Today’s guests are Carmen Dianne and Kara Still, founders of Prosperity Market. Last year, as the world was dealing with the coronavirus pandemic and the racial reckoning spurred on by the murder of George Floyd, Carmen felt inspired to do something about it. She partnered up with Kara and the two of them set out to create a market that would feature black farmers and businesses, also while providing low-income areas of LA with access to fresh produce and healthy food. The idea was solid, but there were bumps in the road that were unforeseen, such as difficulty in finding black farmers. The progress may not be as fast as Carmen would like, but little by little they are making their presence known all over Los Angeles County and making a big impact in the communities they visit.
Listen in as we cover everything from why they legally can’t call themselves a farmer’s market, how they’ve been able to grow largely through direct donations on their website, and why they’re currently building two businesses; the one they’re in now and the one they’ll be in five years from now.
