In the 2022 Nonprofit 40 Under 40 list, City & State showcases a group of young, diverse leaders in the nonprofit world who are making a difference in New York. These rising stars – all under the age of 40 – bring passion and professionalism to their work providing everything from health care services to housing support and advocacy. We’re thrilled Katie Peabody, Hot Bread Kitchen’s Director of Programs, is one of the honorees.
Hot Bread Kitchen has a unique mission, preparing women of color and immigrant women in New York City for jobs in the culinary field. As the organization’s director of programs, Katie Peabody plays a vital role ensuring that it provides quality training in food entrepreneurship and job skills to prepare participants for successful careers in the food industry.
“Our model is really centered around the people that we work with,” she says. “Our mission is to support the economic mobility and the career aspirations of each person who walks through our doors. To do this, we’ve expanded our programming.”
Peabody has helped Hot Bread Kitchen increase the range of programs it offers its participants to include classes in digital literacy and English for nonnative speakers, in order to better support women aiming to enter the culinary arts world. Peabody says there is a lack of growth in the food industry, and the programs offered help participants figure out how to find more stable jobs or make more money in their roles.
One of her proudest accomplishments is seeing how much Hot Bread Kitchen’s reach has grown since she joined the organization five years ago. At the time, Hot Bread Kitchen was connecting 30 women with jobs. Now, it’s on track to help 100 women in 2022, with a goal of supporting 1,500 participants in the next three years. Peabody hopes to stick around to ensure that growth happens.
