photo: Mamacitas Cafe
Renee Geesler and Shana Lancaster started Mamacitas Cafe back in June. It’s a mobile cafe that trains and empowers young women with leadership and entrepreneurial skills. They pop-up at local events to sell Red Bay Coffee, herbal infused sparkling sodas and Donut Kebabs (mini donuts on a stick). Mamacitas Cafe is raising money through Kickstarter for more equipment and supplies, so they can expand the operation. It sounded like such a positive contribution to the community, I asked some questions to find out more:
What’s your background?
The co-founders of Mamacitas Cafe have years of experience in food service and the non-profit and arts sector. Renee Geesler works for the Akonadi Foundation, which supports racial justice organizations in Oakland. Her previous work includes Rockwood Leadership Institute and ten years at KPFA Radio where she trained women and people of color in broadcast journalism and media justice. Shana Lancaster is a third generation Oakland native and working artist with extensive experience in youth development. She most recently served as Program Director for California Lawyers for the Arts, running an arts and professional development program for youth in San Francisco. Shana also has more than 14 years of experience in the service industry, working for women owned caterers and restaurants including the celebrated Miss Ollie’s.
Why did you decide to start the mobile cafe as a way to support young women?
The idea for an entrepreneurial and leadership program arose from a profound belief in the capabilities of Oakland’s young women and also a real concern about the hurdles they face. We know that many of the dangerous circumstances for youth are rooted in poverty and a need to support oneself and frequently, one’s family. As the economic landscape of Oakland began to drastically shift some years ago, we saw an opportunity to capitalize on this growth while creating jobs for local women who are at most risk of being displaced. We received an incredible amount of support and guidance, especially from the leadership at Red Bay Coffee, Keba Konte and Kori Chen (who are also old friends of ours), and really must credit them with crystallizing our idea for a coffee program. We also were inspired by Old Skool Cafe in San Francisco and Homeboy Industries in Los Angeles, who have developed really meaningful social enterprises that have social justice and responsible economics at it’s heart.
How did you choose the name?
The name was a marriage of extreme intentionality and fortuity. We wrote our business plan with Women’s Initiative for Self Employment and one day, “Mamacitas Cafe” popped up as we brainstormed names and all the women in the business class lit up with excitement. To us, the root of the name, ‘Mama,’ is a universal expression of female strength and creativity. Not just as a child-bearing female, but all of the iterations of what women can create and just how powerful we can be in growing and healing communities. There is also some inherent word play, as “cita” in spanish can refer to a meeting or a gathering, so Mama-Cita felt like a beautiful way to describe the collective female space we are creating.
photo: Mamacitas Cafe
You serve donut kebabs, Red Bay Coffee and herbal-infused sparkling sodas, right? How did you come up with the menu?
Right! Our coffee program came out of the aforementioned friendship and professional relationship we have with Red Bay Coffee. We are incredibly inspired by Keba Konte’s mastery of small business development and really have learned so much about the economics, cultivation and service of coffee from both Konte and Accounts Manager Kori Chen. The Donut Kebabs were inspired by Geesler’s passion for donuts and Lancaster’s Armenian heritage, as the kebab is a staple of the cuisine. The portability and portioning of the three donut-hole stick was an immediate hit and we will soon expand on our Donut Kebab menu. Finally, the herbal-infused sodas were inspired by the ever-popular and refreshing Italian soda, but with a healthier and soothing spin. Currently, we serve lavender-infused soda.
What are your goals for the future?
Currently, we are focused on getting our business model up and running smoothly. We have 5 young women who support us as staff for our pop-up and catering events and with a successful KickStarter campaign will be able to expand on this model. Our longer term goals include formalizing our leadership and professional development program and securing a home with a storefront and training space. As media and visual artists, we are also excited about eventually infusing our program with the arts and creating infrastructure for employees to try their hand at micro-entrepreneurship within the Mamacitas brand.
When is your next pop-up?
Life is Living Festival, October 11 (10am-8pm)
DeFremery Park, West Oakland!
Christina Mitchell
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