How it all began
Founded in West Oakland, California, Mandela Partners was established to fill a gap that was created through deeply rooted inequities–a challenging local food environment, a legacy of redlining and economic disinvestment, and barriers to opportunities for entrepreneurs. In response, Mandela Partners supported the development of a community-directed plan that respected community members' ability to identify local needs, and uplift community assets.
A holistic and innovative set of strategies were seeded: a community-owned grocery store, increased healthy food access points, connections to local farmers, support for local entrepreneurs, and culturally relevant wellness education.
What we're up to today...
18+ years later, Mandela Partners continues to build on the community plan that seeded our work, driving equitable, people-centered, community development strategies. We do this by braiding together several strands of work:
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Supporting the launch and growth of local food enterprises
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Increasing access to healthy food options
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Building skills and capacity of local BIPOC entrepreneurs
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Strengthening income generation among small sustainable farmers
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Facilitating access to community capital
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