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
Parisa Parnian
Owner, RIGGED OUT/Fitters
With a backgroud in mainstream fashion, Parisa Parnian started RIGGED OUT/Fitters,
a clothing line for the queer, gender queer and trans community, as an experimental photo shoot for velvetpark magazine. Her conceptual designs were sported by authentic queer, gender queer and trans models and very quickly garnered tangible recognition. The photo shoot was featured in Sarah Baley’s one-woman photo exhibit, “BOIS,” and some images have found a home at the Brooklyn Museum of Art. Planetout.com and The L Word both asked Parnian to design custom pieces for their projects, and she has launched an online retail shop (riggedoutfit.com) as well as pop-up shops in several cities around the United States. Parnian says, “I care about my customer’s personal gender expression and quirks that make them different. I provide folks with an empowering retail experience where they can see androgynous, butch, gender queer, and trans wearing clothing with the attitude, subversive gender expression, and fit that works for their lifestyles.”
