Shauna Simkin
Mini doughnuts, premium vegan hot chocolate, gourmet granola snacks, freshly brewed coffee. When the co-chairs of last year’s African American Student Union Annual Conference planned the snacks and meals for the three-day event, they were delighted to find options that were not only delicious, but also supported small, Black-owned businesses.
Thompson Hospitality, the largest minority-owned foodservice company in the country, has partnered with Restaurant Associates (RA) to provide meals and catering for Harvard Business School (HBS). From themed educational events showcasing chefs’ special family recipes, to AAPI Heritage Month menus, to dishes and products for conferences and affinity group gatherings, Thompson and RA aim to highlight and educate on the richness of different cultures and support small businesses.
“Our mission is to bring attention to underrepresented vendors who don’t get enough attention,” said Lisa Plummer, director of joint ventures at Thompson. “We bring these companies into larger corporate facilities, schools and hospitals to educate them about cultural diversity, raise awareness and help them grow.”
When the operations team considered proposals for the 2022 bidding process, they were familiar with RA, which has run the program at HBS for 31 years, but not Thompson Hospitality. Intrigued by the joint venture and the opportunity to shine a spotlight on a lesser-known business, the team naturally said yes to the proposal. Now, two years later, the partnership is showing signs of success.
“We’re really starting to see the benefits of diversity and inclusion in our foodservice program — how we procure and where we source,” said Andrew Falzone, senior director of campus and event services. “Our foodservice program has a lot of buying power, and if we can make an impact, it goes a long way. I think that makes a difference in the community and in the organization.”
At HBS, this is most evident in the retail offerings found around campus: nutrition bars from 88Acres, a local HBS alumni-run company; Partake cookies, a Black and Asian American woman-run company; and Blk&Bold Coffee, a Black-owned coffee brand. Other offerings include Lyndigo spices (Black-owned) and dairy from Mapleline Farm (fifth-generation women-run) in the kitchens, wine from a Black woman-run South African vineyard and doughnuts from LGBTQ-owned BlissBomb at graduation and alumni events. At the Chef’s Table during Women’s History Month, Thompson executive chef Javier Aramboles chats with students and faculty over Asopao de Camarones made by his aunt.
Plummer finds vendors through word of mouth, small business fairs and tours in the New York tri-state and Northeast Corridor regions, and research on LinkedIn and news media. If a vendor’s product and mission align with Thompson’s, she gets more information. What stage are they in their business? Are they just starting out and building their inventory, or do they have the capacity to grow and sell their product to larger companies? Do they need certifications or grants from local or federal agencies? Support ranges from connecting vendors with financial and educational support to enrolling them in Thompson’s accelerator programs to scale their business to key markets. Sometimes it’s slow and steady, with small steps, other times it’s jumping right in and signing on.
“In a predominantly white neighborhood, many minority-owned businesses don’t have the resources that other businesses have,” Plummer said. “Financials, services, medical care, product exposure can hold them back. There are all kinds of certifications — Black-owned, women-owned, Black women-owned, large business, small business — but if you don’t have someone to help you, it can be frustrating. Many businesses fail because they don’t have financial backing, capital, warehouses, or structure. It takes a long time to build, and if you’re on your own and have to comply with someone else’s regulations, it’s a defeat.”
Once these companies enter the Harvard market, they often find that even more doors open to them: Plummer explained that Fortune 500 companies and large foodservice organizations like Sysco are more likely to try products they’ve never heard of if they have a recommendation or success story from a recognizable source.
“Partnering with Thompson allows us to offer products that simply can’t be found anywhere else and forge meaningful connections with our community, including students, staff, executive education participants and colleagues in the kitchen,” said RA General Manager Todd Mulder. “We’re opening our tents to as many people as possible and using our economic power to positively impact underrepresented vendors. We’re listening to our community and promoting inclusivity, and we’re excited to continue this effort.”