Tewodros Negash, aka ‘Chef Teddy’, opened his mobile food truck, The Cave Café, in the spring of 2011, serving his unique Afro-Italiano cuisine around the Twin Cities. He had a very successful first season, but the nature of a food truck is that is serves its patrons outdoors. So when winter hit Teddy struggled to make ends meet. Teddy says the MicroGrants gift came at ‘at just the right time, like a gift from Santa, arriving on Christmas Eve”.
The MicroGrants covered his expenses just long enough for Teddy to secure some indoor catering events for the winter months while working on his plan for generating more business during the colder months. Investing in Teddy saved him from having to close his business, and he is overwhelmingly grateful for the grant and those who funded it. He hopes that someday he can repay the blessing to another entrepreneur who needs that boost to get through a rough time.
MicroGrants grantmaking is currently paused as we work through internal operations and determine next steps for the program.
For our partner agencies: We will continue to share updates directly with you as more information becomes available.
For individuals seeking a grant: MicroGrants does not distribute grants directly to individuals. Our grants are distributed through nonprofit partner agencies that identify and support eligible recipients. If you are seeking financial assistance, we recommend contacting one of our partner agencies directly to learn about available resources and eligibility.