Sprouts Chef Training

What Sprouts Chef Training does

Sprouts Chef Training is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit vocational training organization founded in 2006 in the San Francisco Bay Area under the name Sprouts Cooking Club. In 2012, partnering with Jamie Oliver, the organization pivoted to focus on under-resourced youth ages 16-28 experiencing hardship (poverty, foster care transition, homelessness, gang involvement, school dropout, and other crises), and in 2021 retired its children's cooking classes entirely to concentrate on the vocational program. Its single core product is the Chef Training Program, which pairs each accepted youth with a chef mentor at a professional restaurant partner for a paid 8-12 week internship comprising 2-4 shifts per week, supplemented by wraparound services including case management, money management workshops, Food Handlers Certification, and job placement assistance. There is no proprietary technology platform; operations rely on standard web-based application tools, human mentorship, and in-person training inside partner restaurant kitchens.

The business model is philanthropy-based: youth receive training at no cost while Sprouts raises funds to cover their wages and program costs. Revenue streams include individual donations (tiered from $100 for two days to $5,000 for a full internship), corporate monetary sponsorships (J.P. Morgan, US Bank, Sweetgreen, OpenTable, Straus Creamery, Guittard, Teakhaus, Panso, Cowgirl Creamery), in-kind product partnerships, employer matching via Benevity, and an annual gala that raised $330,000 in 2022 and $400,000 in 2023 (with a record $562,000 cited by Haute Living SF). Distribution is community-led: youth are recruited through continuation schools, social service organizations, and teacher referrals, while restaurant partners are recruited via direct outreach and culinary community word-of-mouth.

The organization operates across two geographies — the Bay Area (60+ restaurant partners) and New York City (launched Summer 2024 with partners including Musket Room, Pecking House, Falansai, Society Cafe, and Fulgurances Laundromat) — and is led by Founder & Growth Lead Kate Rogers (since 2006) and Executive Director Catie Cohen. Reported outcomes include a 90% graduation rate, 88% of graduates using skills at work, 54% receiving job offers from their mentor, and 67% cooking to pay for college, against a stated growth goal of serving 200 youth annually by 2025 from a base of approximately 26 active trainees and 120 cumulative graduates as of 2025.

Name

Sprouts Chef Training

Legal name

Sprouts Cooking Club

Website

https://sproutscheftraining.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sprouts Chef Training is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides paid culinary internships, chef mentorship, and job placement to under-resourced youth ages 16-28 in the San Francisco Bay Area and New York City, funded through donations, corporate sponsorships, and an annual gala.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vocational Culinary Training

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Professional Culinary Arts (Chef Training) (EDAOAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Restaurant & Foodservice Operations Management (EDAOAKAE), Food Safety, Sanitation & HACCP Training (EDAOAKAG)

Keywords

• Youth culinary training
• Vocational job training
• Culinary internship program
• Workforce development services
• Nonprofit chef mentorship

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals supporting youth culinary training. Donation tiers fund specific training periods: $100 for two days, $400 for one week, $1,500 for one month, $5,000 for an entire internship stage.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Monetary sponsors (J.P. Morgan, US Bank, Sweetgreen, OpenTable, Straus Creamery, Guittard, Teakhaus, Panso, STAND+ Footwear, Cowgirl Creamery) and in-kind product partners provide funding and goods (food products, kitchen equipment, footwear, glassware).
3. Fundraising Events: Annual galas, pop-up dinners, and culinary event series generate significant revenue. The 2022 Benefit Gala raised $330,000 funding 66 youth; the 2023 Annual Gala raised $400,000 funding 80 youth.
4. Company Matching: Employer charitable giving matching programs (available through Benevity, ID: 840-271130990) provide additional donation amplification from corporate employees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Sprouts Chef Training provides paid culinary internships that pair under-resourced youth (ages 16-28) with chef mentors at professional restaurant kitchens for 2-4 shifts per week over 2-3 months. Trainees receive a stipend, Food Handlers Certification, money management training, and wraparound case management, with the goal of securing entry-level culinary jobs. The program operates through three annual cohorts (Spring, Summer, Fall) in the Bay Area and New York City.

