

Shaunie Grigsby
Flava Cafe
St. Paul, MN USA
"All of who you are is okay. All of the weird and quirky things that you like are okay. There isn’t a model in terms of your identity that you need to subscribe to."
Career Roadmap
Shaunie's work combines: Food, Entrepreneurship, and Upholding a Cause and Belief
See more careers and stories that connect to your interests.
Take Roadmap QuizSkills &
Education
Advice for getting started
My path to entrepreneurship is not intrinsically tied to my academic pathway, however it did inform the type of business structure that I lead with, specifically social entrepreneurship. I would recommend taking a business or marketing course, but there are also fellowships and other cohort learning modules that are tailored to specific entrepreneurship interest.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Sociology
Clark Atlanta University
Graduate Degree
Education - Youth Development Leadership
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Here's the path I recommend for someone who wants to be an Owner:
Bachelor's Degree: Business, General
Learn more about different paths to this careerLife & Career Milestones
My path in life has been direct
1.
When I was younger, my cousin was killed by a young suspect, which spurred me to want to work with youth to help prevent things like that from happening.
2.
I initially set out on a path to work within the justice system, but I didn’t really see many positives within that industry—so I switched to a more sociological lens, which led me into youth work.
3.
After graduating with my bachelor’s degree in sociology, I started working as a youth development staff member for the North Community YMCA Youth & Teen Enrichment Center.
4.
I continued to build my career in youth development, working in roles such as a youth transitions coach, youth programs manager, and young women’s initiative cabinet coordinator.
5.
I eventually decided to open up my own social enterprise cafe, Flava Cafe, which is focused on eliminating disparities for young women and gender expansive youth.