If you told me years ago that I would one day be running two very different but deeply connected ventures — a Black-led charity tackling type 2 diabetes in African, Caribbean, and Black (ACB) communities, and a thriving sea moss brand — I might have laughed. And yet, here I am.
I wear many hats:
- Founder & CEO of Type Diabeat It — a charity that grew from four small garden rows into 1.5 acres of Afroheritage crops, a greenhouse, and a community-powered mission to improve health through food sovereignty.
- Founder of Granny P’s Sea Moss — a business rooted in my grandmother’s passion for natural healing, bringing premium wildcrafted sea moss gel, dried sea moss, and Canada’s only sea moss gummies to customers nationwide.
Two different missions? On paper, maybe. But in my heart, they are deeply connected.
The Common Thread: Wellness as Culture
Type Diabeat It began from lived experience — I know what it means to face food insecurity, to be overlooked in healthcare, and to watch communities I love suffer from preventable illnesses. We grow okra, callaloo, African eggplant, and collard greens because food is medicine, food is culture, and food is equity.
Granny P’s Sea Moss was born from another truth: wellness should be simple, accessible, and infused with tradition. Sea moss is a nutrient powerhouse — supporting gut health, skin health, immune strength, and overall vitality. It’s the kind of everyday self-care that can be life-changing.
Both ventures are about putting health in the hands of the people, whether that’s through teaching a child to grow vegetables or helping a customer add sea moss to their morning smoothie.
The Entrepreneurial Balancing Act
I won’t pretend it’s easy.
Running a charity without core, sustainable funding means I’m constantly writing grants, building partnerships, and finding creative ways to keep our programs alive. Running a growing product-based business means late nights, packaging orders, and making sure our gel, dried sea moss, and gummies meet the highest quality standards.
I’ve been called “busy” more times than I can count — but I’m not busy for the sake of being busy. I’m driven. I’m building things that matter.
What Keeps Me Going
The stories. The child who tries callaloo for the first time and loves it. The customer who tells me Granny P’s Sea Moss helped with their digestion and energy. The parents who attend our canning workshop and remember their own grandparents doing the same.
Entrepreneurship is about solving problems. For me, the problem is that too many people are disconnected from the foods, traditions, and nutrients that could keep them healthy. My work — whether in the field or in the kitchen — is about closing that gap.
Two paths, one vision: to make wellness accessible, culturally relevant, and rooted in love.
Every jar, every gummy, every garden row — they’re all part of the same mission. I believe health starts with what we grow, what we eat, and what we pass down. And I’m committed to making sure those things are culturally relevant, nutrient-rich, and rooted in love.
To every customer, donor, and community partner: thank you for being part of this journey. The best is still ahead.
💛 Mystery Furtado
Founder, Granny P’s Sea Moss & Type Diabeat It