With grant funding, ACT will support Findlay Kitchen’s Minority Food Business Incubator Program created through a partnership with MORTAR, a business accelerator and resource hub for urban entrepreneurs. The nine-week program will provide entrepreneurship training, technical assistance, mentorship, exposure to investors and customers, and 100 free hours at Findlay Kitchen to six low-income minority food entrepreneurs in the first year.
The Kitchen at Findlay Market is Cincinnati’s first shared-use kitchen space providing local food entrepreneurs with affordable access to commercial kitchens, baking facilities, and storage space. Located a block from Findlay market in the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood, the purpose of the incubator is to provide “cottage kitchens” with the necessary space and equipment to launch and reach scale in the neighborhood, spurring a continuous cycle of business growth and neighborhood revitalization. The Kitchen is a true incubator, accelerator and workforce center that provides a comprehensive set of the programming and resources as well as a licensed food production facility. As an accelerator, it provides the necessary training, mentors, and other resources to aid low income and minority-owned business growth. UACD provided $3.4 MM in allocation to finance the rehabilitation of a historic commercial property to house the incubator. The project is expected to create 62 permanent FTE positions over the next 7 years, and has already helped spur additional investment in surrounding vacant properties.
