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OUR MISSION
The Wilmington Kitchen Collective is a community-based project dedicated to serving food industry entrepreneurs from marginalized local communities. Our mission is to empower holistic transformation by providing affordable, high-quality commercial kitchen facilities in an effort to usher in human flourishing.
OUR GOALS
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Provide low-cost shared kitchen facilities for growing food-based businesses
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Increase access to capital and start up grants for entrepreneurs
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Increase access to training and business development for entrepreneurs
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Build a community of culinary entrepreneurs to support and encourage one another in their journey.
OUR OFFERINGS
Access to Affordable Kitchen Space
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Up-to-date, commercial-grade kitchen and storage space to fulfill your customers orders and the Health Department requirements.
Collaboration with our Partners
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Food Bank of Delaware
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Delaware Small Business Development Center (DSBDC)
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True Access Capital
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Rise Collective
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Launcher DE
Exposure in Community
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Your events published on our social media.
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Promotion of your business as we have inquiries for catering orders.
Increased Access to Capital and Grants
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Gain access to available grants to help your business succeed.
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Receive feedback and coaching on grant applications.
Business Development
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We help you create and/or execute your own personalized Business Plan.
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Meet your business goals!
Training
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Get connected with a volunteer mentor who will be your go-to to process the celebration and the woes of building a business.
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Access to training modules such as Quickbooks & social media trainings.
OUR STAFF
KATIE LECOCQ,
Project Manager
katie@wilmingtoncollective.com
Katie LeCocq hails from Seattle, WA, and has happily called Wilmington her home for seven years now. She is passionate about all collaborative art forms, and finds the spirit of WKC to align beautifully with that love.
CHELSEA SPYRES
Executive Director & Pastor, Riverfront Ministries
chelsea@riverfrontministries.org
Pastor Chelsea is a Delaware native who moved back to the area in January 2020 to serve at Riverfront and Grace Church. She loves living in the city, walking to work, and really getting to know folks through story sharing. Chelsea’s dream day is community gathering around food, service, and fellowship- which is why the Kitchen Collective makes so much sense! Chelsea is grateful for the many community partners and entrepreneurs who have invested in so many ways to make this project a reality.
OUR TEAM
Riverfront is a faith-based non-profit, and the operating partner of the Kitchen. While they do not have any physical property of their own, Riverfront transforms spaces in the community that already exist to create places of community and justice. Riverfront is passionate about economic and food justice, and have been a part of the Kitchen Collective from the beginning. Riverfront gathers for worship at 5:05 pm at the Riverfront Hare Pavilion. More information about them can be found HERE.
Wilmington Alliance brings people together to drive innovative solutions, leverage resources and promote opportunities to empower the city’s residents and businesses. Wilmington Alliance partners with community, civic, and business leaders to prioritize the City's highest needs to drive economic opportunity and social vitality. Our work is done through an equity lens. All our initiatives involve equitable wealth creation in the traditionally marginalized Wilmington communities of Black and Brown residents. The Alliance works to make Wilmington a more beautiful, safer, and thriving city that provides opportunity for all through our programs in Workforce Development; Entrepreneurship and Small Business Support; and Creative Placemaking.
Grace serves as the physical space partner of the first location of the Wilmington Kitchen Collective. Grace sees their space as an asset to be shared with the community. They are excited to partner with Riverfront and Wilmington Alliance to bring the Collective to life!
First and Central is another physical space partner and is the second location of the Wilmington Kitchen Collective. Even before the first location opened First and Central was excited to open their doors and welcome the mission of the Kitchen in.
OUR PARTNERS
The focus of the Delaware Small Business Development Center (DSBDC) is to develop and support entrepreneurship throughout the State of Delaware by working one on one without clients to understand their needs and assist them in a path forward.
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The Launcher Entrepreneurship Program at West End Neighborhood House provides the critical support entrepreneurs need to pursue their dreams of becoming small business owners. Launcher has partnered with WKC to offer a 12 week training course specialized for culinary entrepreneurs.
OUR FUNDERS
