Rise Together: Fueling Dreams, Building Futures

Help Us Complete Phase Two of the 6888 Kitchen Incubator

Every great business starts with a dream. At the 6888 Kitchen Incubator, we're turning those dreams into reality—one entrepreneur at a time.

Named after the heroic 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion led by Dayton native Lt. Col. Charity Adams Earley, our kitchen incubator carries forward a legacy of breaking barriers and creating opportunity where none existed before.

Our Story

Six years ago, three seasoned food entrepreneurs—Dabriah Rice, Charlynda Scales, and Jamaica White—came together around a shared vision. They had each overcome the challenges of starting food businesses: the lack of mentorship, the constant need for capital, and the struggle to find affordable commercial kitchen space. But they knew too many others weren't as fortunate.

Their response was simple yet powerful: "Let's create an organization that addresses all these needs and more!"

Today, the 6888 Kitchen Incubator stands as a beacon of hope in Dayton's historic Arcade, where dreams take shape in stainless steel and community support.

The Impact We've Created Together

Over the Past 3 Years:

47 food entrepreneurs have graduated from our comprehensive Sharpen the Axe program
$24,000+ in revenue generated through our Catering Collective
Dozens of jobs created across member businesses
Cultural traditions preserved through family recipes and culinary heritage

This Year's Breakthroughs:

🎓 Launched our first-ever Sharpen the Axe Financial Literacy Conference featuring expert speakers from Fortune 500 companies and successful food brands
🤝 Started Food Founder Nights to build lasting community connections beyond our kitchen walls
🏆 Received the BBB Spark Award for entrepreneurship and community impact
📈 Supported member businesses like Boss Potatoes (featured in multiple media outlets) and Side Piece Soul Cafe (named "Top Five to Eat on DoorDash")

The Dream: Phase Two Expansion

We're so close to something transformational. With your help, we can complete Phase Two of our kitchen incubator and exponentially increase our impact.

What $100,000 Will Help Build:

🏠 Two Private Cooking Pods Perfect for entrepreneurs developing signature recipes or working on product innovation without distractions.

📦 Expanded Storage Facilities Critical space for growing businesses to store inventory, ingredients, and equipment as they scale.

👩‍🍳 Dedicated Catering/Classroom Kitchen A specialized space for training events, cooking classes, and large-scale catering preparation.

What This Means:

Dozens more food entrepreneurs served annually
Enhanced Sharpen the Axe programming with hands-on learning spaces
2026 relaunch of our online course and book to reach entrepreneurs nationwide
Continued Food Founder Nights and community building events

Meet Our Entrepreneurs

Tyneshia Knolton started A Grazing Experience with monthly revenue of just $0-500. After completing our Sharpen the Axe program, she's now generating $14,500 annually and regularly participates in community events.

"The positive impact it has on food entrepreneurs... Keep on being an advocate for food entrepreneurs like myself." - Tyneshia

Martina Scott of Boss Potatoes transformed her business from $2,501-5,000 in monthly revenue to over $5,000+, with features in Channel 2, Channel 7, and Channel 22.

"It's a wonderful place to scale your business. I love I can come home now and relax instead of work." - Martina

Briana Parks of Side Piece Soul Cafe built her business to $70,000 in annual revenue while working full-time in our kitchen and creating a recognizable brand.

"My life will be forever changed." - Briana

Your Impact

$50 - Provides business coaching for one entrepreneur

$100 - Sponsors kitchen supplies for a month

$250 - Funds one entrepreneur through a Sharpen the Axe workshop

$500 - Supports kitchen equipment for Phase Two

$1,000 - Sponsors a full month of programming for multiple entrepreneurs

Every dollar brings us closer to completing Phase Two and serving dozens more food entrepreneurs.

Why 6888 Kitchen Matters

In a world where small businesses face increasing challenges, the 6888 Kitchen Incubator offers something irreplaceable: community, expertise, and opportunity.

We're not just building a kitchen—we're building futures. We're preserving cultural traditions while creating economic opportunities. We're proving that when we rise together, everyone succeeds.

The entrepreneurs who walk through our doors aren't just starting businesses. They're feeding families, creating jobs, and strengthening communities.

Be Part of the Story

The next chapter of the 6888 Kitchen story is being written right now. With Phase Two, we'll transform from a successful local incubator into a national model for food entrepreneurship.

But we can't do it without you.

Your donation—whether $25 or $2,500—helps us complete this vision and create a lasting legacy of opportunity in the Dayton region and beyond.

Join us. Rise with us. Let's fuel dreams and build futures together.

The 6888 Kitchen Incubator is a program of the OH Taste Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All donations are tax-deductible.

Questions? Contact us at kitchen@ohtaste.org or (937) 203-0802

Learn more: www.6888kitchen.org

Rise Together: Fueling Dreams, Building Futures

A Celebration of Food, Community & Dreams

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