Sprouts Chef Training
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.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
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.
Sprouts Chef Training firmographics
Firmographics- 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
Sprouts Chef Training industry classification
Industry- 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
Where Sprouts Chef Training is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Sprouts Chef Training business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- 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.
- 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).
- 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.
- Company Matching: Employer charitable giving matching programs (available through Benevity, ID: 840-271130990) provide additional donation amplification from corporate employees.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | $100 funds 2 days of paid culinary job training for one youth |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | $400 funds one week of paid culinary job training for one youth |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | $1,500 funds one month of paid culinary job training for one youth |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | $5,000 funds the entire culinary job training stage for one youth |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels6 records
Sprouts Chef Training product offering
Product offeringCore 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
Companies that use Sprouts Chef Training
Customer profileNamed customers16 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Sprouts Chef Training technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Sprouts Chef Training partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Stanford Graduate School of BusinessminorStanford GSB has featured Sprouts Chef Training in its programs and media, highlighting founder Kate Rogers' leadership and the organization's impact model.
- Fulgurances LaundromatminorBrooklyn chef residency restaurant supporting Sprouts' NYC launch by hosting trainees and providing culinary training in partnership with Sprouts.
- UC BerkeleyminorUniversity campus where Sprouts operates a Berkeley Kitchen training location. Graduate student trainees work in the campus kitchen environment gaining professional culinary experience.
- Alice WaterscoreOwner 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 CrenncoreThree 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 PollanminorBestselling 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
Sprouts Chef Training competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect 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
Sprouts Chef Training social profiles
Digital presenceSprouts Chef Training financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sprouts Chef Training leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles17 records
Sprouts Chef Training funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sprouts Chef Training M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Sprouts Chef Training
What does Sprouts Chef Training do?
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.
Is Sprouts Chef Training a public or private company?
Sprouts Chef Training is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Sprouts Chef Training founded?
Sprouts Chef Training was founded in 2006. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Sprouts Chef Training based?
Sprouts Chef Training is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does Sprouts Chef Training make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are corporate Sponsorships, fundraising Events and company Matching.
Who are Sprouts Chef Training's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are L.A. Kitchen, Hot Bread Kitchen, DC Central Kitchen and Edwins Restaurant & Leadership Institute. Broad incumbents are The James Beard Foundation (Industry Support Programs), Jacques Pépin Foundation, Per Scholas, Year Up and National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF). Catalyst Kitchens is listed as an others.
Does Sprouts Chef Training have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sprouts Chef Training.
What industry is Sprouts Chef Training in?
Sprouts Chef Training's product category is Vocational Culinary Training. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAOAKAA, Professional Culinary Arts (Chef Training), with a secondary code of EDAOAKAE, Restaurant & Foodservice Operations Management. Its SIC code is 8200.