DENVER — A Denver entrepreneur whose dream of getting fresh food into the hands of communities in need is getting some much needed help thanks to the mentorship of a Denver nonprofit which works to elevate Latino leaders.
At a warehouse in Denver, a tightly-knit team packs fresh produce into boxes. Palisade peaches, onions and jalapeño peppers — all grown in Colorado farms.
“This is all local food. It’s higher quality, the shelf life is better, the flavor is better and it's just a beautiful harmony of producer, supplier and customer,” said Roberto Meza, the entrepreneur who launched the East Denver Food Hub four years ago.
Meza got started growing produce at his own farm, Emerald Gardens.
“We're growing sustainably year-round in greenhouses and shipping containers,” he said.
But at first, he faced challenges getting that food into communities.
“What we found was that there was a missing link in the local food system,” he said. “Aggregation, distribution, access to markets.”
So, he connected with other farmers to build a collaborative vision for changing those systems.
“The Food Hub is more than just a hub for food. It's a hub for ideas, and it's a hub for innovation,” he said. “We start to see and taste and feel what it's like to be in a food economy that honors the land, that values the worker and that promotes animal welfare as well.”
Meza focuses on connecting communities experiencing food insecurity with boxes of fresh vegetables, fruits and meat. He funds the operation with donations, grants and partnerships with local, state and federal government agencies.
As he’s scaled up, he’s noticed that hospitals, schools and food service management companies are also looking for local food grown and distributed in ways that positively impact the environment and support underserved communities. “We want to make it easy for them,” he said.
But growing his business beyond the million-dollar mark in just a few years has come with challenges.
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“Taking risks is necessary,” Meza said. But he’s felt supported along the way by a network of mentors.
Meza was one of the first entrepreneurs to graduate from the Latino Leadership Institute’s Latino Entrepreneur Access Program – LEAP.
“I was able to form really great relationships,” he said, which made him realize, “I'm not alone.”
Joelle Martinez helped launch the Latino Leadership Institute (LLI) 10 years ago. Their culturally-relevant training programs and networking opportunities guide Latinos through the problems they might face in their careers.
“Latino businesses are the backbone of our economy,” Martinez said. But even though “Latino businesses open at 10 times the rate of white businesses… only 3% ever make it to the million-dollar mark.”
To change those odds, LLI supports entrepreneurs like Meza.
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Meza “absolutely is reflective of what we're trying to create here,” Martinez said. “A Latino entrepreneur who has opportunity for growth and scalability, who can leverage a network of experts who can help him build his business.”
While LLI started small in Denver, over the years, it has made its programs available nationwide and in countries abroad, including Australia and Canada.
“LLI boasts 800 alumni from coast to coast,” Martinez said. That includes graduates from LEAP and the Ignite program aimed at using neuroscience and cultural awareness to help Latinos advance in their professional journeys.
At a time when “there's pushback, potentially, on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion,” she said LLI is focused on “building, truly, honestly, what could be a global network of Latino leaders and entrepreneurs supporting, advocating and investing in one another.”
“Supporting this network, that's going to be a game changer for our community,” she said.
For Meza, the support is already transforming his business.
“We’re at a point where we can purchase this warehouse,” he said. “It’s those relationships that have built a community of collaborators and people that embrace the vision that something different is possible.”
He knows it’s risky to take the leap into starting a business. But he hopes more Latinos will join him.
“We need entrepreneurs that are ambitious enough to take on the demands of the world today,” he said. “We can do it together.”
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