The holiday season is often busy, and Emma's Torch is here to help! Our gift boxes help to streamline your end-of-year plans by offering a spectrum of delicious products appreciated across a variety of palettes. Your clients, colleagues, and partners will enjoy the versatility of our selections while learning more about our mission of empowerment through culinary education. Order today to beat the holiday rush (group & corporate rates available): https://lnkd.in/eBE-Svi6. #EmmasTorch #EmpowerRefugees #CulinaryTraining #SupportLocal #FoodieGifts #HolidayGifts #HolidayShopping
Emma's Torch
Civic and Social Organizations
Brooklyn, New York 1,809 followers
We provide top-notch culinary training to refugees and help them find meaningful careers in the food industry.
About us
For refugees coming to America, one of the hardest parts of the transition can be finding a new job, particularly one that is the starting point of a meaningful career. A job is important for more than a paycheck: it is a chance to meet new people, practice language skills, and find a sense of fulfillment and self-worth. Enter Emma’s Torch, a non-profit social enterprise. Our mission is to train refugees, asylees, and survivors of human trafficking in the culinary arts and to empower them to build meaningful careers in the culinary industry. Our students participate in a full-time paid culinary training program that prepares them for successful employment in an industry in which their heritage and cuisine can be celebrated. We provide a community in which they can build supportive relationships. Founded in 2016, we opened our first permanent restaurant location in Brooklyn in 2018. Since then, we have opened a cafe in Washington, DC and also operate the cafe at the Brooklyn Public Library. Emma’s Torch honors Emma Lazarus, a staunch advocate for refugee rights whose poem, “The New Colossus,” adorns the Statue of Liberty.
- Website
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http://www.EmmasTorch.org
External link for Emma's Torch
- Industry
- Civic and Social Organizations
- Company size
- 11-50 employees
- Headquarters
- Brooklyn, New York
- Type
- Nonprofit
- Founded
- 2016
Locations
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Primary
Get directions
345 Smith St
Brooklyn, New York 11231, US
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Get directions
10 Grand Army Plaza
Brooklyn, New York 11238, US
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2212 Rhode Island Ave NE
Washington, District of Columbia 20018, US
Employees at Emma's Torch
Updates
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We're very grateful to José Andrés for including Emma's Torch on his list! We're proud to contribute to the DC restaurant community alongside amazing peers like DC Central Kitchen! Check out the full article from the Financial Times: https://lnkd.in/eAmXGt-P
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We're incredibly proud of our Founder & Executive Director Kerry Brodie and her journey from culinary school to thriving social enterprise!
A decade ago, I was the nervous new student at the Institute of Culinary Education, dreaming of Emma's Torch and trying not to cut myself. On Monday night, I got to return to celebrate its 50th anniversary—this time surrounded by some of my culinary idols and the community that helped shape Emma’s Torch. Thank you, Rick Smilow, for a truly unforgettable evening. My culinary heart is very full.
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Today is #GivingTuesday, a powerful initiative to support the important work of nonprofit organizations around the world. At Emma's Torch, our mission is to empower refugees, asylees, and survivors of trafficking through culinary education. 💚 That means our students gain the skills and confidence to pursue careers in the restaurant industry. 💚 That means their families find the stability they need to start putting down roots. 💚 That means our communities become enriched by everything our newest neighbors bring to the table. Your support makes all of this possible: visit emmastorch.org/donate to make your gift today.
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Closing out our week is a shout-out to our external partners! Our referral partners help us reach amazing students by connecting them to us, and they help us empower our students by providing support services beyond our scope. Our employer partners demonstrate that believe not just in what Emma's Torch is doing, but how we're doing it, often serving the as the first, second, or even third steps our graduates take after they finish our program. They also form the first building blocks of our students' professional networks, helping them pursue careers in a new field as they build a life in their new home. Thank you all for being part of the Emma's Torch community! #ETgratitude
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The important work we do at Emma's Torch wouldn't be possible without you: our donors and our customers! In both a literal and symbolic sense, you have joined us at the table and put your money where your mouth is, and we are deeply grateful for the faith you've placed in us. We're committed to continuing to provide top-tier programming, outstanding outcomes, and delicious food, so we hope you'll stick with us as we enter a milestone year in 2026. Thank you for being part of the Emma's Torch community! #ETgratitude
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Continuing our reflection on thankfulness this week, we are deeply grateful for our dedicated Board members! Their leadership, support, and guidance have fueled our growth and served as an inspiration for everyone at Emma's Torch as we educate and build community. They have also been instrumental in helping us spread the word about our program and our social ventures and are among our most enthusiastic cheerleaders. We look forward to continuing the journey together – thank you for being part of the Emma's Torch community! #ETgratitude
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Emma's Torch reposted this
Celebrating resilience, removing barriers and creating pathways for success. Meet Mamadou. He dreamed of becoming a chef and sharing the flavours of his culture through food, and through determination and hard work, he’s turning that dream into reality. With the support of the culinary workforce development programme from Emma's Torch, delivered in partnership with Flik Hospitality Group and The Compass Group Foundation, Mamadou has built new skills and grown in confidence, becoming a valued member of his local community. His journey isn’t just inspiring - it’s a reminder of what happens when talent and ambition meet opportunity. 🔗 Learn more about how The Compass Group Foundation’s charity partners are helping people like Mamadou unlock new possibilities: https://lnkd.in/eRHZcFac #CompassGroupFoundation #BuildingFutures
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Next up in our shout-outs this week to the people who make Emma's Torch work are... the people who literally do the work: our amazing staff! Every member of the ET team is highly dedicated to our mission, whether their role involves education, mentoring, hands-on training, connecting with external partners, or behind-the-scenes support. Our team is also committed to fostering a culture that celebrates showing up as your authentic self, and this welcoming energy sets the tone for how we interact with everyone who touches Emma's Torch. We are grateful to be part of this incredible community! #ETgratitude
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We want to let our wonderful DMV customers know that our café at 2212 Rhode Island Avenue NE is now closed. We’re grateful for our time in this space and the incredible relationships we’ve built with our neighbors in Brookland and our fellow mission-driven organizations the DMV. As our first location outside of New York, our home at 2212 helped Emma’s Torch expand to a new community and serve a growing circle of customers and students. To everyone who’s been part of our D.C. journey, we want to be clear: this is not a goodbye – it’s a “see you later.” We’re in the process of building out our new space in Silver Spring – just a few stops north on the Red Line – and we’ll be back in 2026! Keep an eye out for our grand opening in Montgomery County (MoCo) by following our social media for updates. We’ll be using #ETbuildtogether to remind everyone that Emma’s Torch embodies The Kitchen We Build Together. Thank you for all of the warm memories on RI Ave, and see you soon!
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