How Two Unlikely Founders Turned Food Deserts Into Farmers Markets
Executive Summary
A Shopify Masters conversation with Carmen Dianne and Kara Still, founders of Prosperity Market, a Los Angeles mobile farmers market and online marketplace that the show says grew from 15 vendors in a church parking lot to more than 80 vendors. A makeup artist and a fashion designer with no food background, they explain how the pandemic led to the idea, why they focus on keeping money circulating in Black communities, why they stayed a for-profit, and how to write a clear grant application. Sponsor: Shopify, which presents the show. PARTIAL COVERAGE: this note covers the intro, the origin story, the early vision and delays, the nonprofit decision and the grant writing advice, and does not cover every part of the roughly 50 minute conversation. Statistics and growth figures are the guests' and the show's own and not independently checked.
Key Takeaways
A pandemic story
The founders say they were not working, spent time hiking and talked about businesses closing, especially Black-owned businesses.
The six-hour dollar
They cite a statistic that a dollar stays in the Black community for only about six hours and wanted to circulate it longer through ownership of essential businesses.
Food as the foundation
They say food is the most essential thing, so they pursued economic impact for Black food producers along with food access for underserved communities.
Two sides of access
They describe bringing healthy food to people who lack it, and bringing producers from those communities to areas that were not exposed to them.
Nothing about it was practical
One says the early plan was a trailer, half food truck and half farmers market, expected in six months. Six years later the trailer is just getting ready to launch.
Choosing not to be a nonprofit
They say they chose not to be a nonprofit to keep autonomy over the funds they take in and how they spend them, and use a partner for the designation when needed.
Clarity wins grants
After volunteering as a grant reviewer, one says direct applications saying what you do, whom it affects and the cost beat flowery ones, and recommends letting someone else read your draft.
The Conversation Breakdown
A pandemic story
⏱ Untimed topicThe founders say they were not working, spent time hiking and talked about businesses closing, especially Black-owned businesses.
The six-hour dollar
⏱ Untimed topicThey cite a statistic that a dollar stays in the Black community for only about six hours and wanted to circulate it longer through ownership of essential businesses.
Food as the foundation
⏱ Untimed topicThey say food is the most essential thing, so they pursued economic impact for Black food producers along with food access for underserved communities.
Two sides of access
⏱ Untimed topicThey describe bringing healthy food to people who lack it, and bringing producers from those communities to areas that were not exposed to them.
Nothing about it was practical
⏱ Untimed topicOne says the early plan was a trailer, half food truck and half farmers market, expected in six months. Six years later the trailer is just getting ready to launch.
Choosing not to be a nonprofit
⏱ Untimed topicThey say they chose not to be a nonprofit to keep autonomy over the funds they take in and how they spend them, and use a partner for the designation when needed.
Clarity wins grants
⏱ Untimed topicAfter volunteering as a grant reviewer, one says direct applications saying what you do, whom it affects and the cost beat flowery ones, and recommends letting someone else read your draft.
Core Frameworks & Ideas
Circulate the dollar - their founding idea
Aim for ownership of essential businesses so money stays in the community longer.
Two-sided access model
Serve people who lack access and bring new producers to those with access.
Clear grant writing - their rule
State what you do, who it reaches and what it costs, and have someone else read it.
Actionable Next Steps
- ✓Write your grant or pitch in three sentences: what you do, who it reaches, and the cost.
- ✓Ask a friend to read your application and list their questions.
- ✓Decide what autonomy over funds your mission needs before choosing a legal structure.
- ✓Check any statistic you quote against its original source.
Notable Quotes
“Nothing about those was practical.”
“Entrepreneurship really shows you yourself.”
“that clarity, those are the winners”
The One Thing to Remember
The founders say a pandemic-era question about where money goes led them to build a food market, fund it creatively and write clear grant applications.