Culinary Concepts AB’s Entrepreneur Empowerment Program (EEP) continues to grow. To date, the EEP and our larger ecosystem have directly fueled meaningful growth of more than 56 small food businesses in the Richmond, Virginia area.
With that in mind, we wanted to share a bit about the who, what, why, and how of EEP. Whether you know much about it or not, the entrepreneur empowerment program – and the strong entrepreneurial ecosystem that has emerged from it – plays an integral part in supporting the blossoming small food business scene in greater RVA.
This means that, in an organic and grass roots kinda way, the EEP ecosystem has been an essential ingredient for helping build the strong, vibrant, and incredibly talented culinary community that local Richmonders love and whose foods they savor daily. From food trucks, to pop-ups, to one-of-a-kind creative culinary concepts, the city is now, without a doubt, a renowned foodie hub and established national culinary hotspot.
This rich and diverse collection of small food businesses that we all get to enjoy simply wouldn’t be possible if it weren’t for the supportive, dynamic, strong ecosystem that has grown from the Entrepreneur Empowerment Program. Thanks to our past and present entrepreneurs, ecosystem partners, passionate culinarians, business leaders, and caring community members who, taken together, invest a lot in the local businesses, the EEP has become a positive, enduring force for culinary greatness in RVA.
Given the overall success and lasting impact from our EEP ecosystem – which we reiterate is thanks to the committed and collaborative efforts of so many – we wanted to take a moment and celebrate our shared successes. And, in doing so, also talk about how it continues to help provide critical support for the entrepreneurs and small food businesses who work so hard in our own backyard.
So, what is the Entrepreneur Empowerment Program (EEP)?
As the title suggests, the entrepreneur empowerment program is dedicated to directly and substantively empowering small food business entrepreneurs to scale and grow their operations, especially minority and women-led operations. It was designed with one overarching goal in mind: empower small business owners to overcome the odds and obstacles they face so that they can be positioned for sustainable entrepreneurship success.
Whether it be funding constraints, capacity building, visibility and exposure, or simply not having the time and resources to build their business, EEP helps entrepreneurs address their unique challenges, in real time and with big results. This includes helping them secure vital funding for food production equipment, getting them set up to open physical locations, showing their team how to successfully scale recipes, and connecting them with a robust network of resources, entrepreneurs, and experts.
Through a rigorous, thoughtful curriculum curated specifically for small food businesses, expert-led 1-on-1 consultations with Chef Antwon Brinson, and strategic guidance from many other successful culinarians and business owners, EEP becomes a deeply collaborative, supportive space for practical, hands-on learning and real-world business growth. This is one of many reasons why the program and larger ecosystem has become a highly sought after opportunity for local RVA small food business owners.
The program itself is an intensive, 6-week training focused on providing culinary entrepreneurs and their small food businesses with the essential skills, tools, and resources they need, regardless of where they are in their business journey. This means it covers key topics every small food business needs, such as: clarifying strategy, vision, & goals; building key systems & processes; managing workflow, employees, & productivity; understanding the financials; scaling recipes; and re-evaluating short and long term plans.
For two days a week, three hours each day, hungry and motivated entrepreneurs gather together in a highly supportive, focused space to share struggles, overcome obstacles, exchange valuable knowledge, and develop actionable plans and strategies that can be put into practice immediately. Each day is a different topic, and each day brings with it lots of opportunities to redress their small food business stress points and resolve problems keeping them “in the weeds.”
Working together with Chef AB, the entrepreneurs guide and advise one another throughout the program, taking time to “zoom out” and work on the business so that they can refocus and “zoom in” to more successfully work in the business. So often small food businesses and entrepreneurs don’t have the time to work on the business, and so they get stuck and stretched way too thin working in the business. EEP flips that on its head, giving them the intentional space, time, and expertise to pause, evaluate, and proceed with more purpose, focus, and practical insight.
While the program is led and facilitated by Chef Antwon, the big changes and lasting growth comes from the collaborative community and larger ecosystem that the entrepreneurs are able to tap into. That nurturing small food business ecosystem and the robust network of professionals, resources, partners, and change makers, is the real magic of the EEP and where the real progress really happens.
EEP’s Real Advantage: A Rich & Nourishing Entrepreneurial Ecosystem
While the EEP is fundamentally a small food business training program, that doesn’t even begin to describe what it really is. For us, the 6-week program is only one of many essential ingredients that have helped it become a formidable and positive force for good and the highly successful ecosystem initiative that draws in some of the most talented culinary entrepreneurs; one that has empowered more than 56 small food businesses.
Want to see what we mean? Pop over to our website and check out some of the incredible small food businesses we have served who are making big moves in the RVA culinary scene. Our guess is you probably have enjoyed a meal at one or more of their delicious eateries. These remarkable small food businesses are serving up delectable food products, making them highly sought after places for people to come eat, drink, and connect with their local community.
