Doniece Sandoval – Lava Mae
Doniece describes herself as an 'idea person'. As a young adult, she worked in the corporate world in San Francisco and soon after headed to New York City to continue her work in that arena for a few years more. After 9-11 though, Doniece decided to make a fresh start. When she moved back to San Francisco, she couldn't help but notice that there were considerably more homeless people than there'd been when she lived there just a few years previously. One day she passed a crying homeless woman who was talking out loud to no one in particular. The woman was unkempt and disheveled, and kept repeating a phrase that made a deep impression on Doniece, eventually giving her an idea that would end helping an impressive number of homeless individuals to keep their dignity and, in many cases, their jobs.
How Lava Mae Was Born
It started with one woman, homeless in San Francisco, crying that she would never be clean. Founder, Doniece Sandoval heard her cries. Those words, a desire to help those experiencing homelessness, and a crazy obsession with the mobile food truck movement set in motion what eventually became Lava Mae.