Product overview

Sprouts Chef Training is a nonprofit vocational training organization offering a single unified program—the Chef Training Program—that equips under-resourced youth (ages 16-28) with culinary skills, paid internships at partner restaurants, and job placement support. The program operates through three annual cohorts (Spring, Summer, Fall) and provides wraparound services including case management, financial training, and mentorship. The organization recently expanded from its Bay Area origins to include New York City operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sprouts Chef Training Program A vocational culinary training program that pairs under-resourced youth (ages 16-28) with chef mentors for paid restaurant internships of 2-4 shifts per week over 2-3 months. Includes wraparound support services such as case management, money management workshops, Food Handlers Certification, and job placement assistance. Operates through three annual cohorts (Spring, Summer, Fall) in the Bay Area and New York City.

Quantifiable outcome

• 90% graduation rate
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Stanford Graduate School of BusinessminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Stanford GSB has featured Sprouts Chef Training in its programs and media, highlighting founder Kate Rogers' leadership and the organization's impact model.
• Fulgurances LaundromatminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Brooklyn chef residency restaurant supporting Sprouts' NYC launch by hosting trainees and providing culinary training in partnership with Sprouts.
• UC BerkeleyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022University campus where Sprouts operates a Berkeley Kitchen training location. Graduate student trainees work in the campus kitchen environment gaining professional culinary experience.
• Alice WaterscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Owner of Chez Panisse and Edible Schoolyard Project founder. Alice Waters serves as Honorary Board Member for Sprouts Chef Training. She appeared as a panelist at Sprouts' 2022 Benefit Gala and has helped inspire the next generation of female chefs through the organization. She is a longtime personal mentor to founder Kate Rogers.
• Dominique CrenncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Three Michelin-starred chef of Atelier Crenn in San Francisco. Dominique Crenn serves as CT Ambassador and appeared at Sprouts' 2022 Benefit Gala as a panelist advocating for humanity in the culinary industry. She auctioned an 'internship day' at her restaurant and has promoted gender equality in the workplace through Sprouts.
• Michael PollanminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBestselling author and food journalist who appeared as a panelist at Sprouts' 2022 Benefit Gala, discussing the healing power of kitchens and praising founder Kate Rogers' work.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• L.A. Kitchen: Los Angeles-based nonprofit providing culinary job training and healthy meal production for formerly incarcerated, foster youth, and other underserved adults. Directly comparable mission, paid-internship model, and reliance on chef mentors and corporate funders.
• Hot Bread Kitchen: NYC-based nonprofit that trains low-income women and immigrants in culinary skills and supports food entrepreneurs. Closely comparable vocational training model, wraparound services, and NYC operating geography post-Sprouts' 2024 expansion.
• DC Central Kitchen: Washington DC nonprofit that runs paid culinary job training for adults facing barriers to employment, with strong employer placement. Comparable vocational model, employer-of-record structure, and large-scale meal production for social impact.
• Edwins Restaurant & Leadership Institute: Cleveland-based nonprofit restaurant and training program providing free culinary education to formerly incarcerated adults. Closely comparable paid apprenticeship model wrapped around an operating restaurant and chef mentorship.

Broad incumbents

• The James Beard Foundation (Industry Support Programs): National culinary nonprofit that invests in workforce development and food equity initiatives. Comparable mission and donor base, but operates at industry-wide scale rather than running direct vocational training programs.
• Jacques Pépin Foundation: National nonprofit advancing culinary education for under-resourced communities through grants and program partnerships. Already a named Sprouts partner; comparable donor base and workforce development mission, but functions as a grantmaker rather than direct operator.
• Per Scholas: National nonprofit providing tuition-free technology job training to under-resourced adults. Comparable workforce development mission, tuition-free model, employer partnerships, and multi-city footprint, but focused on tech rather than culinary.
• Year Up: Large national nonprofit offering workforce training and job placement for young adults ages 18-24 from low-income communities. Comparable target demographic (similar 16-28 youth cohort) and intensive mentorship-plus-internship structure, but broader industry coverage.
• National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF): Industry-backed foundation running ProStart and other secondary-school culinary pathways. Comparable culinary workforce development mission at national scale, but focused on high-school classroom programs rather than paid restaurant apprenticeships.

Others

• Catalyst Kitchens: Network of culinary training nonprofits and food social enterprises that share best practices and advocacy. Adjacent to Sprouts as a peer-network rather than direct competitor, but highly relevant for benchmarking models and policy exposure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/sproutscheftraining
• Xx.com/sproutscheftrng
• Facebookfacebook.com/SproutsChefTraining

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sprouts Chef Training