How This NYC Kitchen is Changing the Lives of Refugees Forever

Kira O’Brien is the Chief Impact Officer at Emma’s Torch, where she leads the organization’s culinary training program and social ventures. She joins the show to discuss the mission of Emma’s Torch, the success stories of her students, and how everyone can support immigrants in this current political climate. In this conversation we explore the data and demographics behind Emma’s Torch, the skills she teaches her students to thrive in some of the world’s best kitchens, and building a community through food in the New York City restaurant industry.https://www.thenycalliance.org/https://www.instagram.com/thenycalliance/ 0:00 - Intro0:44 - What is Emma’s Torch?6:50 - Kira’s background and what brought her to Emma’s Torch11:33 - The demographics and details behind Emma’s Torch17:17 - The restaurant partners of Emma’s Torch28:45 - The hard skills and soft skills taught at Emma’s Torch34:40 - The feel-good stories of students coming out of Emma’s Torch36:23 - Emma’s Torch cafes and catering40:20 - Building community through food43:00 - Supporting immigrants in the current political climate50:50 - The current state of the NYC restaurant industry 52:30 - What’s next for Emma’s Torch?53:45 - How to support Emma’s Torch#newyorkcity #restaurant #politics #hospital #business #smallbusiness