In Salem, Massachusetts, Root is on a mission to help young adults build independence through hands-on culinary training and employment. Their 14-week program blends practical foodservice experience with personal finance and career readiness, preparing youth to step confidently into the workforce.
But for many graduates, the leap from Root’s supportive environment to the fast-paced reality of external jobs is daunting. Jumping into demanding production kitchens led some alumni to feel overwhelmed and check out.
Root had just completed an ambitious three-year strategic plan to deepen their impact with youth and young adults in their program and beyond. But to truly bring that vision to life, they needed outside expertise—someone who could help them reimagine the post-program journey and build stronger employment pathways for alumni.
They turned to FareStart Consulting.
The Approach: Listening, Co-Creating and Aligning
FareStart didn’t arrive with a prewritten playbook. Instead, they began by listening. “I appreciate how they got to learn our team and understand our organization,” said Merlinda Marseille Philippe, Director of Programs at Root.
FareStart held focus groups with Root’s youth participants, spoke with alumni, and engaged community partners and staff across the organization. The goal was simple: understand the real barriers to success and co-create solutions with those most impacted.
To create more real-world production opportunities for alumni, FareStart helped Root plan to scale their community meals and catering operations, which would also increase earned revenue to support Root’s sustainability.
Then FareStart convened local employers to co-develop externship opportunities for youth at their businesses—critical steppingstones for alumni to gain confidence and secure meaningful jobs beyond Root’s training environment.
The Result: Confidence, Structure and Momentum
Together, Root and FareStart designed a new alumni transitional employment program that didn’t just continue training but reimagined it.
This three-to-six-month program gives Root graduates the time and structure they need to build on their initial culinary training and step confidently into the workforce. Through side-by-side training with staff in Root’s different enterprises, alumni gradually take on more responsibility and independence.
Monthly goal check-ins, performance reviews and a flexible “off-ramp” ensure that each participant gets what they need, whether that’s more support through Root or a path elsewhere. In the final stretch, alumni receive intensive professional development, choose a specialty and complete an externship with an employer aligned to their interests. It all culminates in a capstone project, such as planning and executing a community meal.
And it’s already making a difference.
One participant, Serena, is thriving in her first few months of the program—so much so that Root is already considering hiring her after she completes the full term.
A Partnership with Lasting Impact
FareStart’s collaborative approach didn’t just improve a program, it empowered a team and ignited new possibilities for young people navigating life after training.
“[FareStart] helped me understand the direction I wanted my team to go,” shared Merlinda. “We’re giving young people opportunities to really develop and figure out their goals.”
FareStart continues to offer national consulting support to organizations like Root that seek to launch or enhance job training social enterprises. Over its 20-year history, FareStart Consulting has helped over 300 organizations across the United States.
As Merlinda put it, “We want to continue working with you guys… I just love the openness and the resources that you’ve given us.”
Read more about the impact of FareStart Consulting at Common Grounds in Lansdale, PA, and Together We Bake in VA.
