The world loves a good come-up story. These narratives serve as a testament that anything is possible if you have a little faith and put in the necessary work.
Pinky Cole is a prime example of this “out of the mud” story. The Slutty Vegan CEO is a Baltimore, MD, native whose hopes of entrepreneurship started as a dream and had significant challenges before she bloomed into the successful mogul she is today.
Aisha “Pinky” Cole is a 2009 graduate of Clark Atlanta University (CAU), where she was named Miss CAU in 2008 and initiated into Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, Sigma Chapter.
It was clear that Cole had an impact on people during her years as an undergraduate student and that same influence carried over as she took a step to launch Slutty Vegan restaurants.
Cole started by selling her plant-based burgers out of her apartment in 2018 through Instagram orders. From there, she would take off, propelling her to incredible heights. However, in between, some roadblocks got in the way.
During a conversation on “Sway in the Morning,” Cole passionately summarized her journey toward success and encouraged the listeners that dreams can come true despite hardship.
“I’m just a girl from around the way, from East Baltimore – who always was a big dreamer in the house with my grandmother watching ‘Golden Girls.’ And my wildest dream has come true. So, the moment where you ever feel defeated, think of Pinky in the back of your head. Pinky, who once upon a time had a dollar in her bank account. Pinky, who lost everything in a grease fire, who car got repoed, who got kicked out of her apartment,” Cole said.
And making her wildest dreams come true is definitely what Cole was able to do. Through her hard work and dedication, Cole has several Slutty Vegan locations across the U.S., with plans to open ten more by the end of 2023. Additionally, she secured a series of funding, bringing Slutty Vegan’s market value to an estimated $100 million.
“’Pinky did it; why can’t I do it?’ And that’s the new mantra. We walking into ’23 like, why can’t I? Why can’t I be a star? Why can’t I be a boss? Why can’t I be an entrepreneur? Anything that you want to do, you can. And you better not say that you can’t cause you can do everything that you want to do as long as you believe in yourself,” Cole explained.
