Thirty seniors at Clark Atlanta University will have their tuition balances paid off by Aisha “Pinky” Cole, owner of the Slutty Vegan restaurant. The Jamaican-American entrepreneur teamed up with Stacey Lee, co-owner of Harlem Hops and a fellow alumnus, to facilitate the generous bestowment.
“Here at Slutty Vegan, we do more than just serve burgers and fries,” Cole wrote on her Instagram page. “Khalil Perry will not have to give up on his dreams of continuing his education due to financial limitations because we were able to help him get back into school.”
Her generous journey began when she saw a GoFundMe page by Khalil Perry who was seeking financial help to continue his education. Cole personally knows the struggles involved with trying to pay tuition costs. She attributes being named Miss Clark Atlanta University for her ability to finance her own graduation.
The 30 beneficiaries were chosen at random from a list of students supplied by the university that had school-related debt. Cole has established The Pinky Cole Foundation, a non-profit through which she plans to help more students in the future. She believes it’s the responsibility of entrepreneurs to give back just as others helped them.
The 31-year-old restauranteur began her road to success in the Los Angeles TV industry as a casting director for “Iyanla: Fix My Life,” but always felt the call of entrepreneurship. She opened the Jamaican eatery Pinky’s in New York in 2014, but a grease fire decimated the establishment. She then launched a food truck in Atlanta.
Cole’s culinary offerings quickly garnered support and acclaim. In Jan. 2019, she launched her brick and mortar vegan eatery in Atlanta’s Westview neighborhood. Local foodies love it and celebrity fans include Will Smith, Taraji P. Henson, and T.I. Even Tyler Perry, Tiffany Haddish, and Cory Booker have eaten there. The restauranteur plans to open two more Slutty Vegan locations in the future, all of which offer fare with fun names that include “One Night Stand” and “Ménage a Trois.”
Photo Source: Instagram
