A Taste of Opportunity: UPO Pathway to Prosperity

Against the backdrop of growth of minority-owned businesses in Washington, DC with a 15% Black ownership share of businesses v. 3% share nationally (Brown, Stacy. 2024. Black-Owned Businesses in D.C. Area, Washington Informer), Black-owned businesses continue to lack adequate resources to establish their businesses, mostly due to systemic racism.

Chief among startup challenges among aspiring Black-owned business owners is access to capital. This lack of equality of opportunity results in Black entrepreneurs being three times more likely than white entrepreneurs to fail or to have their business growth stunted due to lack of financial resources (Prosperity Now. 2023. Black Entrepreneurs Breaking Barriers).

Other notable challenges include lack of access to networks and educational support to launch and sustain a business. Black businesses have less access to professional contacts, mentorships, and market opportunities to help establish and grow their businesses (DC CORE. DC Racial Equity Profile). They also have less access to educational training and technical assistance resources, which represent significant barriers to success (Boom University. 2024. Impact Report: Black Businesses Boom). Despite these barriers, some working DC residents desiring to attend UPO’s Culinary Arts-Entrepreneurship training program, do not qualify to attend for free.

UPO’s Culinary Arts Training and Entrepreneurship Program is designed to help DC residents navigate their career choices by developing the tools they need to overcome systemic barriers to start up or run a food service company like a food truck, catering service, restaurant, or food product line.

The program enhances UPO’s Culinary Arts training program, offering students a Food Protection Manager’s Certification, and the basics of entrepreneurship, including business planning, operations, and compliance. After completing the 12-week foundational course, students will transition to the second phase (Technical Assistance) with our partner, Eats Place, where they receive self-paced assistance with creating business plans, securing licenses and permits to start their food businesses, and exploring advanced topics like payroll and financial strategy. Eats Place will also offer funding opportunities including start-up loans, grants and investors, and networked collaboration among food service owners.

This enhanced program is piloting experiential learning through UPO’s food truck, Taste of UPO, where students will observe, learn, and experience real-time entrepreneurship, producing specialty dishes and experimenting with self-created dishes and “secret” sauces in addition to the technical assistance they receive from Eats Place.

During the pilot, UPO will modify its social enterprise and business training model to maximize impact and outcomes.

Ninety-four percent of UPO’s 50,000+ customers are low-income DC residents. Most residents UPO serve live in Ward 8 where 82% of residents are Black and 28% live in poverty (U.S. Census. 2022. 5-Year ACS-Ward 8).

UPO typically serves 36 eligible students with no or low incomes per year in its Culinary Arts program; however, UPO is piloting its Culinary Arts Entrepreneurship program to include current students and students who earn above the FPL who may be employed and who may be interested in reskilling or upskilling in Culinary Arts to start a food service business.

The income limit for a family of four at 200% of FPL is $31,200 (HHS. 2024. CMCS Informational Bulletin). DC families of four above this amount are ineligible to receive free training UPO programs. The per capita income in Ward 8’s 38,149 households is $34,830 (U.S. Census. ACS 2022 5-Year). UPO intends to target these and other residents with incomes above the eligibility threshold and offer them the program for free.

UPO’s program will be accessible to any resident desiring to start a food service business, addressing systemic barriers to education, networking, and financing, regardless of their ability to pay.

Program leadership includes Kevin Bryant, Director of Business Development (Team Lead); Jerald Thomas, Food Truck Manager; and Ivan Laney, Director of Workforce Development.

Both Kevin and Jerald are proximate leaders (community connected). They grew up in DC and graduated Ballou HS in Ward 8, and together, they run DC’s only non-profit-owned food truck and catering service, Taste of UPO, the centerpiece of the entrepreneurship program.

Kevin understands what it is like to start a business with limited access to capital when he and his brother founded a roofing company in DC in 1985. They struggled until they were connected to community business owners who invested in their company to sustain and grow it over 15 years.

