A space to experiment and grow

Building inclusive communities through the business of food.

 

I teamed up with a group of social impact designer and business strategists to develop a business venture to meet a pressing need in the food entrepreneurship space while providing young minorities with an opportunity to learn skills that bolster their chances of employment. The three-month project resulted in the creation of CIVIL Labs.

We designed a not-for-profit venture that converts unused industrial space into commercial kitchens, giving food businesses the space to grow and creating a community asset that has the potential to build community, economic resilience and transform lives.

The venture was designed to offer flexible, dedicated space established food businesses need at 20% the cost of building a standalone kitchen. Revenues from leasing the kitchen units subsidize a food entrepreneurship fellowship for underserved youth.  CIVIL Labs exists to create inclusive communities through the business of food.

 

Challenge

CIVIL Labs meets a pressing need in the Bay Area and cities across the country for more commercial kitchen space. At present, food entrepreneurs have limited options. Hourly-rent kitchens are cramped, and food entrepreneurs must compete for time slots. Building their own kitchen space is prohibitively expensive.

Though there is much public discourse about reforming the food system to make it healthier and more sustainable the reality is that the food business is high risk, with small margins, low-pay, demanding hours, and often challenging working conditions.

Youth from underserved communities are lacking meaningful work opportunities. The food industry is, in fact, one of the few places that offer them employment at the cost of an unpleasant experience.

 

 

CIVIL Labs set out to confront some of these realities and to explore how food businesses might be a transformative force in American cities facing economic decline.

 

 
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Process

The team conducted primary research using design research methods to understand business owners and community leaders in underserved areas in San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, and Detroit. We explored the food entrepreneurship space looking for challenges and opportunities regarding local business systems and employment.

From the insights gathered we arrived at the question: How can vulnerable communities benefit from the upside of economic development?

Aiming to get an understanding of the social challenge, from the perspective of vulnerable youth, we approached community organizations with existing programs supporting vulnerable populations transitioning to economic independence. Through design sprints and workshops, unprivileged youth shared their needs and motivations, with a particular focus on their journey to employment.

The research process allowed the team to identify alternative paths towards building stronger, healthier and more equitable communities through food entrepreneurship. To test this, we designed a community around two unlikely allies using a market-based approach to better meet the needs of small food businesses and unprivileged youth.

Value

CIVIL Labs creates a community asset that unlocks the growth potential of food businesses, by supporting the local economy.

  • Curating a mix of "better for you" food companies to use CIVIL Lab's production kitchen as a platform to grow their businesses.

  • Providing transformative "first job" work experience for underserved youth.

  • Facilitating relationships between at-risk youth, food entrepreneurs, and the community to generate economic and social value.

  • Helping to lower the barriers to building more socially responsible and financially sustainable food businesses that are truly community oriented.

 
team

Project developed in collaboration with:

Isaac Buwembo, Sara White and Graham Gardner.

 

Update

The venture design project became a reality in 2014 when some member of team incorporated Civil Labs. The company's business model evolved and today is an Oakland-based social enterprise creating an inclusive entrepreneurship environment for young people of color. Civil Labs launches ventures that create immersive learning experiences for young people to develop their collaborative ability, maturity, leadership, and perseverance.

After incorporation, I provided pro-bono design strategy, and visual communication services to the team.

 

Outcome

  • Business plan
  • Investors pitch deck
  • Product prototypes

 

 

/// Contact me if you are interested in obtaining additional information or viewing materials developed for this project.