who we are & our values

Comfort Kitchen is a Black-owned, immigrant-owned, and woman-owned business. We seek to live out our values in everything we do: collaboration, cross-cultural understanding, and community building.

We believe that food is a vital aspect of community building. We envision a place that is actively engaged in the celebration of art and history of our local community. We're seeking to partner with individuals, groups, and organizations who want to make a positive impact.

Biplaw Rai

CEO / Co-Owner

A Nepali-born culinary entrepreneur, restaurant owner, and CEO, Biplaw Rai is dedicated to building community through food. With a deep passion for culture and connection, he creates intentional, collaborative spaces that bring people together.

Biplaw is a Restaurant Fellow for the Boston Ujima Project, a democratic, member-run organization committed to building a cooperative business, arts, and investment ecosystem that returns wealth to working-class communities of color.

An accomplished public speaker, he shares his journey of immigration and advocacy, using his platform to educate audiences on culture and cuisine, community-building, and equity in the food industry

Nyacko Pearl Perry

Co-Owner

Nyacko Pearl Perry is a transformational change leader driven by a deep passion for exploring group dynamics, social systems, and how to foster soulful community. With over a decade of experience as an organizational development consultant and executive coach, she is committed to helping organizations align their systems, leadership, and cultures with equity and intention.

At Comfort Kitchen, Nyacko focuses on business strategy, team development, and building strong, sustainable foundations for long-term success.

Nyacko holds a Master’s in Organization Development with distinction from American University and a Bachelor’s in Counseling Psychology from Lesley University. She is also an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) through the International Coaching Federation.

Kyisha Davenport

Director of Operations

Kyisha is an acclaimed mixologist and community activist. Pursuing bartending after high school, she soon married her passions for hospitality and activism to become a food service union leader and organizer in Brooklyn. 

After moving to Boston, Kyisha transitioned to cooperative ownership as a worker-owner at Tanám in 2018, becoming the first Black woman to receive Boston’s Restaurant of the Year Award, a James Beard nomination, and several other honors and accolades. 

Furthering her personal practice of Diasporic Mixology, Kyisha relaunched BarNoirBoston in 2021, a hospitality collective she founded three years earlier to address unequal access, education, and progress for Boston's Black hospitality workers. 

As Beverage Director at Comfort Kitchen, Kyisha employs mixology to make a place for her community at the table – or, more aptly, a seat at the bar.

Shelley Nason

Culinary Director

From childhood memories of cooking with her grandmother, auntie, and mum to 10+ years working in catering and fine dining restaurants, the kitchen has always been a place of gathering and comfort for Shelley.

She is moved by the bonds people build in the kitchen. This sense of community drove her passion for cooking as she worked her way through the culinary world, eventually partnering with Kwasi to create The Chop Bar pop-up and, ultimately, leading her to Comfort Kitchen. 

As Chef de Cuisine, Shelley spearheads the research, development, and testing of all menu items
, while leading catering and private event efforts. 

She is deeply committed to bringing food forward in ways people haven’t thought about before, developing dishes that tell the story of their history, create connections, and transcend cultures.