CommonWealth Kitchen staff, members speak out over toxic nonprofit: Globe report

"The food incubator, located at 196 Quincy St. in Dorchester, has been in operation since 2009 under a different name at the time, CropCircle Kitchen, a business that always served as a shared kitchen for entrepreneurs but transformed into a mission-driven nonprofit once Faigel took over in 2014. It raised money and bagged donations from big foundations by selling itself as a resource and training ground for minority-owned food businesses, such as Gourmet Kreyol and Jamaica Mi Hungry."

"But some of its members, including Gourmet Kreyol, accused CommonWealth Kitchen of not offering its members - who have to pay CWK rent to use its facilities and services - the support and training it had promised these business owners. Nathalie Lecorps, owner of Gourmet Kreyol, told the Globe she hadn't received training in years, was overcharged for kitchen rental time, and felt tokenized by the nonprofit that used members' stories for fundraising efforts"

CommonWealth Kitchen is a Dorchester food incubator operating since 2009, originally named CropCircle Kitchen. Jen Faigel became executive director in 2014 and steered the organization toward a mission-driven nonprofit model that raised foundation funding. The organization marketed itself as a resource and training ground for minority-owned food businesses such as Gourmet Kreyol and Jamaica Mi Hungry. Dozens of current and former members and staff alleged years of internal strife, claiming inadequate training, overcharging for kitchen time, tokenization in fundraising materials, staff poaching, and direct competition for contracts. Some members sent cease-and-desist letters and departed the incubator.

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