“Change and uncertainty are the only constant, and how you deal with them is the best predictor for how you’ll thrive or not thrive.”

That’s a lesson learned by Rachel Abady, the co-founder and CMO of the Manna Cooking app, a one-of-its-kind interface that might very well revolutionize how we use and what we expect from cooking apps.

Rachel is a Brooklyn-based media professional. What that means, to be exact, is that she helped shape the creative strategies of companies like AOL, the New York Times, Vox, and Bustle, to name a few. Her interest in communications tools and how they evolve, what they can do, and how they can serve businesses, earned her a fruitful career, but it also came with burnout, before it was cool to feel burnt out.

“I’ve given myself a sort of Master’s or PhD in all the things I want to do in media. Now what?”

Her way of hitting the reset button looked like a big backpacking trip, alone, with no structure and no plan. Rachel returned with her appetite for spontaneity satisfied and comfortable with the uncomfortable. When she came back, she also knew that she wanted to freelance and maybe even start her own business. And the entrepreneurial gods listened.

In 2019, Rachel and her brother Josh, a serial entrepreneur, were having a picnic in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park. And then their friend Guy Greenstein called. Guy and Josh presented the idea of a cooking app to Rachel, and she was in.

Meet Manna Cooking.

Manna Cooking is much more than a recipe app. It’s almost a social network for anyone with a smartphone and a kitchen.

The idea for the app originated when Guy, a software engineer and app developer, witnessed chaos in his mother’s kitchen.

“Guy’s mom is a professional private chef. Most of her clients are vegan or kosher. He went into the kitchen one day, watching her cook, and it looked like a crime scene. You have the board up with post its, cookbooks, scribbles in the margins of the cookbooks, notes on her phone.”

You get the picture. Guy, a self-proclaimed professional nerd, turned to the App Store to find a solution, but there was nothing that allowed personalizing recipes for people with dietary restrictions or simple personal taste preferences.

“On the one hand, you have incredible publishers that feed you content and then you cook it, and then the relationship’s done. The only personalization happens in the comments. Then you have apps that organize stuff for you, but none of the power goes to the user.”

And so, as the story goes, Manna fell from the sky.

“It’s supposed to be your buddy in the kitchen, to give you everything you need to nourish yourself from inspiration to preparation to actually cooking and sharing.”

Since embarking on the journey, the trio had to pivot many times because of the pandemic and other challenges that have been thrown their way. But they secured funding and were able to do an early launch of the app, receive helpful feedback, and grow as they go.

The Manna team photographed by Mae Ryan.

“If you’re going to make something and be an entrepreneur, you’re building a business on your shoulders. So, your shoulders have to be strong. You really have to pump yourself up as much as you can.”

The app itself allows users to create a profile, upload a photo and add a bio. You open it and are welcomed with foodporn you can swipe Yes or No on to get inspired. You can upload your own recipes, leave comments, follow other users, and customize food as you cook.

Most importantly, it’s easy to get behind a company that’s all about sharing, creating, and being together, especially in the time of the pandemic where people were faced with being alone for so long.

The next milestone for the Manna co-founders? Get 10,000 users and grow their team. Though they’re already working with developers and other partners, Rachel is looking forward to expanding by hiring a bunch of people smarter than her and letting them do their thing. She remembers the words of a former manager who told her that a team should function the same with or without one person.

“Hire people who are smarter than you. Being the smartest person in the room is a detriment, not a benefit. If you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re not learning.”

Rachel is also excited about being a female entrepreneur in a time where resources for women leaders in business are plentiful. She loves working with her brother and friend, and loves connecting with other female founders and groups.

Put your apron on and download Manna Cooking from Apple’s App Store. Not an iPhone user? The team is fundraising to bring Manna to Android soon! Follow the foodie adventures along on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter at @mannacookingapp, and don’t forget to share what you make.

The Magic Actually Happens in the Kitchen: Meet Rachel Abady, Co-Founder and CMO of Manna Cooking