JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – This month’s Positively JAX winner is serving up more than great food — they’re serving opportunity.
The Empowered Kitchen is helping local female chefs turn recipes into revenue, and for many, it’s a life-changing first step toward owning a business.
The Empowered Kitchen calls itself a launchpad for culinary dreams, giving female food entrepreneurs the tools, training, and community to grow.
Founder and chef of 30 years, Chriss Brown, built The Empowered Kitchen to be the support system she never had.
“That was the whole purpose of feeding the future and the Empowered Kitchen — we can help launch them as businesses. Because part of being a small business owner is the failing part and getting back up," Brown said.
Brown said community and confidence can be game-changers, especially for women in the culinary industry.
“As a woman, it’s a challenge of balance. And in the corporate world, we often get treated completely differently,” Brown said.
At Empowered Kitchen, entrepreneurs get to test, prep, package and sell their products to real customers.
“We test their products with them, we let them sell their products, and then we get feedback from customers,” Brown said.
One of those success stories is Erin McBride, who launched the Jacked Food Truck with a focus on jackfruit-based dishes.
McBride said The Empowered Kitchen helped her sharpen her business skills.
“They help connect me with different event vendors. They help me see where I could improve when it comes to pitching the business and ideas,” McBride said.
Brown said she is proud of McBride.
“I’m very proud — great product, great job. She brings a lot to the team," Brown said.
And McBride said having this support is life-changing.
“It helps me feel like I’m not alone. And they’re guiding me in the right direction, because they’ve also had these same experiences,” McBride said.
The Empowered Kitchen proves that collaboration, not competition, can push everyone forward.
“When you start working together and learning… competition builds commerce. So I can sell burgers, and across the street you can sell burgers, but we’re going to learn from each other," Brown said.
For Brown, it’s not just about food — it’s about feeding families, fueling futures, and helping local talent thrive right here in Jacksonville.