Flavorman
The Women Behind
WRITTEN BY DAWN ANDERSON | COURTESY PHOTOS
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reating flavors for well-known beverage brands worldwide, Flavorman counts among its dozens of employees their “beverage architects,” most of whom are women. Several are Black women with inspiring stories of their experiences in the STEM field and how they became interested in their line of work. They are passionate about their careers and spreading the message to young girls that women of color make significant contributions, even in traditionally male-dominated industries.
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Kadeja Davis is Lab Manager for Flavorman, overseeing the laboratory, training techs, vendor communications, ordering, and formulating research and development on beverages. She always wanted to be a dentist - and still does! Born and raised in the Bahamas, Davis began studying Biochemistry. She moved to the US to continue pursuing her undergraduate degree. After struggling in Biology, her international advisor convinced her to switch her studies to Chemistry because she was “so great at it.”
“You have to find your own space” in a male-dominated STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) industry, says Davis. “Honestly, for me, it’s like working twice as hard, not only as a Black woman but just being a Black person.” She likens the experience to being in a barrel, not only working her way up from the bottom of the barrel “but also trying just to get inside the barrel.” As a Black woman in the industry, Davis feels “it’s difficult, but it’s promising.” She and her colleagues are making
