Sabrina Mutukisna
Sabrina Mutukisna
founder & CEO of The Town Kitchen
Q&A
What inspired you to start
The Town Kitchen?
I was raised in my parents’ dry cleaner and grew up working all sorts of entry-level jobs. I always knew the value of a college degree but by the time I attended UC Berkeley, I realized that navigating the education system was challenging. I became passionate about supporting young people and have always wanted to make the path to college graduation easier.
What's been your greatest reward?
There have been so many rewarding aspects of launching The Town Kitchen but I'm most excited about our impact. We currently employ 12 young people (ages 15-26) at an average hourly wage of $15.86. Over 40% of our employees were either incarcerated or grew up in foster care and we've had 81% employee retention over the last three years.
What would you like the next generation of girls to know?
Be fearless! It won't be easy and, at times, it may feel near impossible, but don't back down from your dreams.
"The inspiration for The Town Kitchen came from the realization that my own college success really began with the skills, self-confidence, and stability of my first jobs."
Lunch with a purpose...
In the face of a tech boom that is raising rents and forcing people out, Sabrina wanted to make sure young people in the California Bay Area could find jobs that provide an entry to long-term employment at a fair wage.
So, she founded The Town Kitchen.
The Town Kitchen is a community-driven food company that provides on the job training, a crash course in entrepreneurship, and a path toward economic mobility for transitional-aged youth.
They make and deliver healthy, chef-crafted, boxed lunch for businesses and buffets for parties and conferences in Oakland, Berkeley and San Fransisco.
"Our world needs more innovators and problem solvers. Women have proven to be great leaders."
