L.A. Stories of Inspiration and Success; pictured an image of the Downtown Los Angeles skyline facing southwest at twilight

L.A. Stories of Inspiration and Success; pictured an image of the Downtown Los Angeles skyline facing southwest at twilight


LA City Mayor Bass (center) visits Fresh Start Healthy Meals to tour their business operations on December 11, 2024

On December 11th, Mayor Bass visited Fresh Start Healthy Meals, Inc., a small business that supplies healthy meals to students in Los Angeles. At Fresh Start, the team makes meals from scratch, assembles packaging, and ships- all from under one roof.

Fresh Start’s CEOs, Juan Carlos Saucedo and Veronica Alcaraz, welcomed Mayor Bass to their San Fernando manufacturing business. They provided a guided tour of the business operations showcasing food preparation, packaging, and distribution.

After the walk-through, Mayor Bass, Deputy Mayor Rachel Freeman, EWDD’s Rosa Penaloza, and West Valley BusinessSource Center consultant Francisco De Vivo sat down with the CEOs to engage in a discussion about upcoming business opportunities with the City. “We encourage you to stay on top of [Regional Alliance Marketplace for Procurement] RAMP, the procurement platform. Like the Superbowl, they tend to make sure they are posting all of their contracting opportunities. In addition to the ones that the City is posting there as well,” recommended Freeman. Moreover, Mayor Bass commended the business for its growing success and provided further recommendations for connecting with local business organizations and maintaining a connection with the City.

In this meeting, Fresh Start mentioned securing the approval of a $1 million loan for 10 years through the Revolving Loan Fund. The loan will be used to acquire Brother TT Distribution and Brother TT Micro Markets, enabling them to expand their business operations and distribute more meals across Los Angeles and beyond. Simultaneously, the loan will provide financial support for the business to reach its sustainability goals.

EWDD and the West Valley BusinessSource Center will continue to work with Saucedo and Alcaraz to provide them with the resources to continue growing the business and creating more jobs in the community. BusinessSource Centers help business owners launch viable businesses, grow revenue streams and stabilize to create jobs, supporting the City's efforts to strengthen the local economy. Visit a BusinessSource Center and learn more about their services.





This story is from the December 2024 EWDD Updates Newsletter. Visit our EWDD Newsletter page to read more.


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