When we last caught up with Raia in August 2024, she was still searching for the right space to grow Love on a Plate. Today, she’s running her catering business full time out of Grace Church’s commercial kitchen in Yukon, cooking for events across the metro and laying the groundwork to go after her first government contract.
She found the kitchen through a Facebook post, toured it that same day and signed on quickly. “Everything happens for a reason,” she said. “I’ve been given multiple opportunities to step into true entrepreneurship, but this time feels a lot different.”
Raia registered for SAM.gov through REI Oklahoma and, with a kitchen space now in place, she’s finally bid-ready. She’s also investing in herself by working with a business coach, teaming up with REI Oklahoma’s Business Resources for marketing support and focusing her time where it counts.
She recently connected with MetroTech through someone she met at our OKC Women’s Business Breakfast and has the chance to teach wellness-based cooking classes there—a full-circle moment for someone who’s built her business without formal training.
“I must be doing something right,” she said. “I want to share what I’ve learned with others who’ve been in my place.”
Even with a full plate, Raia keeps service at the heart of what she does. She donates event leftovers to Sandwiches with Love and is always thinking about how to provide healthy, affordable meals to communities who need it most, like the senior community.
“I want to reach down and pull somebody up,” she said.
Running a business takes grit, heart and a whole lot of hustle. We’re proud to walk alongside Raia as she grows Love on a Plate, and we can’t wait to see what’s next—for her and for the people she continues to uplift.
