San Francisco private chef turned artisan baker, Azikiwee "Z"Anderson, turned to sourdough bread baking during the COVID-19 pandemic as a creative outlet and a way to cope with the social unrest following the murder of George Floyd in 2020. After many tries and the determination to get it right, he slowly built a following among friends and family, which today includes the Bay Area and beyond as the owner of Rize Up Bakery.

Azikiwee's story starts in Louisiana with a move to California following a life-changing event for his family. What follows is a journey of creativity, self-discovery and an unexpected passion making him one of few Black artisan bakers in the field, a story he plans to tell in his upcoming book to be released in 2026.

The self-taught baker is known for creating sourdough bread that is deliciously unique with bold flavors such as Garlic confit, Sweet Purple Yam and Jalapeno Bacon and Cheddar, often selling out before the day is over.

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Diaspora Food Stories is produced by The Global Food and Drink Initiative, a 501c3 nonprofit. Together with your generous donation we can continue to preserve the oral history and culture of Black food and drink stories both in English and other languages spoken throughout the African diaspora. To donate, visit globalforgood.org.

Website: Diaspora Food Stories

We did it! Another great year of conversations with amazing trendsetters in food, drink and travel.

We're wrapping up for the year and will return on Wednesday, January 1 with a new episode featuring Az Anderson of Rize Up Bakery in San Francisco.

Be sure to catch up on past episode and you can watch all episodes on our YouTube Channel for The Global Food and Drink Initiative, the producer of Diaspora Food Stories.

To support our work with a tax-deductible donation, go to to globalforgood.org.

Thank you and see you in 2025!

Senegalese chef Oumar Diouf's culinary journey has taken him from his home country in West Africa, to Argentina, Brazil to the United States.

Currently living in the Bay Area, Oumar is sharing how food became a way to connect with people and different food cultures. He has owned restaurants in both Argentina and the U.S. and continues to stay connected to his Senegalese roots no matter where he is, blending flavors and ingredients.

He plans to share more about his journey in his upcoming book due out in 2025.

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Oumar Diouf’s The Damel Scores With Afro-Brazilian Cuisine

Diaspora Food Stories is produced by The Global Food and Drink Initiative, a 501c3 nonprofit. Together with your generous donation we can continue to preserve the oral history and culture of Black food and drink stories both in English and other languages spoken throughout the African diaspora. To donate, visit globalforgood.org.

Website: Diaspora Food Stories

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