H.E.A.R.D.
Our Hospitality Employment and Resource Development department (HEARD) is reimagining the culinary and food industry in Oakland and Unincorporated Alameda County.
Whether you are searching for a job in the culinary industry or looking to start or grow your own food business - our programs are designed to use food as a tool to support our community in paving creative and intentional pathways to wellness, wealth, and economic opportunities in their own neighborhoods.
We provide training, technical assistance, networks, and financial opportunities for food industry workers and food entrepreneurs.
Nationally, nearly half of restaurant workers are people of color and 54% are women. However, food workers of color make less than their white counterparts while facing bias in the hiring process, and food entrepreneurs of color face systematic barriers to lending and other economic opportunities needed to launch, formalize, and grow their businesses.
Join a community of workers and owners who are committed to leading transformative change for a more equitable food community in the Bay Area.
We envision a time when food industry workers (primarily women and people of color) and food entrepreneurs have access to the training, technical assistance, networks, and financial opportunities they need to achieve economic security and build family and community wealth.
We are fostering a community of workers and owners that are committed to leading transformative change for a more equitable food community in the Bay Area.
HEARD THAT!
Community Tool Box
Mandela Partners uses food to empower communities of color to build their own health, wealth, and economic opportunities. The restaurant industry is one of the fastest-growing sectors in the US economy. With over one million restaurant workers, California’s food industry is an economic powerhouse.
View community resources below:
Bay Area Community Resource Guide
Building Equitable Employment in the Food Sector for System-Impacted Residents