Garnet James

Garnet James is a Detroit-based entrepreneur, educator, and community development professional whose relationship with food began long before it became her career. She got her start in the kitchen alongside her mother, learning not only the craft of baking, but the power food has to bring people together. Those early experiences eventually led Garnet to take the helm of her mother’s culinary business, becoming the legacy owner of Terri’s Detroit.

Her career spans more than 15 years of program management, community development, education, and partnership-building throughout Detroit. For more than a decade, Garnet has blended entrepreneurship, culinary education, and community engagement—teaching cake decorating and baking, mentoring aspiring entrepreneurs, and creating programs and experiences for youth and adults. Former roles with Gleaners Community Food Bank, Focus: HOPE, and the Detroit Tigers, have centered her work on connecting people to resources, creating opportunities, and strengthening Detroit communities.

She is a proud graduate of Spelman College with a degree in Psychology.