This summer I’ll be spending my time working with FoodLab Detroit. FoodLab is a small non-profit that started as a few food entrepreneurs around a kitchen table, sharing advice and trying to work together to learn how to advance their food businesses and has now grown to an organization with over 145 members and counting. FoodLab aims to connect food entrepreneurs with the resources they need to get their businesses off the ground, while also bringing them together to create a solid community of people with similar goals and who all want to provide Detroit with great food.
One of the things I really enjoy about FoodLab is their dedication to helping the people who are long-time residents of Detroit. The growing “foodie” community around the country tends to be young, white, and relatively well off. FoodLab really tries to work with all residents of Detroit to help them grow their good food businesses, especially older people, women, and people of color who often get left behind in this growing sector.
FoodLab members are all focused on creating thriving “triple bottom line” businesses. For most businesses, there’s a single bottom line: profit. FoodLab and their members focus on the triple bottom line, meaning profit, people, and planet. All of its members are working to not only make money, but to help strengthen their community, while also being conscious of their impact on the planet.
FoodLab operates out of the Green Garage in midtown, which is a beautiful building full of many other triple bottom line businesses. The Green Garage is a shared work space that was converted from an old Model-T show room. Nearly 75% of the infrastructure is original, and the rest of it is recycled material. The Green Garage does a lot of amazing things to operate a building with minimal environmental impact. It’s been a wonderful experience to be able to work in such a collaborative space and to get to know people who are working on things outside of my realm of focus.
During my time with FoodLab, my main focus will be to put together a “pop-up” guide for FoodLab members to use in the future. Pop-up restaurants are a great way for young businesses to test their products, and gain customer awareness without having to spend money on their own overhead. Pop-ups are growing in popularity across the nation, and Detroit is full of amazing pop-up dinners. The goal of the guide I’m creating is to empower FoodLab members to plan and put on their own pop-up events without having to rely on FoodLab staff to coordinate for them.
My first week and some change in Detroit has been amazing! There’s so much to do, and so many amazing people to meet. I barely have time for all of the events I want to attend and their hasn’t been a dull moment! All of it’s starting to catch up with me this week, and I’m starting to lose a little steam, but
I’m excited for what the rest of my time in the city will bring me.
