Cook With Communities

What Cook With Communities does

Cook With Communities (CWC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization operating in Central Ohio that addresses food insecurity and nutrition literacy in underserved communities. Founded in 2021 and headquartered at 2250 Nayland Rd, Columbus, OH, the organization delivers three core programs: nutrition education focused on balanced-diet components and economical shopping strategies, hands-on cooking classes that teach general culinary skills using low-cost nutritious recipes, and community awareness outreach that mobilizes adjacent communities to provide donations and volunteer support. Several classes are integrated into soup kitchen and food pantry events, directly producing meals for food-insecure individuals during instruction.

The operational stack supporting these programs is intentionally lightweight. A community garden operated at Hilliard-based manufacturer CityScapes uses the Three Sisters planting method (corn, beans, squash) to produce tomatoes, basil, and other crops that are used in cooking classes and partner taste tests. Supporting digital resources include an online recipe collection with nutritional facts, curated Columbus-area restaurant recommendations with dietary accommodation indicators (vegan, diabetic-friendly, gluten-free, ketogenic), and a resources page referencing American Heart Association guidelines, MyPlate tools, and the Columbus Street Card. Content marketing extends through an educational blog featuring food science articles authored with Ohio State University Food Science graduate students, alongside organic social channels on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

The business model is a donation-funded nonprofit operating on a stated no-administrative-overhead basis, meaning the organization claims 100% of contributions go directly to community service. Donations are accepted online through the Givebutter platform and via check. The leadership team consists of co-founders Roshan Sivakumar (CEO) and Kyle Yamat (President), supported by VPs covering Education, Outreach and PR, Operations, Strategy, Finance and Accounting, and Recruitment. The organization employs 11–50 staff and volunteers, has no disclosed institutional investors or parent company, and operates entirely within the Central Ohio geography with no global footprint claim.

Name

Cook With Communities

Legal name

Cook With Communities

Website

https://cookwithcommunities.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cook With Communities is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Columbus, Ohio that delivers nutrition education, hands-on cooking classes, and community garden programming to underserved Central Ohio populations facing food insecurity, funded entirely through individual donations via Givebutter.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Nutrition and Food Security Services

NAICS

Community Food Services (624210)

akta.pro primary industry

Cooking Classes & Chef-Led Workshops (THAJAGAI)

Keywords

• Nutrition education services
• Community cooking classes
• Food insecurity programs
• Community gardening initiatives
• Nonprofit nutrition outreach

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbus

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, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: Cook With Communities is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that relies on individual contributions to finance operations. The organization states it operates with no administrative overhead, meaning all donations go directly toward serving communities. Online donations are processed through Givebutter, a free donation platform.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Cook With Communities is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides nutrition education, hands-on cooking classes, and community garden programs to underserved populations in Central Ohio. Classes are sometimes integrated with soup kitchen or food pantry events to serve food-insecure individuals. All programs are funded through individual donations processed via Givebutter.

Product overview

Cook With Communities is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization operating in Central Ohio that offers a portfolio of community nutrition programs. The core offerings consist of Nutrition Education Programs teaching balanced diet concepts and economical shopping, Hands-on Cooking Classes providing culinary skill-building, and Community Awareness Outreach mobilizing volunteer support. Supporting digital resources include an online Recipe Collection with nutritional facts, Local Restaurant Recommendations featuring Columbus-area restaurants, and Educational Resources including American Heart Association guidelines and MyPlate tools. The Community Garden program provides hands-on growing experience to supplement cooking classes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Nutrition Education Programs Educational programs teaching individuals to be nutritionally conscious while staying within various dietary preferences, including balanced diet components and economical shopping strategies. Targeted at underserved community members in Central Ohio.
• Hands-on Cooking Classes Culinary skill-building classes that teach general cooking techniques, provide low-cost nutritious recipes, and sometimes partner with soup kitchens or food pantries to serve food-insecure community members. Targeted at individuals and families in Central Ohio.
• Community Garden Program Urban gardening initiative at CityScapes in Hilliard, Ohio using the Three Sisters planting method (corn, beans, squash), producing fresh crops for cooking classes and partner organization taste tests. Targeted at community members participating in CWC programs.
• Recipe Collection Online repository of recipes with nutritional facts and health benefits, created for community taste testings and cooking classes, featuring dishes like Honey Glazed Apples and Bell Peppers, Ratatouille, and Sweet Potato Mash.
• Local Restaurant Recommendations Curated listing of local Columbus, Ohio restaurants showcasing diverse cultural cuisines, with dietary accommodation indicators (Vegan, Diabetic-friendly, Gluten-free, Ketogenic).
• Educational Resources Educational materials including American Heart Association shopping guidelines, MyPlate interactive diet planning tool, and Columbus Street Card information available through the organization's resources page.

