06/13/2026
THANK YOU TAKEOVER TV! 💚🙌🏾🙌🏾
We are so grateful for the opportunity for featuring our Owner, Dr. Joslin Mar Dai Pickens!
As she prepares to take center stage during this weekend’s Art•ish Festival and highly anticipated Taste of Soul VIP Experience, Takeover TV is shining a spotlight on one of ’s most recognized advocates for wellness, entrepreneurship, education, and community impact.
Meet Dr. Joslin Mar-Dai Pickens.
Many know her as the founder and CEO of Vegans on The Run, a growing plant-based food business that has introduced countless people throughout the region to healthier lifestyle options without sacrificing flavor, culture, or creativity.
Others know her as an author.
A speaker.
A mentor.
A former professor.
A community advocate.
And for many aspiring entrepreneurs, she has become an example of what can happen when purpose and passion align.
🌱❤️📚
🎓 From The Classroom To Entrepreneurship
Before becoming known throughout the region as an entrepreneur and vegan chef, Dr. Mar-Dai spent more than two decades in higher education.
A graduate of Grambling State University, she built a successful career as a professor and department chair before making the bold decision to pursue a completely different path.
Rather than remaining in a profession she had already mastered, she chose to follow a vision centered around wellness, entrepreneurship, and community impact.
That vision eventually became Vegans on The Run.
Today, her story serves as a reminder that reinvention is possible at any stage of life.
✨ Sometimes the greatest opportunities begin when you’re willing to bet on yourself.
❤️ Turning Pain Into Purpose
Not every entrepreneur starts with a business plan.
Some start with a personal breakthrough.
In a recent feature published by Three18 Insider Magazine, Dr. Mar-Dai shared how a season of major life transitions—including retirement from higher education, her daughter entering adulthood, and personal challenges—forced her to reflect on who she was and who she wanted to become.
According to the feature, she found herself searching for answers during one of the most difficult periods of her life.
Through fitness, journaling, self-reflection, and learning how food affected both her physical and emotional well-being, she slowly began rebuilding herself one step at a time.
What started as a personal healing journey eventually evolved into a mission.
That mission became Vegans on The Run.
That mission became Soul-Fed: A Journey to Alignment.
And that mission continues today through her efforts to help others discover healthier lifestyles and a deeper connection to themselves.
❤️🌱
🍽️ Building More Than A Restaurant
Since launching Vegans on The Run, Dr. Mar-Dai has steadily expanded her impact throughout the community.
Her business has become known for:
🥗 Weekly meal prep programs
🍽️ Catering and special events
🥂 Community brunch experiences
👩🏽🍳 Plant-based culinary creations
🎤 Speaking engagements and workshops
❤️ Wellness-focused community initiatives
What stands out most is that her work extends far beyond food.
Her social media presence regularly focuses on:
🌱 Personal growth
❤️ Healing
🤝 Community
✨ Purpose
📚 Education
🙌 Encouragement
Through it all, one message remains consistent:
Food is more than nourishment.
It’s connection.
It’s culture.
And it’s an opportunity to bring people together.
👵🏾 Inspired By Family Tradition
According to her recent Three18 Insider Magazine interview, many of the recipes and traditions that inspire her work today trace back to her childhood.
Her grandmother, a professional cook, played a major role in shaping her love for food and cooking.
In the feature, Dr. Mar-Dai shared that she was the only grandchild her grandmother allowed to help document family recipes in the kitchen.
Today, those lessons continue to influence her culinary journey and have even found their way into her work as an author.
❤️📖
📚 Author Of Soul-Fed: A Journey To Alignment
Adding to her growing list of accomplishments, Dr. Mar-Dai is also the author of Soul-Fed: A Journey to Alignment.
While many may initially view it as a cookbook, she has described it as something much deeper.
The book explores themes of:
🌱 Personal growth
❤️ Healing
✨ Self-discovery
🙏 Alignment
🧠 Emotional wellness
💪 Physical wellness
The project combines affirmations, reflection, life lessons, and recipes while encouraging readers to nourish themselves physically, emotionally, spiritually, and mentally.
Its message reflects much of the work she continues to share publicly today.
🏆 Earning Recognition
Dr. Mar-Dai’s vision and dedication continue to gain recognition.
Most recently, Vegans on The Run earned 3rd Place and a $10,000 grant during the Destination 318 Pitch Competition, a significant achievement that further highlights the growth and future potential of the business.
🏆💰
The recognition adds to an already impressive list of accomplishments.
In 2021, Vegans on The Run was selected as one of five Black-owned businesses nationwide to receive a $20,000 Plant Grant, helping expand efforts to promote healthy eating and plant-based food access within the community.
These achievements reflect years of hard work, perseverance, and belief in a vision that continues to evolve.
🚀
👧🏽📖 Investing In The Community
Beyond entrepreneurship, Dr. Mar-Dai remains deeply committed to community engagement and education.
Whether she’s mentoring aspiring entrepreneurs, participating in youth-focused programs, speaking at events, teaching culinary workshops, or sharing knowledge through public outreach, her efforts consistently focus on empowering others.
Recently, she partnered with local youth programs to teach students how food can be colorful, creative, nutritious, and fun.
Because for Dr. Mar-Dai, success isn’t simply measured by revenue.
It’s measured by impact.
❤️
🎨🍽️ Taking Center Stage This Weekend
This weekend, Dr. Mar-Dai will once again share her talents with the community as a featured participant in the Taste of Soul VIP Experience, one of the signature events associated with Art•ish Festival 2026.
📍 Riverview Hall
📍 Downtown Shreveport
📅 Sunday, June 14, 2026
🕓 4:00 PM
The event will feature an impressive lineup of culinary talent, signature dishes, and a celebration of Louisiana culture, creativity, and cuisine.
As one of the featured culinary participants, Dr. Mar-Dai will proudly represent Vegans on The Run while showcasing how plant-based cuisine continues making its mark throughout the region.
🔥🎨🍽️
Her participation further highlights her growing presence within Shreveport’s culinary, wellness, and entrepreneurial communities.
🌟 Creating Impact Through Purpose
What makes Dr. Joslin Mar-Dai’s story unique isn’t simply the business she has built.
It’s the purpose behind it.
From higher education and entrepreneurship to authorship, wellness advocacy, and community engagement, she continues using her platform to encourage healthier living, meaningful connections, and personal growth.
And as her journey continues, so does her impact.
👏🏽🌱❤️
🙌 TAKEOVER TV SALUTES DR. JOSLIN MAR-DAI
Takeover TV proudly recognizes Dr. Joslin Mar-Dai Pickens for her contributions to entrepreneurship, education, wellness, community engagement, and helping create opportunities that inspire others throughout Shreveport and beyond.
Whether through food, mentorship, education, authorship, or service, her commitment to making a positive difference continues leaving a lasting impression on the community she serves.
She didn’t just build a business.
She built a platform.
She built a purpose.
And she’s helping others discover theirs.
🌱✨🏆🍽️📚❤️🚀
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📖 Editor’s Note: Portions of Dr. Mar-Dai’s personal journey referenced in this article were previously shared during an interview with Three18 Insider Magazine. We encourage our readers to support local journalism and check out their feature, “Reclaiming Her Plate and Peace,” which offers additional insight into her personal story and the inspiration behind Soul-Fed: A Journey to Alignment.
🌱✨❤️🏆🍽️📚🚀💚
