Creating a recipe for economic independence

The ever-expanding food industry offers many points of entry for employment and business ownership—but not without barriers: women and minorities are vastly underrepresented in managerial positions, and new ventures are risky, in part because start-up costs are high. Hot Bread Kitchen helps underserved individuals overcome these industry barriers to achieve economic stability and contribute to neighborhood revitalization.

This nonprofit social enterprise offers intensive culinary training for low-income, immigrant and minority women, who are then placed in full-time, fair-wage bakery positions with access to benefits and opportunities for advancement. Additionally, the organization runs a business incubator that helps culinary entrepreneurs mitigate start-up risk and grow their small businesses in a supportive community of fellow business owners. Membership in the incubator is by application, with priority given to minority applicants, and includes access to a shared commercial kitchen as well as business resources and one-on-one coaching. With Deutsche Bank's support, Hot Bread Kitchen recently launched a third, complementary program, a women-owned cooperative that provides on-demand skilled kitchen labor to small food businesses.

To help Hot Bread Kitchen expand its impact, Made for Good provides more than traditional grant support: employees also volunteer with the organization, learning about a successful social enterprise while assisting staff and trainees during their busiest times. A monthly pop-up marketplace in the lobby of Deutsche Bank's New York City headquarters brings employees a taste of the organization's multi-ethnic artisan breads.

hotbreadkitchen.org