Annual Report 2014-2015 In it Together: Working Towards A More Equitable Food System
Dear Friends, From FoodLab’s very humble beginnings we have always envisioned a future where businesses, people and communities thrive. Today, we are a community of 150+ locally-owned, good food businesses organized around the goal of transforming Detroit’s local food economy into a resilient driver of racial equity, health & thriving communities. 2015 have been pivotal year for FoodLab Detroit. In that time, we: • Reached over 400 food entrepreneurs through our workshops, office hours, member events and “Food For Thought” community conversations. • Partnered with more than 20 community organizations and businesses to provide over 130 hours of technical assistance and expert advise. • Provided 120 catering referrals and directly hired FoodLab businesses on 37 different occasions to cater events; these opportunities led to over $9,700 in sales for member businesses. Our numbers are a point of pride, but they don’t tell the whole story and they don’t capture the ways FoodLab members are working together collaboratively and supporting each other. FoodLab members, Deveri Gifford and Lisa Ludwinski told us that being apart of the FoodLab community provides them with the support they need to work through the day-to-day challenges of running a small business. Lisa Ludwinski, owner of Sister Pie said, “I worked with Deveri as a participant in her FoodLab Council, we gathered to discuss what it's like running a kitchen staff, and brainstormed ideas for how we could do it better. I shared with her my own experience with the Sister Pie staff - both what insight I have gained so far and where I feel I am falling short/need improvement”.
Deveri Gifford, Brooklyn Street Local & Lisa Ludwinski, Sister Pie
The effects of being a FoodLab member are some times difficult to measure, but we know that they are extraordinary. “Being a part of the FoodLab community is a constant inspiration for me, it keeps me connected to our core values of a just and sustainable food system, it offers support for maintaining those values, and for striving to do better. It connects me to a food community that I might not otherwise meet.” says Deveri Gifford, co-owner of Brooklyn Street Local When we hear members like Lisa and Deveri speak about what the FoodLab community means to them, we are proud to serve as a convener and connector. We developed a community-based solution that we believe might help transform our local food economy, and now we’re challenging ourselves to boldly scale that solution to ensure that the impact we generate will lead to a city where good food is a reality for all Detroiters. We invite you to learn more about our ecosystem approach and to hear from other FoodLab members in the rest of this report. To get the whole story, however, you need to join us in promoting a local, equitable food system. Contact us directly at info@foodlabdetroit.com if you’d like to know to get involved. We’d love to hear from you. Sincerely, The FoodLab team
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FOODLAB’S ECOSYSTEM OF SUPPORT At FoodLab, our programming is directed by our 3 Cs Model -Cultivate, Connect, Catalyze. To deepen thinking and build community around socially- and environmentally-conscious business development. We CULTIVATE individual entrepreneurs through technical assistance, workshops, and regular collaborative learning opportunities; we CONNECT entrepreneurs to peers, resources, and key individuals across sectors; then, we CATALYZE a diverse network of volunteer members and community allies on big-picture projects in service of a more resilient local food ecosystem. Our services include‌
FoodLab BASE workshop series
Environmental and Sustainable Member events business education
Volunteer hours technical experts
Group support during open office hours
Catering Referrals
Creating better access to capital
Listserv sales opportunities
Storytelling assistance
SAL ZAVALA 2014 FOODLAB BASE GRADUATE Chavo’s Taco
“Thanks to FoodLab Detroit, I learned how to get licensed out of a commercial kitchen and I got my ServSafe Food Protection Manager certification!”
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17 good food entrepreneurs participated in FoodLab’s BASE “Building Your Good Food Business” program. Participants attended weekly 2hour technical workshops and optional weekly office hours for more individualized support.
7 TABIA COULIBALY FOUNDING FOODLAB MEMBER Healthy Living Raw
“Connecting with like-minded good food entrepreneurs is so affirming. Being apart of FoodLab makes my heart soar like an eagle!”
FoodLab members represent a diversity of age, culture, race, business type, scale, and location. 74% of member businesses are owned by women, 62% of those are owned by women of color.
MARY ANN BAIER KIVA ZIP LOAN BORROWER Day to Day Fresh Frozen Foods “FoodLab Detroit is a Kiva Zip Trustee and with the support of the staff and the FoodLab community my loan was fully funded!�
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In 2014, FoodLab became Kiva Trustees. As trustees, we identify entrepreneurs to endorse as borrowers, making it more likely their loan will be funded. We provide technical assistance to members during the application and loan process. This partnership helps our members access capital, especially those who struggle to receive traditional loans and funding.
