A person in a white chef smock and head wrap holding a tray of golden Mexican pastries on their shoulder and smiling

Open Access LA, a new web portal hosted by USC Dornsife’s Food Equity Institute, helps food-industry entrepreneurs succeed. (Photo: iStock.)

USC Dornsife Food Equity Institute, local experts launch web resource for L.A. food entrepreneurs

A free, one-stop-shop resource, tailored specifically for the Los Angeles market, offers tools for creating business plans, guidance on funding, help obtaining permits and licenses, and more.

ByIleana Wachtel June 12, 2024

Research shows that since the COVID-19 pandemic, about a third of Los Angeles County residents have struggled with food insecurity. In 2023, 30% of residents were food insecure. These residents face a lack of food outlets that provide healthy, affordable, good quality food, particularly in low-income neighborhoods.

The Institute for Food System Equity (IFSE) at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, in collaboration with Los Angeles Food Policy Council (LAFPC), aims to improve L.A.’s food landscape with today’s launch of Open Access LA.

IFSE will host the free, open-source web portal for budding food entrepreneurs, with LAFPC providing content drawn from their decade of providing technical assistance to food entrepreneurs in underserved L.A. communities.