Kevin also oversees UPO’s DC Community Needs Assessment, employing a community-centered research design which represents the collective voice of 1,100 residents. Focus groups revealed that residents need access to resources to start businesses. The entrepreneurship program is a response to their input.

Jerald oversees the food truck and remains connected to past students, including Dennis Geddie who started a food truck after 20 years of incarceration and homelessness. Jerald recognizes the human dignity of his students by offering them agency in navigating their careers, inspiring a sense of possibility in entrepreneurship. He firmly believes that his community connections and ability to capture the pulse of the needs of students will help them realize their business ownership dreams.

Ivan oversees the accredited and licensed culinary arts and other training programs. His bricolage style (making connections) was highlighted during the pandemic when all day care centers in DC were closed except UPO’s (as mandated by DC’s Mayor) to provide essential workers access to childcare. Working with Jerald, they provided healthy food to hundreds of DC children through the Culinary Arts program.

UPO selected “Pilot” as the best fit description including aspects of prototype. The Culinary Arts (CA) program, however, has been in existence since 2013 and has a consistent design. The enhancement to the CA program, the entrepreneurship element of the program, is in its mid-stage of design and implementation, culminating in the program title, “Culinary Arts Entrepreneurship program.” UPO is piloting the entrepreneurship portion of the program, officially launched in DC.

The following is a timeline of what we have accomplished so far:

• Serve 36 students annually in the Culinary Arts program with an 85% success rate of Certified Food Protection Manager License (on-going)
• Purchased food truck with federal funds and outfitted with equipment ($180,000) for social enterprise revenue generation and training (Dec. 2021).
• Secured a commercial kitchen for food truck, catering services, and training (May 2024)
• Secured licenses and launched Food Truck (November 2024)
• Created Culinary Arts Entrepreneurship (CAE) curriculum, with iterative revisions on-going (October 2024)
• Currently recruiting for pilot-phase of CAE program participants, February cohort (on-going)
• Established partnership with Eats Place to offer technical assistance services to participants (December 2024)
• Produced a business plan for the food truck (August 2024)
• Secure employers for Externships (ongoing)

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Job Training | United Planning Organization (upo.org)

The Culinary Arts Entrepreneurship program is unique because its “cradle-to-business startup” model is unlike any other program offered in DC, to our knowledge. Also, UPO is the only non-profit organization in DC that owns and operates a food truck as a social enterprise. It is one of 1,000 community action agencies nationwide that can benefit from its model, especially those with mobile food operations.  UPO’s model is a driver of change locally and nationally.

Here is what most students who qualify for free culinary arts training receive:

• Up to 12 weeks of theory and practice in culinary arts, earning either Food Handler’s or Food Protection Manager’s credential.
• Job placement services in the food service industry, starting at minimum wage.

By comparison, here is what the UPO Culinary Arts Entrepreneurship course offers to anyone, regardless of income or ability to pay:

• 12 weeks of theory and practice in culinary arts, and intro to entrepreneurship, earning the Food Protection Manager’s Credential
• Job placement services in the food service industry for those who choose not to enter the second phase of the entrepreneurship program.
• Experience operating a catering service via UPO’s food truck at its commercial kitchen
• Continued second-phase education at Eats Place:
  • Business plan development
  • Business and regulatory assistance (licensing, inspections, production, etc.)
  • Strategy consulting (operations, management, growth, etc.)
  • Skills acquisition courses (finances, inventory, human resources, etc.)
  • Access to commercial kitchen
  • Access to financing (loans, grants, and investors), as Eats Place is a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI)
  • Collaboration with food service owners through community organizations
• Membership to UPO’s Food Truck Leadership Team, quarterly, to observe the administrative process of running a food truck and catering service.
• 3-week+ externship with food service businesses
• Recognition as a community asset builder with a fully launched food service business.

