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The LEE Initiative

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The LEE Initiative

Building stronger communities through food.

06/10/2026

What a day.

A huge thank you to our incredible partners at PoCo Pop-Ups and Neighborhood House for helping make this year's Community Day Seafood Boil such a special event. Together, we welcomed families, shared a meal, connected with neighbors, and celebrated the strength of our community.

We're grateful to everyone who joined us, volunteered their time, and helped create an afternoon filled with good food, laughter, and meaningful connections. Events like these remind us that community is built around the table.

Thank you to PoCo Pop-Ups, Heaven Hill and Neighborhood House for your partnership, your generosity, and your commitment to making Louisville a stronger, more connected city.

Swipe through for a few of our favorite moments from the day. ❤️

05/07/2026

This semester, Skill Kitchen students are learning soups, sauces, and vinaigrettes, and bringing what they make home to share with their families ❤️

We need a lot of Ball jars to make it happen! If you’d like to support our students, check out The Skill Kitchen Wishlist in our bio. Every donation goes directly to Louisville youth.

04/17/2026

Introducing The LEE Initiative Sustainer Program.

The work we do - through Skill Kitchen and beyond - doesn’t happen in moments. It happens over time. It’s built through consistency, commitment, and a community that believes in showing up again and again. Our Sustainer Program is designed for those who want to be part of that foundation.

Monthly support allows us to not only create impactful programs, but to manage and grow them in a way that is thoughtful, sustainable, and deeply rooted in our community. From teaching essential culinary skills to local youth, to supporting the hospitality workforce and increasing access to good food, this work requires more than one-time giving.

It requires steady hands and shared investment.

By becoming a sustainer, you’re helping us plan ahead, expand our reach, and ensure that the programs we’ve built continue to thrive. Join us in building something that lasts. Learn more at www.leeinitiative.org.

04/08/2026

What started as a simple idea - bringing young people into the kitchen - has grown into something far more meaningful.

Through Skill Kitchen, we’ve had the privilege of working alongside youth in our local community, creating space for hands-on learning, confidence building, and real-life skills that extend far beyond the plate. These moments - learning to hold a knife, to work as a team, to create something from scratch - are where transformation begins.

We are honored to continue this work as a Heaven Hill Spirited Neighbor Grant recipient, deepening our commitment to investing in the next generation of hospitality leaders and changemakers.

The impact is already taking shape, and we’re just getting started. We look forward to watching the seeds we’ve planted come to fruition - one young person, one kitchen, one opportunity at a time.

03/31/2026

Join The LEE Initiative's newsletter for local independent hospitality workers, owners, and operators and stay connected to what matters: grant opportunities, employee support resources, local events, and the people shaping our community.

Sign up at the link in our bio and stay in the know.

03/10/2026

Our Skill Kitchen students recently visited Locals Food Hub & Pizza Pub, a restaurant and marketplace created to strengthen Kentucky’s food system.

Originally developed as a market to increase community access to locally produced, nutrient-rich food, Locals also supports regional farmers and producers while serving as a gathering space where neighbors can come together over a meal that truly reflects the bounty of Kentucky.

Experiences like this give our students a firsthand look at how thoughtful food sourcing, community connection, and hospitality can work together to create a more resilient local food system.

Thank you to the team at Locals for welcoming our students and sharing your mission.

03/02/2026

2025 Black Kitchen Initiative Grantee Spotlight
Shanklin Hall | Washington, DC

The LEE Initiative is proud to recognize Shanklin Hall as a 2025 grantee — a Washington, DC–based cultural and culinary platform rooted in community, heritage, and place.

Founded in 2019 by a group of friends and siblings during a visit to Pharrell’s Something in the Water, Shanklin Hall was created to revive the community-centered gatherings that have long defined DC, shaped by the founders’ own experiences growing up in the city. The name reflects that intention — an amalgamation of the founders’ surnames, including siblings from the Shanklin family and partners sharing the Hall name — grounding the project in family, history, and shared identity.

Since its inception, Shanklin Hall has become known for innovative, culturally resonant programming, including art activations, wellness sessions, brunches, and social gatherings that center connection and creativity. Food plays a growing role in this work, particularly through chef-driven pop-up experiences that bring people together around the table.

A recent example is the return of consulting chef Bevon Wilcox for his ongoing pop-up dinner series, Sunday at Bev’s. Designed as a relaxed yet refined Sunday gathering, the series uses food, music, and shared space to evoke memory and connection — inviting guests to break bread with loved ones while enjoying classic sounds in an intimate setting.

