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Creating A Healthy And Sustainable Food Ecosystem In Southeast Queens
Black and white image of Dianna Rose who is creating a healthy and sustainable food ecosystem in Southeast Queens.

Winner

Dianna Rose

Creating A Healthy And Sustainable Food Ecosystem In Southeast Queens
Black and white image of Dianna Rose who is creating a healthy and sustainable food ecosystem in Southeast Queens.

Website

essentialkitchen.org

Year

2022

Organization

Essential Kitchen Co.

Sector

Environment & Sustainability

Borough

Queens

Dianna, a lifelong Southeast Queens resident, launched initiatives to boost healthy living and local entrepreneurship, including the area’s first farmers' market and commercial kitchen.

Deeply rooted in her Southeast Queens community, Dianna has committed her life to increasing access to healthy living. Over the past 15 years, she has launched multiple initiatives to reconnect people to the planet – from a Minority/Women-owned Busin…
Read winner story
“I just wanted those watching and following to understand that sustainability was something that most Black and indigenous people of color had always done and were pioneers of.⁠”
Dianna Rose
2023 David Prize Winner

Publication

Queens Chronicle

Entrepreneur wins $200K in prize funds

By Sean Okula
Dianna Rose, a Southeast Queens-based entrepreneur, was one of five recipients of the third David Prize, a $200,000 grant given to New York City residents striving to make their community a better place. Rose will use the fun…
“The community kitchen is a big deal. I used to have to drive an hour to do my business, now I can drive 5 miles away.⁠”
Celeste Sassine
Owner, Sassy Sweet Vegan Treats

Publication

Crains New York Business

2024 Notable Leaders in Sustainability: Dianna Rose

Crains NY Buisness
July 18, 2024

Publication

NY1

David Prize winner cooks up recipe for success in Southeast Queens

By Clodagh McGowan
In an industrial section of Springfield Gardens, Queens, food entrepreneurs are hard at work — in the Essential Kitchen. It’s a commercial kitchen — designed to give home chefs — turned small business owners a place to create…

Publication

NY1

Port Authority aims to diversify types of concessions found at JFK Airport

By Noorulain Khawaja
July 10, 2024
The Port Authority is running a 10-week training program called the Institute of Concessions to recruit neighborhood food and beverage or retail businesses to work inside JFK Airport in two years. It’s part of the Port Author…

Update from winner

JFK Airport Institute of Concessions Outreach.
@ladydiannaroseAugust 22, 2023
@brooklyn you were good to me. Grateful for another successful JFK Airport Institute of Concessions Outreach.

And to my girl and Executive Assistant Extraordinaire @lizdamomstar you are deeply loved and appreciated by me! ❤️
Shoppers at Dianna’s “Sovereign Markets” – the Southeast Queens farmer’s market she started during the pandemic.
“Watching her empower countless local entrepreneurs through her commercial community kitchen has been nothing short of inspiring.⁠”
Donovan Richards
Queens Borough President
Image of Dianna and her sons at an award ceremony
To all winners

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