Like many Gen Zers and millennials, I spend a lot of time online. Social media has quietly become one of the main ways people consume information, keep up with trends, and shape their interests – and for better or worse, it has become one of mine too.
In my case, I would credit it with deepening my relationship with cooking and sustainability. There is something powerful about having a world of ideas, cultures, and conversations at your fingertips. When used well, these platforms can educate, challenge, and inspire. That is exactly what the following women do.
I wanted to celebrate a few women of colour whose work I genuinely admire – creators using food as a way to talk about climate, culture, and identity, while making space for stories that often go unheard.
Karishma Porwal (@KarishmaClimateGirl)
Based in Canada, Karishma Porwal is a climate storyteller and activist who makes complex environmental issues feel accessible, urgent, and at times playful. Her content ranges from holding policymakers to account over wildlife protection to spotlighting sustainable practices rooted in her Indian upbringing, such as bucket baths – a throwback many of us will remember.
What sets Karishma apart is her ability to connect the global and the personal. She does not just highlight problems; she empowers her audience with practical actions they can take, reminding us that climate action is not reserved for experts – it is something we all have a role in.
Seema Pankhania (@seemagetsbaked)
Seema Pankhania is a food content creator and cookbook author whose recipes are as joyful as they are comforting. Drawing heavily on her Indian heritage, she shares food that feels familiar yet inventive. One standout moment was her take on Christmas dinner, infused with spice, from masala hot chocolate to a roast that truly reflected a hybrid British-Asian table.
As a fellow south Asian, it is refreshing to see dishes that mirror how many of us actually eat: roast dinners with samosas on the side, pasta loaded with chilli and garlic, and turmeric stirred into tea. Seema’s work celebrates the beauty of cultural crossover without diluting it, giving airtime to the everyday food of desi households.
Sana Javeri Kadri, founder of Diaspora Co.
Sana Javeri Kadri is the founder of Diaspora Co., a spice company reimagining how spices are grown, traded, and valued. Working directly with small-scale farmers across south Asia, Diaspora Co. pays well above market rates, prioritises regenerative farming, and brings transparency to a supply chain historically shaped by colonial exploitation.
More than just a spice brand, Diaspora Co. is about reclaiming flavour, culture, and power, challenging who profits from “ethnic” food and whose knowledge is recognised. Sana’s work shows that ethical business, cultural pride, and exceptional quality do not have to be mutually exclusive.
Together, these women remind me why representation matters, especially in food and sustainability spaces. They show that culture, climate, and creativity are not separate conversations, but deeply connected ones. Sometimes, the most powerful ideas do not arrive through textbooks or policy papers, but through the meals we cook and the stories we share online.
