Slutty Vegan founder Pinky Cole got emotional after Time magazine announced her inclusion in its annual “TIME100 Next,” a list of up-and-coming power players.
The vegan food entrepreneur took to Instagram to share her feelings.
“I ain’t never knew nobody on the TIME list, and now I’m on that B—-,” expressed Cole through tears of joy in the video post.
In her caption, Cole shouted out the cities that helped her initiative as well as aspiring business owners trying to achieve their goals.
“I’m crying ugly tears all week,” shared the founder of the popular vegan burger chain. “This is a win for ATLANTA, BMORE, and every entrepreneur in America who wakes up everyday to realize their wildest dreams!”
Cole is being featured in the “Phenoms” category, which is for those who have exemplary talent in their field. She was introduced by fellow restaurateur Danny Meyer, who called Cole “irrepressible.”
“Nothing will stop her from showing the world that vegan food can be fun,” wrote Meyer. “Pinky is leading a movement and feeding a yearning desire to belong to a tribe that insists that virtue—and good, naughty fun—make very good bedfellows.”
Cole is joined in this year’s roundup with rapper Ice Spice, NFL quarterback Jalen Hurts, and Afrobeats songstress Tems.
TIME100 Next spotlights those who are rising in their careers. As Cole is still expanding her growing food empire, the ceiling has yet to be reached, and she continues to evolve as a prominent voice in the vegan movement.
Through her monumental success in the restaurant
industry, her dedication to making plant-based food appealing to the Black community—in addition to her constant philanthropy—her inclusion in this list is well-deserved.RELATED CONTENT: Pinky Cole: The New American Dream