9 DAWN CLAYBROOKS, DC Grind CYNTHIA DAVIS, Sha La Cynts KAHEEMBA FULANI, DC Grind ANN ALEXANDER, Divine Thyme “We had an awesome experience cooking
together for FoodLab’s Pop-up dinner! We learned so much about what it takes to run a restaurant and how it work together as a team. We would love to do it again!” – Ann Alexander
"At The FoodLab Table", is a collaborative Pop-up dinner series, where a variety of FoodLab businesses work together to create one great meal. FoodLab launched this dinner series because we believe that collaboration and sharing knowledge amongst our members are at the core of building a good food ecosystem.
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ALECHA BENSON, Nirvana Tea ELIAS MAJID, Eli’s Tea “I joined FoodLab because a business is an ecosystem and FoodLab is the vehicle that is uniting food businesses in Detroit to work sustainably through triple bottom line ideals!” – Elias Majid
FoodLab’s eight technical workshops attracted over 200 good food entrepreneurs to learn about topics relevant to triple-bottom-line business development including local sourcing, equity and inclusion and shared manufacturing practices.
NOAM KIMELMAN, Fresh Corner Cafe HERMAN HAYES, Dilla’s Delights ”I’ve learned through my own journey, food entrepreneurship is tirelessly challenging. To belong to an organization like FoodLab where you're working with other businesses to create a more vibrant and inviting local food system, is a blessing to the local food system.” – Noam Kimelman
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FoodLab’s strength is in our relationships, especially with and between members. Because we put relationships first, we have been able to grow trust, reciprocation, and a sense of common purpose in our community of 150+ member businesses. On a weekly basis we offer regular drop-in office hours to provide members and the greater public with food business development support, individualized attention, an introduction to the good food movement in Detroit.
LESTER GOUVIA FOODLAB MENTOR Norma G’s Caribbean Cuisine “FoodLab was with me every
step of the way while I was building my food truck! So thankful for the time energy and support!” – Lester Gouvia
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At FoodLab we share weekly member highlights focused on the ways members are growing and improving their businesses. We wrote about Lester Gouvia’s story of working through the struggles of starting his food truck. As a result of storytelling in combination with our programming, resources sharing and community connections, 67% of our founding members renewed their memberships.
13 LOCALLY-SOURCED FOODLAB DETROIT LUNCH BOXES Our entrepreneurs regularly work cooperatively in ways that result in mutual benefits for their businesses, their community, and the environment.
Because FoodLab is more well-known than most of our members, community allies are more likely to approach us for catering referrals than they are to approach the individual businesses. We built a basic system to respond to catering and event inquiries. We’ve shared more than 155 combined catering, event, sales, and funding opportunities over our listserv, allowing members to increase the opportunities for sales and growth.
2014 - 2015 Board of Directors •
Tifani Sadek, President General Counsel, Public Lighting Authority
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Kat Hartman, Secretary Information Design Consultant, NiJel, Model D
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Mike Medow, Treasurer Chief Operating Officer, Allied Media Projects
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Will Branch, Member at Large Co-Founder, Corridor Sausage Co.
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Salvador Zavala, Member at Large Financial Manager, Fair Food Network
2014 - 2015 Steering Committee • • • • •
April Anderson, Co-Owner, Good Cakes and Bakes Valaurian Waller, Co-Owner, Fresh Corner Café Amanda Brewington, Owner, Always Brewing Detroit Dorothy Hernandez, Co-Owner, Sarap Detroit Jake Williams, Co-Owner, Sarap Detroit
2014 - 2015 Staff • • • •
Hildie Haviland, Member Engagement Coordinator Angela Dagle, Member Engagement Director Elana Fox, Operations Manager Devita Davison, Marketing & Communications Director
2015 - 2016 new Staff • •
Nabeleh Ghareeb, Executive Director Ajara Alghali , Program Director
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Financial Statements 2014 - 2015 2014 Revenue
Total $352,057.80
$44,575.34
2014 Expenses
Total $185,970.42
$182,687.54
$13,250.00 $3,282.88 $23.97 $3,750.00 $278,633.00 $9,040.49 $2,785.00
Change in Net Assets: $166,087.38
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2014 – 2015 Foundation, Corporate and Government Grants $100,000 + W.K. Kellogg Foundation New Economy Initiative
$50,000 - $99,999 Surdna Foundation Health & Human Services
$25,000 - $49,999 Toyota “Standing O-Vation” Award with Oprah Winfrey Tom & Peggy Brennan
$0- $24,999 Americana Foundation Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan Detroit Food & Agriculture Network Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Michigan State University – Regional Economic Innovation Zingerman’s Henry Ford Museum U-Haul Cherry Capital PNC
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Please support FoodLab Detroit by making a donation today. You can help us continue to provide unique services that positively impact locally-owned food businesses who are committed to transforming Detroit’s local food economy into a resilient driver of racial equity, health & thriving communities www.foodlabdetroit.com l info@foodLabdetroit.com @foodlabdetroit
foodlabdetroit
4444 Second Ave. Detroit, MI. 48201
@foodlabdetroit
FoodLab Detroit info@foodlabdetroit.com