The Diaspora Groceries Supplier Summit, held on Nov. 9-10 in Los Angeles, went beyond being just a networking event—it was a movement aimed at reshaping food access, business equity, and community wellness in Black and Brown neighborhoods of L.A.
Co-founded by comedian and actress Tiffany Haddish and her longtime friend and collaborator, Richea Jones, Diaspora Groceries’ mission is simple yet profound: to prioritize people over profits by creating a grocery model that addresses the community’s needs, promotes ownership, and builds wealth for historically marginalized groups.
The summit was centered around three key pillars: community, equity, and innovation in food systems. Jones, who met Haddish over 25 years ago, shared insights into the motivations behind Diaspora Groceries.
“I’ve known Tiffany over 25 years,” Jones recalled. “I met her when she was just leaving the foster system. She was in an apartment paid for by the state. No matter how big she gets, she’s always going to live off Crenshaw.”
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This experience, coupled with Haddish’s belief in economic empowerment, fueled her commitment to creating Diaspora Groceries.
“Tiffany believes that ownership is the key to ending systemic racism,” Jones added.
The summit’s holistic approach toward food access and equity, economic empowerment and community health paved the way for a wider plethora of panels, activations, and networking opportunities. A notable highlight was the “Food as Medicine” workshop, which taught participants how to incorporate nutritious, healing foods into daily life.
The summit also hosted a Black farmer who shared insights on sustainable agriculture and spoke on his journey of patenting fertilizer, showing attendees the value of innovation within their own communities.
Financial literacy and business scaling were also key focuses, with workshops to guide participants on pathways to capital, relationship-building with CDFI lenders, and ways to grow businesses for long-term success.
The summit featured speaker and CDC Small Business Loan Officer Iman Cotton, who disseminated information on turning business dreams into a reality.
“We planned on helping six businesses grow,” said Jones, “but we would love to service 250 businesses across Los Angeles.”
A signature event was the Business Builder Pitch on Sunday, where local entrepreneurs presented their ideas to gain critical support for their businesses. CDC Loans and the USDA-funded Southwest Regional Food Business Center sponsored the event, which included a $30,000 grant for promising businesses.
“We want people to have relationships with these bankers, to get capital and support,” Jones explained.
On Saturday night, a VIP reception and fundraiser was held to secure more resources for Diaspora Groceries Cares to pour into the community in strategic, impactful ways. Circulating the Black dollar is a foundational pillar of Diaspora Groceries, evident not only in their entire mission, but even in the creation of the summit. A stunning and rather difficult feat was the employment of fully BIPOC vendors for this event.
“The venue is Black-owned, even the valet company is too. The caterers, the printers- every dollar we spent on this event was used to circulate the Black dollar,” Jones shared.
This initiative embodied the summit’s commitment to being a fiscal resource that stands to empower and amplify community investment.
“We’re negotiating entitlements on land once used by Founders Bank off Buckingham and MLK,” shared Jones, hinting at Diaspora Groceries’ ambition to create a physical location that further empowers the local community.
As Jones put it, “Diaspora Groceries is not just a grocery store; it’s a way of life, connecting people back to the land and building a legacy of opportunity for future generations.”