Some of our past entrepreneurs have opened new brick and mortar locations, like Kobop and For the Love of Flour baked goods. Others like Fat Rabbit Bakery, Oro, Con Salsa, and TBT El Gallo, have grown to multiple locations or opened food trucks in addition to their brick and mortar. During EEP, some like Nile Kitchen decided to strategically pivot from their established locations to consumer packaged goods and found shelf space at well known RVA grocery stores and markets.
Then, there are small food businesses like Penny’s Wine Shop, CocoGin Juices, The Cheesesteak Factory, Scared Cowboy Hotsauce, Sub Rosa Bakery, Block Blenders, and countless others who found great success from the program and are continuing to crush it at their established locations, whether it be through online retail, food trucks, farmers markets, or grocery stores. The list of businesses we have helped is long and teems with delicious food products and culinary concepts.
So, what we are trying to say, and as so many people, partners, and past entrepreneurs would attest, the EEP isn’t just a program nor is it an ecosystem project. It is a powerful, wildly successful movement that continues to grow, inspire, and empower. It is a movement not created by CCAB or any other professional organization, but instead the result of collective efforts of so many passionate, purpose-driven, heart-led people, partners, and organizations.
While our entrepreneurs certainly experience lots of deep learning, growth, and make meaningful progress during the program, it is all the other benefits from joining the movement that make the Entrepreneur Empowerment Program so impactful for local small food businesses. It is the shared commitment to seeing small food businesses scale and grow that inspires us, and that ultimately makes the movement so successful.
Our Collective Why: Empower Entrepreneurs Through a Built-in Ecosystem
As part of the entrepreneur empowerment program, all graduates tap into an impressive and influential ecosystem. This includes connections to a small business network of professionals, past alumni businesses, and strong, supportive small business community of experts and culinary entrepreneurs in Richmond, Charlottesville, and throughout Central Virginia.
Graduates of the program also get access to kitchen space with our partners at Hatch RVA, opportunities to sell products in local markets, brick and mortar establishments, and places like the markets and shops at Capital One’s West Creek Campus. And, as part of the program, they also are able to secure vital financial resources such as low interest funding from our partners at Bridging Virginia.
When we say our program and entrepreneur’s successes are thanks to partners, sponsors, and the local RVA community, we really mean it. EEP as both a program and movement exemplifies what it means to collaborate, come together to create a coordinated ecosystem: CCAB provides the training, guidance, and ongoing support. Hatch provides the physical space and kitchen access. Capital One generously supports the program’s funding and scholarships for the entrepreneurs. Bridging Virginia gives graduates access to capital and other essential financial resources.
And then, all sorts of other great partner organizations provide critical support and professional services such as the Metropolitan Business League (MBL), LifeWorks/Aramark, Bon Secours, 1717 Collective, and many others. These organizations all show up for our entrepreneurs in big ways before, during, and well after their time with us. Each partner or group plays a different role, and all are essential to the small food businesses’ continued successes.
Whether it is the team at LifeWorks and Aramark making shelf space for our entrepreneur’s products at their Capital One Campus, or MBL and the 1717 Collective supporting entrepreneurs with business expertise, education, and guidance, each of our ecosystem partners and community members plays an integral role in cooking up a powerful, strong, and nurturing small business ecosystem.
And all of that, taken together, is what ultimately becomes the movement that we call the entrepreneur empowerment program. The program, partners, people, and community come together to create an empowering ecosystem that enables entrepreneurs to set themselves up for real growth and lasting success.
Overcoming Odds & Obstacles, Together
Starting and running a small food business is harder than most people realize. Long hours, thin margins, and constant obstacles come standard — on top of challenges unique to the culinary world, like menu development, licensing, inspections, ingredient sourcing, and recipe scaling. Many entrepreneurs juggle all of this while working other jobs just to keep their business afloat.
It takes a particular kind of resilience to build a food business from the ground up, and doing it alone makes an already difficult path even harder. That’s why community, collaboration, real partnership, and a strong support ecosystem matter so much — and it’s exactly what EEP was built to provide.
Food is more than sustenance. It brings people together, anchors neighborhoods, and shapes how a city feels to live in, work in, and visit. Every thriving small food business adds to that fabric.
So, here’s the deal: if you’re a Richmond food business owner wondering what’s next, EEP might be exactly what you need. We’ve got funding, mentors, and a whole crew of people ready to help you build something that lasts. Head over to learn about the next cohort and apply, or share this with that friend who’s always talking about taking their business to the next level. You never know—one conversation could change everything.
Don’t Wait. Start Building Your Business Now!