Shanklin Hall’s next chapter includes establishing a permanent brick-and-mortar home in the former Columbia Station space on 18th Street NW, once one of DC’s historic jazz clubs. The project seeks to honor the legacy of Black Broadway and Chocolate City while creating a contemporary space for cultural continuity in Adams Morgan.

This grant supports Shanklin Hall as it continues to expand its role as a home for food, culture, and community in Washington, DC.

Congratulations to the Shanklin Hall family!

02/17/2026

2025 Black Kitchen Initiative Grantee Spotlight
Taste Tutor | Seattle, WA

The LEE Initiative is proud to recognize Taste Tutor as a 2025 grantee - a culinary education and consulting platform where food, science, and culture intersect with clarity and intention.

Founded by Chef Adunni, Taste Tutor reflects more than two decades of experience across restaurants and consumer packaged goods, paired with a deep commitment to teaching people why food works. By day, Adunni is a food scientist for a Seattle-based food company; beyond that, she brings her expertise into kitchens through cooking classes, private dinners, recipe development, pop-ups, catering, and food business consulting.

Adunni’s culinary perspective is shaped by a richly layered background — a Black American and Yoruba woman who spent early childhood in Nigeria, grew up alongside Caribbean family, and was raised in the Carolinas. That intersection of cultures informs Taste Tutor’s approach: boldly flavored, diasporic, nostalgic, and grounded in both tradition and technique.

Taste Tutor unites culinary arts, food science, and nutrition, helping people build confidence by understanding flavor development, ingredient behavior, and cultural context. Whether teaching a class, consulting a brand, or working one-on-one, Adunni empowers cooks to move beyond recipes - encouraging curiosity, adaptability, and personal expression in the kitchen.

This grant supports Taste Tutor as it continues to expand its educational reach and redefine how people engage with food - thoughtfully, joyfully, and with intention.

Congrats, Chef Adunni!

02/12/2026

2025 Black Kitchen Initiative Grantee Spotlight
Beyond Amazing Donuts | Charlotte, NC

The LEE Initiative is proud to recognize Beyond Amazing Donuts (B.A.D. Donuts) as a 2025 grantee - a pastry-driven concept grounded in technical training, persistence, and a clear point of view on craft.

Founder Jasmine Macon, who holds an A.S. in Baking & Pastry and a B.S. in Food Service Management, has been developing her voice in the donut space since 2015. Her entry into the industry began with Sugar Donuts, a food truck operation where she worked closely with the owner during the brand’s formative stages. That experience, she says, “sparked something in me and I fell in love with donuts,” setting the foundation for a career centered on pastry.

Her path continued through Charlotte’s hospitality scene, including work at Joe’s Doughs and later as pastry chef at Leah & Louise. When COVID-19 disrupted the restaurant’s planned opening, Macon pivoted creatively — launching a monthly donut pastry box that quickly built a dedicated following. Demand grew, leading to a weekly Saturday pop-up at Hex Coffee Roasters while she continued her role at Leah & Louise, further refining her product and expanding her audience.

This grant supports Beyond Amazing Donuts as Macon continues to scale her operation and deepen her impact within Charlotte’s pastry and culinary community.

Congratulations to Jasmine and the team at Beyond Amazing Donuts!

02/09/2026

2025 Black Kitchen Initiative Grantee Spotlight
Bentley Bowl | Bakersfield, California

The LEE Initiative is proud to recognize Bentley Bowl as a 2025 grantee - a mobile kitchen concept reimagining soul food through a California lens while building a scalable model rooted in entrepreneurship and cultural tradition.

Founded by brothers Bentley and Kadar Waller, Bentley Bowl grew from a shared childhood steeped in family cooking and the influence of their aunt, Celebrity Chef Ora E. From an early age, Bentley developed a natural instinct in the kitchen - earning the nickname “2am Chef B” for his late-night cooking - while Kadar brought strong business acumen and operational vision. Together, they transformed their passion into a state-of-the-art mobile kitchen franchise designed to bring accessible, high-quality soul food to diverse communities.

Bentley Bowl’s menu centers on California-infused soul food bowls that balance comfort and freshness: layered rice and potatoes, carefully prepared proteins, vibrant vegetables, and their signature seasoning. Each dish reflects the brothers’ philosophy that soul food can be both indulgent and nourishing, honoring generational recipes while embracing contemporary influences.

We’re proud to support their continued growth and innovation!

Address

610 W. Magnolia Avenue
Louisville, KY
40208

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm
Saturday	9am - 5pm
Sunday	1pm - 5pm

Telephone

5026360783

Website

http://www.leeinitiative.org/, https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfMfp5s_rgH6mCC00Ar1S1sTyl1dXpgbCjhJn4lMCX4Rigt9

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