Our Team
Halima
Co-Founder, Head Chef, Head Product Developer
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Originally from Xudu, Somalia, Halima has made her home in Minneapolis since 2004. Hoyo was born when Halima’s famous sambusa recipe met her desire to start a business. She loves sharing her tasty food with the community and watching Hoyo grow. Halima and her 5 children usually eat their sambusa with mufa, a Somali dish made out of flour and corn, or mahamri, which is made with flour and yeast.
Matt G
Co-Founder, Sales, Sambusa Apprentice
Matt cofounded Hoyo with Halima and Asha in 2015. He loves that the business empowers Somali mothers to both provide for their families and to share their culture with the community. His favorite part of making sambusa is working with dough.
Lina
​Chef
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Luke
Director of Operations, Sambusa Apprentice
Luke grew up on a farm in Kansas and has fond memories of doing dishes with his hoyo after delicious meals. Through his time working with Hoyo, Luke has learned a lot about making sambusa and loves the harmony in the kitchen as the team works together. His favorite sides for sambusa are rice and vegetables.
Asha
​Co-Founder, Chef
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Asha was born in Mogadishu, Somalia, and has been working with Hoyo since 2015. She has been excited to see Hoyo grow and looks forward to achieving more business goals in the coming years. One of Asha’s favorite memories of her hoyo was the funny stories she told about how Asha’s parents met. Asha herself has 5 children and 6 grandchildren and has plenty of her own stories to share.
Chef
Hajio is another one of our expert Sambusa makers. Her favorite way to eat sambusa is with bas-baas, a traditional Somali sauce which Hoyo also produces. Hajio says she never forgets her own hoyo’s advice over the years and is thankful for her every day. Her dream is to have a better future for herself and to have children of her own.
Hajiyo
Anab
Chef
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Check back to learn more about Anab!
Anna
Website and Social Media
Anna is grateful for the Somali women she works alongside, who have taught her so much about both sambusa and life. One of Anna’s fondest childhood memories is reading “Anne of Green Gables” with her own hoyo.
