Discover Community Café
Discover Community Café, Oakland, Calif.
Sponsoring Organization: Discover Community Café- City/State: Oakland, Calif.
- Grant Program: Emerging Leader
- Grant Amount: $15,000
Leader Profile:
Krystle Chipman founded Discover Community Café out of a great love for people, food, and a strong belief in the power of community. She is convinced that we truly belong to each other and that creating dignified, quality jobs is paramount to building an inclusive economy where every human can flourish. Before launching Discover, Chipman worked for Northern California Grantmakers where she managed the longest-running loan fund in its history, managed multiple funder collaboratives, and coordinated events and programs for philanthropy. She earned a Master’s Degree in Public Service at the Clinton School of Public Service, Little Rock, Ark., where she built capacity for mission driven organizations focusing on poverty alleviation, economic development, and combating food insecurity. Chipman also served as an AmeriCorps VISTA with a nonprofit that promoted public health in South Eastern Kentucky. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology at University of California, Santa Cruz.
Project Summary:
Discover Community Café’s mission is to leverage the power of food and community to create good jobs for women overcoming barriers to employment, champion local entrepreneurs and businesses, and cultivate a space that ignites connection. It operates with three North Stars: Through the Transformative Jobs North Star, Discover will create a yearlong, paid apprenticeship for women overcoming barriers to employment. It will provide training in running all aspects of the café, partner with local nonprofits to offer wrap-around services, and provide an opportunity to become an owner of the café after completing the apprenticeship. Under the Championing Local North Star, apprentices will work closely with Discover’s chef in curating a rotating menu. Under the Center Community North Star, apprentices will be a part of cultivating a space that ignites connection, working closely with Discover’s general manager to establish the café as a place that brings respite and joy to those who live and work in West Oakland.
