Meet Anna Etienne of StartUP FIU Food

Today we’d like to introduce you to Anna Etienne.

Anna, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
During my last year in high school, I had zero intentions on going to college. My mother worked in factories and hotels her entire life. Years of manual labor on her feet. She advised me to find a job that would let me sit. I internalized that advice, assuming that a job as a secretary would be a great opportunity, the end. My dreams did not extend pass the ecosystem within my community and family. Luckily, my high school offered paid internships, which led me to a part-time internship in Brickell with, “then known as Solomon & Smith Barney.” This internship introduced me to my first experience with a successful African American woman. At the time, she was the only female broker on that specific floor. This encounter disrupted my perception of reality regarding how far I could go as a black woman. She was willing to offer me a few lunch dates within in her very busy schedule, during which she strongly advocated for a change in my plans, and influenced me to go to college. That encounter became a turning point in my life, resulting in a Bachelors degree in Business Administration and a Masters in Higher Education Administration from Florida International University. Today, I am currently working on my doctorate in Organizational Leadership. The journey was challenging. I worked full time and attended college fulltime, like many students in south Florida. These sacrifices in my early 20’s, led to greater opportunities for myself, and my family. I am passionate about pathways of growth and sustainability for our city. Supporting Miami entrepreneurs, collectively as a community, can help increase employment and provide a better way of life.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Advice regarding a degree was important, but I needed more. The 2008 recession was a wakeup call for myself, and my peers. I discovered the need for more mentors, willing to advise me on my career and life plans. I slowly assembled a village of leaders willing to believe in me, and my personal goals.

Miami is a melting pot of diversity, and I wanted my life’s work to serve the very community that helped me become the woman I am today. Working with an Anchor institutions such as Florida International University, is an imperative approach towards achieving that goal. I have the honor of working with local entrepreneurs with hopes of supporting their family and employing their community. FIU and Citi Community Development, has designed its own village of support through creating StartUP FIU Food. I am very proud to be a part of this amazing initiative.

Please tell us about StartUP FIU Food.
I am a Program Director for StartUP FIU Food, which is a Food Incubator. This program is a cooperative effort with Citi Community Development and the Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, to leverage a state of the art commercial kitchen located at the Biscayne Bay Campus. The program also provides food industry modules and workshops, technical assistance from FIU Faculty, industry mentors, and one-on-one coaching. StartUP FIU Food seeks to support business owners with aspirations of growth but with limited resources. We launched the incubator last year, and the work has been the most rewarding experience. The entrepreneurs we have worked with this past year, are commitment to scale their business and create jobs within their neighborhood. From the kitchen to the StartUP FIU Team, community partners such as SBDC, and local food industry mentors, we are collectively working on helping small businesses gain more opportunity for growth.

The most fulfilling experience this year has been watching these companies transform their business, their product, and gain more clients because of the transformation. StartUP FIU Food has not only developed a program “industry specific” to food entrepreneurs, but our team has established relationships with local grocery store chains and hotels, in an effort to become advocates requesting more opportunities for local vendors. Food entrepreneurs in Miami can offer a local taste-experience, that can only be found within the diversity of our neighborhoods.

Our team and mentors have help StartUP FIU Food – Incubator Members, transition into hotels and grocery stores. We hope this next year will include even greater opportunities for our local food entrepreneurs.  

Contact Info:

• Website: startup.fiu.edu/food
• Phone: 305-348-7156
• Email: startupfiufood@fiu.edu
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startupfiufood/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/startupfiufood/?ref=bookmarks

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