Guiding Principles

Our programs and project initiatives are grounded in restorative economics, equity and racial and social justice. Guiding principles include:

1. Chef knowledge, vision, self-determination and ownership

We honor and uplift the legacies, knowledge, vision and self-determination of those who cook with us.

2. Accessibility and inclusion

We acknowledge the diverse and varying access needs of chefs, and work toward accessible opportunities that enable those in our network to meaningfully engage.

3. Supporting new models and infrastructure for access and opportunity

We acknowledge that current economic and food systems are not built to support working class BIPOC and immigrant/ refugee chefs. We work toward building pathways for those typically cut out of opportunities to launch and own their businesses.

4. Interconnectedness and community

We are mindful of how our work interacts with local histories, food systems and communities of color in Oakland. We seek to engage the neighborhoods within which we operate, to support working class, immigrant neighbors and communities of colors against displacement.