Press Release: Denver's CCWB Drives Diversity and Equity by Linking Local Entrepreneurs with Institutional Buyers

Khary's Catering, one of the 11 caterers that went through Feeding Anchors, stands as a team at Eat.Local.Food. October 24, 2023.

​Denver, CO – October 23, 2023 – Denver's Center for Community Wealth Building (CCWB) is leading a pioneering initiative to bridge the racial wealth gap by forging partnerships between local and minority-owned food businesses and large institutions. 

On Tuesday, October 24, CCWB, in cooperation with the Aurora-South Metro SBDC,  will host Eat.Local.Food. at the National Western Center, featuring 11 outstanding diverse, local caterers for a food-tasting event that will welcome over 200 institutional buyers from some of the largest institutions in Colorado.

The purpose of Eat.Local.Food. is to introduce diverse, local caterers to potential new customers committed to leveraging their everyday purchasing to foster economic prosperity and inclusivity in the Denver metropolitan area.
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"Our place-based institutions have a significant economic engine that can be leveraged to strengthen our local businesses. CCWB connects local, diverse small businesses to these institutions to build mutually beneficial relationships."

​- Yessica Holguin, executive director at CCWB.

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​"Our place-based institutions have a significant economic engine that can be leveraged to strengthen our local businesses. CCWB is connecting local, diverse small businesses to these institutions to build mutually beneficial relationships," said Yessica Holguin, executive director at CCWB. "By opening doors for local and minority-owned food businesses and helping institutions make purchasing decisions that align with their commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, we are driving positive change in Denver's economic landscape."

The event is sponsored by the Colorado Health Foundation, National Western Center, CSU Spur, The SSA Group, Zing Credit Union, Kaiser Permanente, and Denver Economic Development & Opportunity (DEDO).

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​Eat.Local.Food is a Win-Win-Win (Businesses, Economy, Community)

This initiative boosts local and minority-owned businesses and promotes economic prosperity for underserved communities. It allows institutions to significantly impact these entrepreneurs’ journey, support economic growth, and help create a more equitable and diverse business landscape.

The Feeding Anchors program and Eat.Local.Food. celebration is a testament to the power of collaboration, and it has already shown promising results. CCWB’s institutional partners are committed to leveraging their everyday business decisions to create positive change that benefits the community. Catering businesses that have been through the program can see dramatic improvements in their business, such as Taste the Love Cooking, which, after many years in business, reached 2023 revenue goals early and has several new catering relationships with institutional companies. 

For more information about CCWB's Feeding Anchors program and its efforts to support local and minority-owned food businesses, please visit https://www.communitywealthbuilding.org/feedling-anchors.html.

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About Center for Community Wealth Building

Center for Community Wealth Building (CCWB) works to transform the current economic development system into a more inclusive and equitable model that prioritizes democratically-owned businesses, emphasizes local procurement, and ensures social, environmental, and institutional sustainability. 

Founded in 2017 through the collaborative efforts of residents, worker ownership advocates, and funders, CCWB’s mission is to mobilize, facilitate, and coordinate community wealth-building efforts with the practical objectives of widening community education on economic alternatives, enhancing diverse participation, and fostering viable projects for the creation of just and sustainable jobs and democratically-owned businesses in the Denver Metro region. 
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CCWB accomplishes this through three community wealth-building strategies:  democratizing ownership; engaging anchor institutions such as hospitals, universities, and municipalities to focus on local procurement, hiring, and investment; and strengthening local businesses, particularly businesses owned by people of color and businesses located in disinvested communities. ​