Helping People See Possibility: Reflections on Culinary Kickstart

Helping People See Possibility: Reflections on Culinary Kickstart

I believe some of the most meaningful work happens when we help people see possibility in themselves, and when good ideas are paired with practical action.

I saw that belief in practice through Culinary Kickstart, a workforce development collaboration involving the University of Alaska Anchorage hospitality program, Covenant House Alaska, and a steering committee made up of leaders from 10 Anchorage restaurants, including my role representing Northern Hospitality Group.

Built from concept to execution, the program was designed to help young adults ages 18–22 (pre-selected and supported by Covenant House social workers) explore pathways into hospitality and the workforce. Participants moved through a three-week progression: workplace readiness, foundational training through UAA, and hands-on industry exposure with restaurant partners.

As part of the steering committee, I helped shape the program's structure as it evolved. My contributions included shaping curriculum elements, coordinating support across departments within my company, organizing interview tools and restaurant site visits, and building a simple feedback mechanism to improve the program moving forward.

I also delivered a talk to the cohort on the state of hospitality in Alaska, the industry's opportunities, and what it can mean to build a path through work.

What I found especially rewarding was the collaboration itself. Working alongside peers across the restaurant industry, hearing how others think, and building something collectively was energizing. So was working with social workers whose patience and belief in these young people shaped the spirit of the program. And most of all, engaging directly with the students, their questions, their uncertainty, their resilience, and their hope, was deeply meaningful.

There were tangible outcomes. Participants were hired, including 25% of the class, by our company alone, with additional hires across partner businesses. There is already discussion of expanding the program to run multiple times annually.

But the value of the experience wasn’t only in placements. It was in seeing what can happen when industry, education, and community partners come together to build something practical, human, and hopeful. These are the kinds of projects I care deeply about—where strategy, collaboration, and opportunity intersect, and where the work can make a lasting difference.