Quantifiable outcome

• All donations go directly to serving communities with no administrative overhead

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CityScapescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCook With Communities has partnered with local manufacturer CityScapes in Hilliard, Ohio to access community gardening space. The partnership provides two raised garden beds where the organization grows tomatoes, basil, corn, beans, and squash using the Three Sisters planting method. Produce from the garden is used for cooking classes and taste tests with partner organizations.
• Soup Kitchens and Food PantriescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCWC partners with local soup kitchens and food pantries to deliver cooking classes that also provide meals to food-insecure individuals. Some cooking classes are integrated directly into soup kitchen or food pantry events.
• American Heart AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCWC's resources page references American Heart Association nutrition guidelines and shopping recommendations, including the heart-check mark program for identifying heart-healthy foods.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• FoodCorps: 501(c)(3) that connects kids to healthy food in school, including hands-on cooking and gardening education. Comparable to CWC's integrated education-plus-gardening approach, with a similar AmeriCorps/volunteer-driven operating model.
• Slow Food USA: Nonprofit focused on good, clean, fair food through education, community events, and advocacy. Comparable to CWC's mission of connecting communities around nutritious, sustainable food choices and culinary skills.
• Wholesome Wave: Nonprofit addressing food insecurity through produce-prescription and nutrition-incentive programs. Mission-aligned peer working on the same food-insecurity problem CWC targets, though via different mechanisms (vouchers vs. education).
• Cooking Matters (Share Our Strength): National nonprofit program of Share Our Strength that teaches low-income families how to shop for and cook healthy meals on a budget. Directly comparable to CWC's hands-on cooking classes and nutrition-education mission, though at much greater national scale.
• The Food Trust: Philadelphia-based nonprofit working on food access and nutrition education, including cooking and gardening programs. Comparable mission and integrated programming, though with a larger footprint and longer track record.
• God's Love We Deliver: Nonprofit providing medically tailored meals and nutrition education to people facing serious illness and food insecurity. Mission-aligned peer combining food access with nutrition education, though focused on a more specific medical-needs population.
• Local Matters (Columbus, OH): Columbus-based nonprofit focused on food education, cooking classes, and food access in Central Ohio. Head-to-head peer competing for the same local donor pool, volunteers, and beneficiary community as CWC.

Broad incumbents

• Feeding America: National network of food banks addressing hunger across the U.S. Broader incumbent serving overlapping food-insecure populations; CWC's soup-kitchen and food-pantry partnerships indirectly connect it to this network.
• Mid-Ohio Food Collective: Regional food bank serving Central Ohio including food distribution, nutrition education, and community programs. A larger, more established peer operating in the same Central Ohio geography with overlapping food-security mission.

Regional players

• Community FoodBank of New Jersey: Regional food bank providing food distribution and nutrition programming in New Jersey. Comparable community food-services nonprofit model, though operating in a different geography than CWC's Central Ohio focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/cookwithcommunities
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cook-with-communities
• Instagraminstagram.com/cookwithcommunities

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Cook With Communities