Cultivating Food Entrepreneurs
Chef Fernay McPherson cuts the ribbon for the opening of her restaurant, Minnie Bell's Soul Movement. Photo by Citizen Film.
La Cocina is a nonprofit working to solve problems of equity in business ownership for women, immigrants and people of color.
Women account for only 33% of business owners nationwide and still make 46-75 cents for every dollar their white, male counterparts make.
We provide affordable commercial kitchen space to talented entrepreneurs.
The high cost of renting a commercial kitchen makes it difficult for many working-class food entrepreneurs to formalize their business. Our kitchen space lets people who were formerly shut out of the food industry find a way in.
Businesses receive mentorship and access to market opportunities.
New businesses undergo a series of classes in product, finance, marketing and operations. We provide 1:1 mentorship to guide businesses and connect them to a variety of sales opportunities, from catering opportunities to farmers' markets and brick and mortars, so they can grow their business.
We amplify the voices that need to be heard.
We believe in the power of storytelling to shift perceptions and to inspire others to follow their dreams. We use media, digital channels, and our own storytelling platform, Voices from the Kitchen, to share the voices from the food industry that are less often heard.
“This book is important. These stories are joyous. These recipes work. We Are La Cocina celebrates our imperfect union and the many people who claim our nation. America needs the brilliance and biro of the women of La Cocina.”
— John T. Edge, Writer and Director of Southern Foodways Alliance
Evocative stories about food, people and place
GIVING VOICE TO ENTREPRENEURIAL WOMEN OF COLOR AND RECENT IMMIGRANTS TO THE U.S.
We Are La Cocina chronicles the organization's growth into the globally influential program it is today. Dive into delicious stories and recipes from the women who have used their talent and food to pursue economic freedom. All proceeds go back into La Cocina's incubator.
Chef Shani Jones, Peaches Patties