Stephane Kabelu
Founder of Polé-Polé, Marketing & IT
Born in Kinshasa, Stephane Kabelu moved to the US when he was thirteen years old. Since then, it’s been his dream to share a piece of African culture with the US. “We always see the wars and the starving children and the poverty, so my goal was to showcase the beauty of my culture, and one of the best ways I know how to do that is through food.”
In 2019, Stephane created Polé-Polé. Ever since, he and his team have been adding spice to food and parties all over Tennessee.
Stephane has years of experience planning and coordinating events. He’s responsible for most of the event planning at Polé-Polé, and he is involved in every step of the process to ensure that each customer has a unique, fun, and memorable experience.
Stephane’s favorite dish on the menu? “It’s a tie between jollof rice, goat soup, and our sambusa.”
Joselyne Uwingabire
Head Chef
Born in Butare, Rwanda and raised in Kenya, Joselyne moved to the US at the age of twelve. She discovered early on that cooking was her passion, and she decided to chase that passion by enrolling in culinary school. She graduated with a BA in Culinary Arts and Business from Gwinnett Technical College, and she prides herself on connecting people through food.
“Each year, my love for cooking has continued to grow. It’s always the one thing that makes me feel good—to see people eating my food and enjoying it. Now, I’m able to perfect my cooking more easily, and I’m looking forward to working with my partners to expand Polé-Polé’s reach and make it even more successful.”
Joselyne’s favorite dish on the menu? “I have so many favorites, but if I had to choose, I’d pick Poulet Mayo and plantains.”
Paulin Nduwinama
Cook & Administration
Paulin was born in Burundi, raised in Tanzania, and lived in Kenya for four years. He moved to the US at the age of seven and has been living in Nashville ever since. All the different countries he’s lived in and visited has left him with a unique taste, which he brings to Polé-Polé.
“I wanted to work closely with my family and friends. I also love bringing people together and seeing them enjoy our Central African culture.”
Fun fact: Paulin is also a master griller. “I make the best BBQ anything.”
Paulin’s favorite dish on the menu? “Veggie sambusa.”
Mia Stallings
Food Truck Manager
Originally from Edison, New Jersey, Mia moved to Tennessee at the age of eleven. At just twenty-four years old, Mia has been running her own business for two years. Her goal is to bring her expertise in business management to Polé-Polé.
(Sadly, Mia passed away on August 2, 2020. Our hearts go out to her family and friends. We miss her every day, and we will never forget her. Thank you, Mia, for your contribution.)
Moses Kabelu
Marketing & Administration
Moses Kabelu was born in Kinshasa and immigrated to the US when he was just nine years old. Having worked in several industries—including the music industry, where he was the leader of a band and single-handedly responsible for advertising, promoting, and networking—Moses brings people skills to the table. You name it, he’s worked it: concession stands, concerts, food distribution centers, customer service jobs…the list is endless.
“I love interacting with customers, and one day my brother, Stephane, came up with the idea of starting a food truck and catering business. I knew I could use my experience and my social skills to reach all different types of people and convince them to come and try our delicious food. So really, if you think about it, Stephane has me to thank for all of his success—just kidding!”
Moses is excited to use all the knowledge he’s gained throughout the years to help make Polé-Polé an even bigger success.
Moses’s favorite dish on the menu? “Goat soup. It’s extremely delicious.”