Beza Bisrat - Alumni Profiles - People - Batten Institute

When Beza Bisrat (MBA ‘24), noticed that many people, including fellow Ethiopian students at UVA, struggled to access authentic Ethiopian cuisine, she set out to create Ethiopian Delights, a food startup and online store. For Bisrat, Ethiopian Delights is not just a food business, but a way to connect with her cultural roots and build a community.

Bisrat was drawn to the Darden School of Business thanks to its proximity to DC, strong focus on academics and the fact that Darden is a state school. “I wanted some of the experiences and resources that come from such a large state university with such a strong brand,” she said. Landing a scholarship for entrepreneurship from Darden’s Batten Institute for Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Technology sealed the deal, and she headed to Darden. “Getting the Batten scholarship was just very encouraging,” she said.

With her background in food manufacturing, Bisrat began experimenting. She wanted her product to be shelf-stable and easy for people to prepare. She spent time testing recipes, dehydrating food and preparing prototypes in her kitchen. Soon, she began selling small batches at local pop-up events, and the response was overwhelmingly positive. These small experiments were a way to ask the community directly if they were interested. “The answer was a resounding yes,” she said. In April 2024, Bisrat took home the grand prize at the annual Crowdfunded Pitch Night at Charlottesville’s Tom Tom Festival.

Read the full story