Toni Elka, current Executive Director and Founder of Future Chefs, directed the Anthony Spinazzola Foundation’s Culinary Apprentice Program from 2004 — 2007. Toni understood that life after high school is a risky time for students without a safety net, a plan and adult support and coaching. Her own experience as an artist, cook and youth development professional fueled her sense of excitement about directing a career program that addressed these needs.

 

Through her work with the Anthony Spinazzola Foundation and their partnership with the Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP), Toni organized a community of motivated youth, supportive teachers with high expectations, attentive parents and local chefs and restaurateurs. When the Spinazzola Foundation closed its doors in August of 2007, Toni was prepared with a recipe for the future and confident that the basic ingredients for a nourishing and exciting program existed.
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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 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.
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