Oakland Bloom

What Oakland Bloom does

Oakland Bloom is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (operating as a DBA of Floreciendo, Tax ID 81-1393321) founded in 2015 that supports poor and working-class immigrant, refugee, and BIPOC chefs in building food businesses. Its core offering is the Open Test Kitchen (OTK), a brick-and-mortar community hub, restaurant, and shared commercial kitchen at 528 8th St in Oakland Chinatown, which launched in September 2024 as the successor to Understory, a worker-run restaurant project that operated from 2020-2024. The organization provides affordable kitchen and storage rentals, catering opportunities, a tool and equipment library, business-development support, and cooperative-ownership programming to a network of at least 10 named chef-member businesses spanning Palestinian Cuban, Eritrean, Latin American, Panamanian, Hong Kong, Malagasy, Oaxacan, and Lebanese-inspired cuisines.

The organization's business model is a hybrid of charitable revenue and earned income. Roughly 100% of donations are tax-deductible and processed via Donorbox and PayPal, with a broad base of 15+ institutional funders including Kresge Foundation, Akonadi Foundation, California Arts Council, East Bay Community Foundation, SF Foundation, and WorldCentric. Earned-revenue streams include catering and private-event services at OTK and kitchen-rental income from chef-members. Pricing for catering and kitchen rental is not publicly disclosed. The organization has 1-10 employees, is governed by a board including Ana Sloan-Stephans and Max Cadji, and pursues a cooperative ownership model for its chef entrepreneurs rather than traditional equity. Distribution is anchored in a single physical site in Oakland Chinatown, supplemented by a public-library workshop series across multiple Oakland branches and recurring community events such as the annual Lantern Festival (co-hosted with Sticky Rice Club and Cut Fruit Collective since 2023). No proprietary technology platform is referenced; operations run on standard nonprofit web and donation infrastructure.

Name

Oakland Bloom

Legal name

Floreciendo

Website

https://oaklandbloom.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Oakland Bloom is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that supports poor and working-class immigrant, refugee, and BIPOC chefs in Oakland through the Open Test Kitchen — a shared commercial kitchen, restaurant, and community space offering affordable kitchen access, catering, cooperative-ownership programming, and community events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Oakland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (Tax ID 81-1393321), Oakland Bloom relies primarily on individual donations and foundation grants. Donations are processed via Donorbox and PayPal, and are 100% tax deductible.
2. Catering and Event Services: The organization offers catering services for events and hosts private events at Open Test Kitchen, generating revenue by providing food and venue services.
3. Kitchen Rental: The Open Test Kitchen offers affordable commercial kitchen and storage space rental to BIPOC, working-class, and immigrant/refugee chefs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Oakland Bloom operates Open Test Kitchen (OTK), a brick-and-mortar community kitchen, restaurant, market and shared space at 528 8th St in Oakland Chinatown, where BIPOC, working-class, and immigrant/refugee chefs access affordable commercial kitchen and storage space, catering opportunities, a tool/equipment library, and connections to food-business experts. Beyond the kitchen, the organization delivers a Collective Organizing and Ownership Program supporting cooperatively owned food businesses, neighborhood organizing in Oakland Chinatown (including the annual Lantern Festival), a Youth Kitchen Lab workshop series, and a Community Pantry. Revenue comes from individual donations, foundation grants, catering bookings, and kitchen rental fees.

Product overview

Oakland Bloom is a nonprofit community organization (DBA of Floreciendo, 501c3) that advances economic equity in the food industry by supporting poor and working-class refugee, immigrant, and BIPOC chefs. The core offering is Open Test Kitchen (OTK) - a brick-and-mortar community hub, restaurant, market and shared kitchen space at 528 8th St in Oakland Chinatown. The ecosystem includes: OTK as the central platform providing affordable kitchen access, storage, catering opportunities, and collaborative community for chef-entrepreneurs; a Collective Organizing and Ownership Program helping chefs develop cooperatively owned food businesses; Oakland Chinatown neighborhood organizing including the annual Lantern Festival; and a Youth Kitchen Lab program. Multiple chef-member businesses (Asúkar, Cafe Anbesa, Cafe con Cariño, Chiricana, Choc'late Mama Cookie Co., Mother and Daughters, Restaurant Felana, Rufi's Cacao, Tsiri, Turnip That Beet) operate within or are associated with this ecosystem, offering diverse culinary traditions. The organization formerly operated Understory (2020-2024), a worker-run restaurant awarded the 2022 James Beard Emerging Leadership Award.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Open Test Kitchen (OTK) Restaurant, Market and Community Space A brick-and-mortar community kitchen hub, restaurant, market and community space at 528 8th St, Oakland, supporting BIPOC, working-class, and immigrant/refugee chefs with affordable kitchen/storage space, catering opportunities, tool/equipment library, and collaborative community for developing food businesses. Open Wednesday–Friday 9AM–2PM plus events.
• Catering Services Catering services for events featuring chef-entrepreneurs from the Oakland Bloom community, including private events, daytime dance parties, mahjong nights, book clubs, and film screenings. Pricing not publicly disclosed.
• Collective Organizing and Ownership Program Reimagines food business development through cooperatively owned food businesses. Provides back-end support services including finance, infrastructure, lease management, legal, HR, bookkeeping, and operations, plus community building, strategic planning, cooperative funding opportunities, and training for chef members.
• Oakland Chinatown Organizing Program Neighborhood organizing supporting local grocers, food and cultural businesses in Oakland Chinatown through public events, storytelling, and sourcing from the local food ecosystem, including the annual Lantern Festival.
• Youth Kitchen Lab A day-long workshop program for young people covering the food industry, restaurant operations, food justice and sovereignty, business ownership, and the full chain from harvesting to consumer. Delivered in partnership with East Oakland Dreamers.
• Community Pantry A community food pantry sourcing from Chinatown businesses and local farmers, launched in 2025 in response to SNAP freezer changes affecting low-income residents.

