top of page

Diversity & Intersectionality

Far more than mere buzzwords and quotas, Intersectionality lies at the heart of everything we do at Food.Partners. Our company was started for the express purpose to support and strengthen our immigrant owned businesses and communities of color. Our leadership recognizes the huge disparity businesses and individuals face in accessing professional resources, legal, technical, and marketing expertise, capital investments, and technology to scale.

​

We have a Unique Approach in helping established businesses create safe and inclusive spaces and offer training and workshops in which teams are strengthened, not torn down. We disagree with the popular practice of guilt-shaming groups into change. We start with the premise that there is more that unites us than divides us. We Build Teams of inclusion on a foundation of commonality and shared values and not one of blame. 

Together, we work to level the playing field by creating innovative businesses centered on social justice and equity.  

Race

As one of the most commonly collected questions, racial data is easily analyzed but generalized and limited in scope by who is recognized and grouped together. When creating new policies and practices more precise data is preferred.

Ethnicity

Diversity within our ethnic communities may offer the greatest opportunity for F&B entities to increase market share and product development. Historically, natural foods businesses have had difficulty reaching ethnic communities but new policies will create future opportunities.

Color

BLACK LIVES MATTER 

Today much of the discourse around racism is in reality largely colorism. Structural reforms within organizations are needed to correct grave injustices historically made against people of color. Allied entities enact hiring and policies on advancement.

Citizenship

A disproportionate number of the estimated 11 million undocumented workers in the US work within the Food, Beverage, and Hospitality Industries. Clear employer and employee policies protect both the Investments and livelihood of businesses and workers.

Experience

One of the most common questions when hiring, “industry experience” can lead to monolithic teams lacking in inclusion. Those with similar experiences tend to come from similar backgrounds. Ideally, altering the requirements for positions including educational experience and background will lead to diversity.

​Wealth

We equate wealth with “net worth,” the sum total of your assets minus liabilities. In the United States, wealth inequality runs even more pronounced than income inequality. Understanding asset allocation will allow for the pairing of goods and services to potential customers.

Gender - Identity

Identity is how one thinks of themselves. It is proper for others to identify individuals as they view themselves and not assume one's identity based on their perceived expression. Policies on how to address both colleagues and customers  

Gender - Expression

The way someone chooses to express their gender. Inclusive facilities, policies on attire, and gender neutrality may require updates to adequately reflect one's expression. 

Orientation - Sexuality

The benefits of pro-equality business culture are significant no matter how large or small a business may be. A simple principle: Treating everyone with equal respect, benefits everyone. Business culture does affect how well people work and how well a business performs.

Familial Structure

Many policies including benefits, leave and insurance, are centered upon traditional familial structures. As the definition of family continually evolves, it has become necessary for organizations to recognize the unique familial structures and how policies affect workers and their families.

Age

Generational differences exist. Understanding the values, preferences, beliefs, and characteristics will help to create both cohesive teams and relevant products and services to customers.

Language

Typically coinciding with immigration and areas where the dominant culture is less obvious, investing in materials in other languages can help access market penetration of underserved areas.

Records - Convictions

Historically one of the most marginalized-against groups, individuals with convictions have difficulty reentering both the community and the workforce. Pioneering organizations recognize the need to move away from blanket policies that treat all with convictions identically, to those that respect individual situations.

Abilities

When writing or speaking about people with disabilities it is important to put the person first. catch-all phrases such as ‘the blind’, ‘the deaf’, or ‘the disabled’, do not reflect the individuality, equality or dignity of people with disabilities. 

ABOUT FOOD.PARTNERS

Ever wonder what it would be like having the support of expert partners working alongside you and your team? Together, we help businesses of all kinds develop, manage, and expand their policies of diversity and inclusion in a uniquely flexible and financially sustainable way.

Anchor 1
bottom of page