NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Last year, Erik Oberholtzer’s company started a charitable program dubbed the Sustainable Life Project. The three-month program targets young people ages 18 to 24 who are transitioning out of foster care, who may be homeless or who could easily end up in prison or prostitution.

The young people visit artisan food makers, urban farmers and food-processing facilities to learn about the sources of their food. They get culinary arts training from restaurant chefs, and they receive a paid internship inside one of the company’s 12 restaurants. Those who do well in an interview get a full-time job with the company.