Workin’ It (Part 2) 2009
Chef/Owner, Bristen’s Eatery
Carleen Haughton, owner of Bristen’s Eatery in Crown Heights, Brooklyn was born in Kingston, Jamaica and migrated to the United States in 1984. She graduated from Hofstra University with a BS in Economics and Finance, and worked on Wall Street for 18 years. After 9/11, Haughton “decided it was important to do what I was passionate about.” In 2007, she graduated from The Institute of Culinary Education and opened Bristen’s Eatery. Haughton is committed to keeping prices affordable, while also using the best ingredients from local farmers and other local businesses. The menu includes hearty dishes such as omelettes, French toast, pancakes, generously stuffed paninis and burgers. Bristen’s is also dedicated to the community and working with youth. Her goal is to maintain a safe place for people to exchange information, have community meetings, play dates or just chat.
The Rest of the Best Of 2009’s Red Hot Entrepreneurs
Leslie Bergman
Co-owner, West Side Kids
Leslie Bergman, pictured right with her mom and business partner Alice Bergman, says she belongs “right in the middle of everything!” And that is exactly where she is at the centrally located West Side Kids, a New York City specialty toy store her mom opened in 1981, which she has co-owned since 2002. They wanted to create a place that reflected their own culture, values, politics and beliefs in the form of children’s toys; simultaneously offering educational and wholesome products. Breaking the molds of traditional toy makers and ethnic and gender conformities, they made available African-American dolls, cooking sets for boys, tool sets for girls and items that kids could purchase with their own allowances. Raised by a feminist mother who encouraged multiculturalism and gender diversity in friendships, Bergman applied these lessons to her business approach. “We were raised with the goal of growing up happy and making a difference in this world,” states Bergman. And that is exactly what she has accomplished.
