Food Entrepreneurship Program

The Cookbook Project’s Social Entrepreneurship Program (SEP) is meant to support and empower creative young people in the development of value-added social businesses. These social businesses not only provide a service to the local community, but also address larger issues of public health and the environment through the underlying business philosophy. The SEP provides business development support, but most importantly this unique program prepares young entrepreneurs by immersing them in the ideological foundation they need to run a healthy food business that will not just be profitable for themselves, but beneficial for their communities.

The program consists of two distinct phases, comprised of a series of preparatory sessions followed by series of incubation sessions. The preparatory sessions in Phase 1 cover topics on traditional nutrition and local food culture, the connection between food and the environment, healthy and hygienic cooking preparation, and business development. The business incubation sessions in Phase 2 draw on the business plan that is developed during the final preparatory sessions.

All programs are tailored to meet the context of our partner organizations and their community. Here is an example of a general schedule: