Elijah Joy
Elijah Joy (born Erik C. Nedd; May 15, 1985) is an African-American emcee, television host, singer, writer, vegan celebrity chef, and green living advocate from Washington, DC. He is the founder of Organic Soul, Incorporated, a vegan lifestyle and multimedia company based in Takoma Park, Maryland. Organic Soul, Inc. was a Green sponsor of Al Gore's Greenball 2009.[1]
As a celebrity chef, Joy notably was the personal chef for Isaac Hayes. He is the creator of Go-Go Greens, a raw food vegan deli product. Joy became a semi-regular feature on WRKS' The Isaac Hayes and Friends Show in 1997. Subsequently becoming a live emcee during the first year of B.B. King's Blues Club and Grill's opening in Times Square in 2000 and debuted his signature "Go-Go Greens" at recording artist Moby's Vegetarian eatery and teashop in New York City, Teany and was also a featured voice- over artist on singer, Mýa Harrison's Fear of Flying (album) release of that year.[2] His work has been featured at Green Festival and on The Wendy Williams Show. His production credits have also included E! Entertainment Television and BravoTV. He has also been featured on MTV.
In 2009 Michael Beckwith of the 2006 film The Secret tweeted "Experience vegan chef Elijah Min-Rah, offering delicious high VIBING dishes![3]
In 2010 he mass produced "Go Go Greens" for wider distribution to coincide with the release of the new book, By Any Greens Necessary on May 1, 2010 written by Vegan Nutritionist author, Tracye McQuirter for Lawrence Hill Publishing. May 3, 2010 was also the opening of Organic Soul, Inc. first retail outlet in Union Station, Washington, DC a Vegan Pop-up retail Store, The Organic Soul America Outlet Store. Currently. On October 28, 2011, Elijah Joy appeared on Oprah's Lifeclass speaking of his best learned lessons of forgiveness, joy and the death of his parents by murder-suicide.[4]
In 2012 he opened his second Vegan Pop-up retail, Organic Soul Live in Oakland Chinatown.[5]
Since moving back to his hometown of Washington, DC, Elijah has been partnering with civic and nonprofits in the region providing culturally focused farm to table solutions to food insecure regions of the Ward 8 region of the city. He was featured in the October 2016 issue of Yes Magazine speaking of his work in cooperative development. [6] That year his work was documented in a short film series by students at the Center for Media and Social Impact at American University in Washington, DC.[7]