grocery stores and their go to demo, potatoes fried on the spot with their seasoning on top. The potato chips were such a hit that all anyone wanted were the chips with the spices already on it. Come 2010 Symphony Chips was launched in stores and online in 2017. And after speaking with Dondre Anderson, I know it’s only a matter of time before you’ll find these chips across the country in a store near you. Symphony chips is no “small business” and in fact it’s a label Dondre frowns upon. He believes that nobody should ever limit themselves to being called a “small business.”