La Cocina

La Cocina is a nonprofit organization based in San Francisco, California. The organization employs 221 people and generates $6.9 million in annual revenue. La Cocina focuses on supporting women, immigrants, and people of color who are starting businesses in the food industry. They provide access to affordable commercial kitchen space, personalized mentorship, and connections to market opportunities and funding sources. La Cocina's commitment to inclusivity has resulted in a successful incubator program, with over 50 businesses graduating and 32 entrepreneurs opening their own brick-and-mortar restaurants. Notably, six La Cocina-born businesses were recognized among the San Francisco Chronicle's Top 100 Restaurants of 2019. Beyond its incubator program, La Cocina actively amplifies the voices of underrepresented individuals in the food industry. They achieve this through their book "We Are La Cocina" and their storytelling platform, F&B: Voices from the Kitchen. In 2021, La Cocina opened the nation's first women-led food hall, the La Cocina Municipal Marketplace, in San Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood. This innovative project aims to create economic opportunities for women entrepreneurs, provide jobs for local residents, and offer affordable, delicious food to the community. For more information about La Cocina and the La Cocina Municipal Marketplace, visit their website at lacocinasf.org or lacocinamarketplace.com.