Tina Garcia-Shams is executive director of the Street Food Institute in Albuquerque, NM. The program teaches entrepreneurship, food preparation, accounting, marketing, and everything else students need to open a local food truck or catering business. And it’s been so successful that it’s spreading to other parts of the state and the country, and attracting students from all over.
TIMELINE
1’52 what is street food?
3’33 entrepreneurial training for people who want to start a food business, and a workforce training program
4’46 Tina’s background
7’07 the complexity of the street food business, from food preparation to business and marketing
8’29 12-week program, but the relationships with students extend for years
9’46 sourcing organic, regenerative, and local food–and challenges with doing that
10’47 increased consumer demand for local food
11’56 the catering end of the business goes back into the program
12’41 graduate success stories of recent graduates
16’41 workforce development–even if you don’t end up starting your own business
19’20 kitchen skills are universal skills
20’03 spreading the programming throughout the state
20’56 helping to start a program in North Carolina
22’31 helping community people who were motivated–but not going into higher education–to start a business
23’39 bilingual classes
24’19 how people raise the money to start a food truck/food business
25’01 micro-loans
25’49 relationship-driven loan program
26’36 New Mexico playing a leadership role in this work, and has drawn people from different states and even countries
28’00 consulting for other communities
28’40 woman who started a New Mexican vegan food business
30’42 putting together an education space in Barelas community in Albuquerque
32’17 relationship with farms and ranches in the region
33’47 economic development is about keeping money in the community
34’52 use everything you have, no waste
36’07 it’s not really work if you love what you do
37’34 streetfoodinstitute.org