Quantifiable outcome

• Understory won the 2022 James Beard Foundation Emerging Leadership Award
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• 67 SueñosminorOthersPartner organization in Oakland Bloom's network.
• Agroecology CommonsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization in food systems work.
• Baddies y BandaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization in Oakland Bloom's network.
• Cut Fruit CollectivecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-host of Lantern Festival starting 2023, partners on community events supporting Asian and Pacific Islander communities.
• East Bay Asian Local Development CorporationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity development organization partner.
• East Bay Refugee and Immigrant ForumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerForum connecting refugee and immigrant-serving organizations.
• Feed Black FuturesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization supporting Black food systems.
• Mandela PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization in community food systems.
• National CAPACDminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational coalition for Asian and Pacific American community development.
• Network of Bay Area Worker CooperativesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperative development network partner.
• Sticky Rice ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCore partner organizing the annual Lantern Festival with Oakland Bloom since 2023. Co-host of Lantern Festival with growing engagement.
• Supernova / Queer con LechecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPresents Queer con Leche events at Open Test Kitchen - queer Afro-Latin dance day parties.
• That Art PartycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreative wellness collective hosting Cafécito & Crafts Club at Open Test Kitchen's Café Con Cariño.
• The Electric Smoothie Lab/Planting JusticeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization in Oakland Bloom's network.
• Oakland Public LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProgram partnership bringing chef workshops and demonstrations to Oakland libraries including Cesar Chavez Library, Montclair Library, Temescal Library, West Oakland Library, and 81st Ave Library Branch.
• Tenth Tale GamesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner hosting game nights at Open Test Kitchen.
• Voice of WitnessminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for 'Setting the Table' exhibit featuring audio stories from immigrant, refugee, and diasporic community members.
• The Mahjong ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner bringing mahjong events and cultural programming to Open Test Kitchen since 2024.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Kitchen United: National shared commercial kitchen and ghost kitchen operator providing turnkey kitchen rental and delivery infrastructure to food entrepreneurs at scale. Comparable in providing shared kitchen access, but operates as a for-profit with much broader geographic reach and a less equity-focused target market.
• CloudKitchens: Tech-enabled shared commercial kitchen operator that acquires and operates commercial real estate as ghost kitchens for delivery-focused food businesses. Comparable shared-kitchen business model, but operates at significantly larger commercial scale and is not equity-mission driven.

Direct peers

• Hot Bread Kitchen: NYC-based nonprofit food incubator and workforce development program that supports immigrant women and people of color to launch food businesses through shared commercial kitchen access and business training. Directly comparable as a fellow nonprofit food business incubator serving immigrant chefs and operating both a production kitchen and branded product lines.
• Mandela Partners: Oakland-based nonprofit focused on equitable food systems, supporting BIPOC food entrepreneurs and improving healthy food access in Bay Area neighborhoods. A direct local peer — same Oakland geography, same mission of supporting BIPOC food entrepreneurs, and an active Oakland Bloom program partner.
• La Cocina: San Francisco-based nonprofit food incubator that provides affordable commercial kitchen access, business development, and technical assistance to immigrant women food entrepreneurs launching food businesses. The closest direct peer to Oakland Bloom — same nonprofit food-incubator model, same immigrant/refugee founder target, same Bay Area geography, same combination of kitchen rental plus training plus market access.
• Feed Black Futures: Bay Area nonprofit supporting Black-led food businesses and food sovereignty initiatives through grants, training, and community programming. Direct peer sharing the same BIPOC food entrepreneur support mission in the Oakland ecosystem and listed as an Oakland Bloom strategic partner.
• Planting Justice: Oakland-based 501(c)(3) that addresses food justice through urban agriculture, food access, and green jobs in BIPOC communities. Direct peer operating in the same Oakland food-justice ecosystem with overlapping staff networks, partnership relationships, and equity-driven mission; also an active Oakland Bloom partner.

Others

• Network of Bay Area Worker Cooperatives: Bay Area network providing training, technical assistance, and peer learning to worker cooperatives across industries. Comparable as a strategic partner supporting Oakland Bloom's cooperative ownership program, though the network operates across sectors rather than food specifically.
• East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation (EBALDC): East Bay-based community development nonprofit serving Asian and Pacific Islander communities with affordable housing, economic development, and community organizing. Comparable as a key Oakland Bloom partner supporting Oakland Chinatown, though broader in scope beyond food entrepreneurship.
• National CAPACD: National coalition supporting Asian Pacific American community development across the U.S. via capacity building, advocacy, and capital deployment. Comparable as an ecosystem partner in Oakland Bloom's network supporting Oakland Chinatown's API small business community.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/oakbloomkitchen
• Instagraminstagram.com/oaklandbloom
• Xx.com/oaklandbloom
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/oakland-bloom

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

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 Oakland Bloom