Ingredients: lavender, turmeric, muscovado sugars, and locally grown habanero and cayenne peppers.

This uniquely flavored hot sauce is produced and sold by formerly incarcerated youth in Southwest Atlanta as a part of a job training and placement social venture called Gangstas to Growers. 

Gangstas to Growers is a grassroots organization that grew out of a need to give risk youth and formerly incarcerated individuals a chance to become productive and active members of their community. The program provides paid entrepreneurial internships for participants to give them a chance to participate in the legitimate economy. Participants will be mentored by local farmers and will also plant, harvest, and vend produce to local restaurants and at a street side farmer’s market.

By providing a stipend to participants, the program is also designed to allow individuals with past criminal records, who are largely barred from jobs that would pay a livable wage, to amass seed money for their business venture. Participants will learn the transferable skill sets necessary for running a business including budgeting, making projections, marketing and branding, pricing, brokering, and reinvesting profits. 

The program will serve an emerging need for access to fresh, locally-sourced produce. Potential customers of our participants including food retailers will have the opportunity to market their food as being sourced locally, while supporting marginalized people in the community. With longevity, we hope to partner with corrections facilities to engage participants pre-release and increase community involvement to challenge preconceived attitudes toward ex-offenders and at-risk youth.

Check out this Creative Loafing Article to learn more of the story behind the company and founder