Co-Founder, Director of Community
Who We Are
Charlene Burns
Charlene (she/her) is a farmers market regular, a self-imagined master chef, and an experienced marketer and business strategist. With six years of experience in content marketing and business development strategy in the startup space, she understands what it takes to bring a business from conception to reality. Outside of work, she is a beginner beach volleyballer, a surfer, a resident of Hillcrest, and a spoiled consumer of San Diego’s local & diverse produce.
Charlene leads our content, brand voice, and community presence. She co-writes our playbooks and blog posts, ships every edition of our email newsletter, and shapes the editorial voice behind The Pantry. She also creates the visuals and copy you see across our social channels and represents us at events, partnerships, and in-person gatherings. If you’ve connected with our work through a story, a playbook, or a handshake, you’ve connected with Charlene.
Co-Founder, Director of Operations
Jacob Graham
Jacob (he/him) is a runner, dinner party host, and policy strategist turned community-minded builder. With experience in regional planning, cybersecurity, and cross-sector collaboration, he’s worked across government and community partners to turn complex ideas into people-centered solutions. He brings that same lens to supporting food and beverage businesses—helping founders navigate growth while staying grounded in their communities. Outside of work, he’s training for his next race, building the perfect playlist, and a devoted regular at his favorite Atlanta spots.
Jacob runs and operates the business from Atlanta. He keeps the lights on, the events calendar full, and the back office running — from taxes and compliance to website upkeep. He co-writes our playbooks and blog posts, moderates our community group (coming soon!), and handles customer inquiries and the messages you send our way across email and social. If you’ve ever gotten a response from us online, there’s a good chance it came from Jacob.
About Lazy Su
Our Mission
Lazy Su’s mission is to build a resource hub for community-rooted food and beverage businesses by documenting their stories, sharing strategic insights, and connecting founders to ideas, tools, and opportunities that support sustainable, values-aligned growth.
Why "Lazy Su?"
You might have guessed, but our name is a nod to the lazy susan — that humble, spinning centerpiece of communal dining. More than just a turntable, the lazy susan represents something we deeply believe in: the best things in life are meant to be shared, passed around, and savored together.
The name also reflects a bridging of different worlds and experiences that, around the right table, find surprising common ground. That spirit is at the heart of everything we do — from our playbooks to our peer community. Keep the table spinning, keep the conversation going, and make sure everyone walks away with something worth taking home.