A determined woman’s journey to success
She’s an entrepreneur by day and a chef during weekends.
The sky is merely another glass ceiling to smash for Ruimsig resident Evangeline Solomons. Evangeline is a marketer, entrepreneur and a finalist for Mrs Johannesburg 2022. In 2018, she founded the Women In Business seminars to assist women who have left their corporate jobs for or have taken the leap into entrepreneurship.
“Women in Business is growing by women in business networking and educating each other with tips and encouragement,” she said. “I’ve see the women grow in terms of their businesses and I have seen them mature.“
She’s an entrepreneur by day and a chef during weekends. Eve’s Fusion Cuisine creates authentic foods from all over the world for big functions and boutique hotels. “The chef part of it is my passion. It’s what you love – innovative food and recipes. It’s such an honour that people get to taste my food.” Through the relationships she built in her networking events, she met the current Mrs Johannesburg, Lesley-Rae Coetzer at one of her Women in Business events. The pageant is a fundraiser for Role Models Foundation, an NPO that works to create places of safety for those less advantaged through education and skills development. As part of her philanthropic duties, Evangeline has been tasked with raising sponsorships for the charity. She said philanthropy is not only a part of who she is but has been top of mind this year in particular.
She said Mrs Johannesburg was a puzzle piece that fit her personality perfectly. I love people and genuinely helping people,” she began. “ It came at the right time with Covid-19 because the future has become so unpredictable. We can’t see the next six months. Philanthropy is what people need right now; there are vulnerable children and communities that need our help.” The wife and mother acknowledged the challenge that came with the crown and the pageant’s core values of raising funds for NPOs. “We have an initiative called ‘power towers’ and you will see some of my drop-off in retailers. If you are a consumer and you shop at the local stores, drop a tin or any non-perishable.”
Evangeline said her family has been incredibly supportive of her venture into the modelling world and that her children joke about how often she is in make-up these days. She hopes her entry will not only encourage other women to chase their aspirations but to uplift other women as well. The beauty is currently in the top five of Mrs Johannesburg and the crowning is expected to take place in November.
