CommonWealth Kitchen is Greater Boston's non-profit food business incubator and food manufacturing social enterprise. We offer shared commercial kitchens combined with industry specific business and technical support, connections to a wide network of strategic partners, and our own contract manufacturing operation to help aspiring entrepreneurs build and scale viable food companies and create jobs. Over 70% of our member businesses are owned by women and/or people of color, employing over 150 people.

1. CommonWealth Kitchen
Boston’s non-profit food business incubator and food manufacturing social enterprise.
We’re on a mission to build a
just, equitable, sustainable regional food economy
by breaking down the barriers
for low-income women, immigrants, and people of color
to establish viable food companies,
create jobs, and
build an inclusive urban food manufacturing network.
CommonWealth Kitchen
196 Quincy Street, Dorchester, MA. 02121

2. More than just a shared kitchen, CWK takes a systems-based
approach to food business development.
We provide a continuum of business and technical assistance services for aspiring
entrepreneurs from early ideation through start-up, and from market testing and proof of
concept to business viability.
Ideation
• 12-week food biz 101
class covering topics like
permits, brand strategy,
cost of goods and
budgeting, entities, etc
• Assistance with business
plan concept,
differentiation strategy,
etc.
• 1-on-1 application review
sessions
Initial Start-up
• Industry-focused
assistance w/recipe
development and scaling,
food flow plan, cost of
goods, licenses, permits,
insurance, labels,
packaging, etc
• Coaching prep for health
dept inspections
• Individual and group
coaching & peer learning
Proof of concept
• Use of shared kitchen on a
membership basis
• Trained Chefs to advise on
production
• Access to mentors,
workshops, office hours
etc.
• Connections w/ buyers,
event planners, etc.
• Assistance with hiring
• Finance assistance
Viability & Scaling
• Targeted marketing with
retailers, institutions, etc.
& connections with
distributors
• Small-batch contract
manufacturing to scale
production
• Assistance w/ biz finance
• Support for graduation
into retail, wholesale or
co-pack operations
Additionally, we run our own food manufacturing social enterprise, to help
member companies efficiently scale while aggregating part-time work into full-time
employment.
We also provide recipe development and contract services to a growing list of farms,
restaurants, wholesalers, retailers, food rescue groups, and institutional buyers.

3. A sampling of CWK’s food manufacturing work:
SCALING OUR MEMBER COMPANIES
• Investing in automation equipment and trained production staff to scale production
capacity, improve margins, and expand packaging options for member businesses.
SUPPORTING/SCALING OTHER LOCAL FOOD BUSINESSES
• Bottled sauces, food service packs, and other production services for restaurants and
wholesalers
• Prepared foods for Boston Public Market vendors- mac & cheese, apple crisp, churros...
STRENGTHENING LOCAL FARMS THROUGH VALUE-ADDED PROCESSING
• CWK master recipes to provide small-batch, on-demand processing for small/medium
size farmers- pickles, pesto, sauces, etc
• 2016- 10 farms; 12k lbs of produce processed; 2017- projecting 15 farms; 30k lbs.
FILLING A GAP IN THE INSTITUTIONAL FOOD SERVICE MARKET
• Building partnerships with colleges, hospitals, etc. to drive business for our businesses
and business for our contract services while filling need their need for more local
sourcing, simple products, low salt/low sugar…
• 2016- 20k lbs/2,800 gallons of diced local tomatoes- for Northeastern U; 5k lbs. of
pumpkin puree for Harvard (& Sam Adams Beer)
• 2017 collaboration expected to add Boston College, MIT, Boston Public Schools, 1-2 local
hospitals, etc
BUILDING A TRAINED MANUFACTURING STAFF
• Since launching this manufacturing intiative in mid 2015, we’ve created 4.5 new staff
positions, fully funded by the revenue from this operation. Within 18 months, we expect
to create an additional 8-10 new manufacturing positions-

4. OUR IMPACT:
• 25 early stage start-ups working on recipes, packaging, business plans, etc.
• 50+ member companies making jam, sauces, baked goods, juice, frozen desserts, plus a dozen food trucks
and caterers; over 70% minority and/or women-owned businesses;
• 150+ people employed; 70% minority and/or women workers;
• 45+ graduate businesses-Roxy’s Grilled Cheese, Quinn Popcorn, Clover Food Lab, Voltage Coffee, McCrea’s
candies, Seta’s Mediterranean, Quinn Popcorn, BATCH Ice Cream, ForkLift Catering; 450+ jobs created!
• 30+ co-packing customers- bottled sauces, refrigerated & frozen products, baked goods, value-added
farm products, retail packs, food service packs, processing surplus produce.
• $25m/year+ in combined gross revenue.

5. $665,000 $895,000 $890,000 $750,000
$285,000
$615,000
$735,000
$880,000
$1,125,000
$1,340,000
$1,475,000
$380,000
$900,000
$1,280,000
$1,630,000
$1,770,000
$1,875,000
$1,960,000
$2,000,000
$0
$500,000
$1,000,000
$1,500,000
$2,000,000
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Building a sustainable social enterprise
Fundraising Earned income Total
45%
earned
June 2014- Dorchester
facility opens- triples
kitchen capacity

6. Building a replicable model
CommonWealth Kitchen’s integrated approach, linking education
and training with affordable access to manufacturing equipment
for rapid testing and experimentation, plus connections with a
strong network of industry partners is building a powerful model
for small business development and local job creation.
With strategic investment, CWK is well on its way to creating a
national model for inclusive economic development through urban
food manufacturing.
Our need: $5 million
• $3.5 million toward the purchase of our current facility to
lower rent (over 25% of our annual budget!)- reduce debt
burden from $6.8 million to $3.3m;
• $750,000 toward equipment purchases and building
reconfiguration to maximize efficiency of our manufacturing
line to meet the current and projected demands;
• $750,000 in operating funds to provide runway for investing
in key staff and organizational systems and cash flow for
managing growth.

7. “There is nothing so
POWERFUL
as an IDEA
whose time has come.”
- Victor Hugo
Common Goals. Common Purpose. CommonWealth.