The primary goal of the project is to increase the number of small businesses that are created by DC residents desiring to achieve economic security through starting a food service business. This goal is in synch with the “Decent Work and Economic Growth” goal of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Target 8.2 of the goal is to achieve higher levels of economic productivity through diversification and innovation through a focus on high value added and labor-intensive sectors (like food service). Entrepreneurs create wealth for themselves, and when their businesses grow, they also create jobs for others.

Indicators to measure impact include:

• # students who complete phase one of program (foundations of culinary arts and entrepreneurship), 30 students annually
• # students who enroll in phase two (Technical Assistance, Eats Place), 10 students annually
• # students who complete phase two, 7 students annually
• # students who start a licensed business, 5 students annually

A secondary goal of the project is to sustain the program by reducing dependency on CSBG funding to support the Taste of UPO social enterprise through increased revenue sources and reduced expenses. For instance, UPO is currently developing a proposal with one of its federal funders to buildout one of its properties to include a commercial kitchen to eliminate the rent expense. Currently, UPO serves more than 1,000 families through its Early Head Start program, which requires fresh, hot meals be delivered to its 18 childcare centers, twice daily. The new kitchen will position UPO to replace its current catering service provider, providing an additional revenue source.

Indicators to measure impact toward secondary goal include:

• Reduction in dependence on CSBG funding by year five to less than 25%
• Acquirement of a UPO-owned commercial kitchen by year three
• # of employees in food industry, 3 projected
• # of externships created, 10+ annually

There are seven, full-time staff working on this project (Chef, Director of Business Development, Cook/Driver, Communications Specialist, Director of Finance, Culinary Arts Instructor, Director of Workforce Development), and partner, Eats Place.

We have been working on this solution since 2021, when we received Cares Act funding to purchase the food truck.  

UPO’s leadership team is diverse and is reflective of the community it serves. For example, the Food Truck Leadership Team comprises three African Americans, an Asian, and a Ghanaian.

The leadership team’s diversity is influenced by leadership at the highest levels at UPO including its board of directors. UPO’s maintains a tripartite board that includes 1/3 representations of members who are appointed by the Mayor, 1/3 members who represent business and special interests, and 1/3 who are resident-elected members who represent low-income residents throughout the city.

UPO’s board and UPO’s executive leadership ensures diversity equity and inclusion at all levels of operation within the organization as governed by its DEI statement. The board-approved statement reinforces UPO’s commitment to creating a workplace culture that celebrates DEI. The following reflect the document's main themes:

• UPO is committed to promoting diversity across all levels of the organization, including but not limited to race, gender expression, gender identity, ethnicity, nationality, religion, sexual identity, criminal history, and socio-economic status.
• UPO is dedicated to creating an equitable workplace where all individuals have fair and equal access to opportunities, resources, and support.
• UPO acknowledges systemic barriers that have historically disadvantaged certain groups and is committed to addressing and dismantling these barriers.

 UPO works hard to minimize barriers to opportunities for both its customers and its staff. For instance, when new positions are announced at UPO, UPO staff get the first opportunity at those positions for a limited time before they become public. UPO also provides regular professional development for all staff to help them thrive in their positions. One such training is Language Access Line training, which provides language barrier reduction through tele-translation services. These efforts, among others, contribute to a welcoming working environment.

UPO’s mission-driven business model focuses primarily on increasing the value of services for the students enrolled in its CAE program. Its value proposition is that program participants want to increase their confidence to overcome systemic barriers to business ownership so that they can become economically secure in the food service industry. Moreover, any student can elect not to progress to the second phase and enter the workforce.

A portion of the revenue generated to support the program will come from secondary customers of UPO’s social enterprise, A Taste of UPO (food truck/catering services).

Students enrolled in the CAE program will attend the program for five hours a day, five days per week for 12 weeks, followed by technical assistance phase at Eats Place, and an externship (up to 90 days). The program is anticipated to be completed within six months.

Canvas Business Model:

• Key Resources
  • Eats Place Partnership
  • Staff
  • Food Truck
  • Commercial Kitchen
  • Licenses & Permits
• Partners & Key Stakeholders
  • Eats Place
• Key Activities
  • Curriculum development
  • Student Recruitment
  • Externship Placements
• Channels
  • Eats Place
• Segments
  • Secondary target: Eligible Students (at or below FPL)
  • Primary target: Above FPL students (middle to late-stage workers)
  • Employed students
  • Unemployed students
  • A Taste of UPO customers (1A)
• Value Proposition
  • Beneficiary Value Proposition
    • Food Manager’s certification
    • Intro to Entrepreneurship
    • Technical support and additional training
    • Hands-on experience, A Taste of UPO
    • Access to Financing
    • Business setup support
    • Access to commercial kitchen
    • 1A: reasonably priced, healthy meals
    • Free access to the program
  • Impact measures
    • # Food Service business owners
    • # Students who elect to become employed
    • # Students who enroll in second phase
    • 1A: # Customers served by Taste of UPO
  • Customer Value Proposition
    • Financial independence
    • Flexible working conditions
    • Fulfilment of a passion
    • 1A: Experiential learning, Taste of UPO
• Cost Structure
  • Salaries
  • Commercial Kitchen rent

UPO will sustain the program primarily through CSBG (Community Services Block Grant) funding, which is federal funding. It is a reliable funding source, as UPO has consistently received it for 61 years and accounts for about 22% of UPO’s $50M budget. CSBG funding will be used to offset any actual or potential losses of the social enterprise with measured growth so as to minimize dependency on CSBG funding. CSBG funding is permitted to support the social enterprise because it is tied to program related functions (training). Culinary arts instruction is also fully funded by CSBG and has been since the program’s inception.

Additionally, sales revenue generated through Taste of UPO will be used to cover direct expenses of the enterprise and other costs associated with the CAE program that are unfunded like paid externships and any uncovered expenses associated with above FPL participants (e.g., classroom supplies).

Although UPO has “soft launched” Taste of UPO, offering free chili and cider during its annual turkey distribution during the Thanksgiving season 2024, it has yet to generate sales revenue and is scheduled to begin vending service in the spring of 2025, and catering services in February 2025. Therefore, CSBG funds have been covering 100% of the enterprise’s expenses since the summer of 2024 during the licensing and setup phase.

UPO secured a business plan for the Tast of UPO enterprise, including a financial forecast over five years. Sales volume range from selling 6,273 meals in year one, FY 2025, to 12,737 meals in year five, with CSBG covering 46% of expenses by year five.

In-kind, professional consultancy and training services will be provided by Eats Place, which is estimated to be worth between $3,000-$7,000 per student depending on level of service and number of additional courses they complete.

Imagine an employed, single mother who facies an idea of creating her “secret” recipe Mumbo sauce handed down to her from her late grandmother. She has the passion and grit to seriously realize her dream to mass produce her zesty delight. UPO’s Culinary Arts Entrepreneurship program has what she needs to realize her vision from conception to supply-chain distribution through virtual and retail establishments.

A Solve award will help UPO to help working mothers like the one described above to enter a new economic chapter of her life without having to experience systemic barriers that could stifle her dream.

As team lead, Kevin Bryant values they type of technical support offered by the award because he understands—like the customers UPO serves—sometimes people need to sure up professional gaps or receive informed perspectives to maximize the potential of success of projects with a lot at stake. After 13 years of service at UPO, Kevin is eight months into his new role as Director of Business Development and Asset Management, leading a team of motivated individuals to grow something new into something that could forever change the way training programs are offered locally and nationally.

The most valuable aspect of the award is the community connections (peer-to-peer network and professional consultancies) that will benefit Kevin and the leadership team. These connections will expand the creative genius to guide decisions about growing the program.

We look forward to learning new ideas, perspectives, and practices as we embark on this new venture together.