Toni Elka, Executive Director and Founder of Future Chefs understands that life after high school is a risky time for students without a plan, adult support and coaching. She was a cook, caterer and youth development leader for many years and her passion for the culinary arts fueled her sense of excitement about directing a career program that addressed the needs of urban youth who might find fulfillment in this creative, hands-on field.
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YEAR ONE: Toni Elka founded Future Chefs at the end of 2007. As a former leader and developer of the award winning Massachusetts Annual Peer Institute, Toni experienced the positive impact of good youth development programming: • Youth making the transition to adult roles and responsibilities • Adults benefitting from the energy and ideas of young people In the culinary industry, youthful energy and hard work are sought after and young chefs learn their craft by apprenticing with seasoned professionals. A program like Future Chefs had the potential to bring these elements together creating a great school to career program for a population of youth who were often overlooked in other college prep programs. However, two important ingredients were missing - funding and organization. Toni looked to her network to help her spread the word and the Paul and Phyllis Fireman Charitable Foundation came forward with a onetime grant of $250,000. Third Sector New England agreed to be a fiscal sponsor to the organization and Future Chefs was born. A staff of two paid employees worked with 46 students, awarding $146,000 in scholarships, gift certificates and books to 16 graduates in its first year. Thirteen alumni joined the Future Chefs community to act as ambassadors in their own colleges and places of employment.

YEAR ONE:
In 2008, Toni created Future Chefs to help youth discover their own ‘recipe for success’. She was able to secure a major seed grant to begin operations but months after its inauguration, the economic market crashed and Future Chefs was at a premature breaking point. Unwilling to give up, she worked tirelessly to win the support of several local foundations and individual donors and, as a result, was able to serve 46 students and provide $146,000 in scholarships!

 YEAR ONE: Toni Elka founded Future Chefs at the end of 2007. As a former leader and developer of the award winning Massachusetts Annual Peer Institute, Toni experienced the positive impact of good youth development programming: • Youth making the transition to adult roles and responsibilities • Adults benefitting from the energy and ideas of young people In the culinary industry, youthful energy and hard work are sought after and young chefs learn their craft by apprenticing with seasoned professionals. A program like Future Chefs had the potential to bring these elements together creating a great school to career program for a population of youth who were often overlooked in other college prep programs. However, two important ingredients were missing - funding and organization. Toni looked to her network to help her spread the word and the Paul and Phyllis Fireman Charitable Foundation came forward with a onetime grant of $250,000. Third Sector New England agreed to be a fiscal sponsor to the organization and Future Chefs was born. A staff of two paid employees worked with 46 students, awarding $146,000 in scholarships, gift certificates and books to 16 graduates in its first year. Thirteen alumni joined the Future Chefs community to act as ambassadors in their own colleges and places of employment.
YEAR TWO: Now in its second year, Future Chefs has begun working with the 86 students and 30 alumni currently enrolled in the program. With some significant challenges in the funding environment, Future Chefs is facing the task of moving the program forward without a primary funder and building an active advisory board to help the organization become sustainable. Toni is studying at the Institute for Non Profit Management and Leadership at the BU School of Management and looking forward to building Future Chefs into a successful, sustainable organization.
YEAR TWO:

The social need for the program was apparent and even amidst the greatest economic crisis of our time, it was a tremendous year of growth for Future Chefs. Formal partnerships were created with 5 post secondary culinary programs; a School-to-Career Specialist was hired to work with the growing number of participants and to support development of the program model; foundation grants were coming in; and students were leaving high school with plans for success. Future Chefs was thriving!

 

YEAR THREE:
Future Chefs has served 200 students in the Greater Boston Area and is thrilled to be establishing a growing community of volunteers, institutions, restaurateurs, individual donors, industry professionals, and educators. With the number of students who are ‘working the plan’ (in professional jobs) increasing every year, Future Chefs is happy to have strong relationships with many local restaurants and employers including: Aramark Fenway Park, Ashmont Grill, Rialto, Hungry Mother, Highland Kitchen, The Elephant Walk, Tavolo Ristorante, T.W Food, The Seaport Hotel and many more. Support for the program has been generously funded by a number of prominent foundations and Future Chefs is proud to be recognized as a 2011 Social Innovator (Employment and Education Track) by the Root Cause Social Innovation Forum.

 

With the support of community partners, Future Chefs is transitioning from a successful start up to an established, small organization. As the organization expands the opportunities it provides for urban youth, Future Chefs looks forward to: building its outreach and capacity to serve urban youth by moving into a Boston teaching kitchen and home office; adding additional student services to create a more robust program; increasing relationships within the food service industry; and adding new and diverse sources of funding to support our ongoing operations and future plans.