Through Dream Cuisines, a cohort of newcomer women gain access to mentorship, kitchen space, and peer-based knowledge sharing as they build up their burgeoning food businesses and launch them into the mainstream.
Welcome Dream Cuisines 2025!
We're excited to announce the start of our 2025 Dream Cuisines Food Business Program, empowering a new group of talented newcomer refugee and immigrant women to launch their food businesses!
Join us in warmly welcoming our 2025 Dream Cuisines Food Business Program participants, pictured above from left to right:
Claudia Alejandra Ilarraza from Venezuela: Claudia brings the true essence of Venezuelan tequeños (cheesy breadsticks) to your table—a beloved snack that represents celebration, tradition, and a love for great food. Tequeños are more than just an appetizer; they are a staple of Venezuelan culture, always present at gatherings, parties, and special moments.
María Yvett Cueto from Peru: Maria is the talented baker behind a culinary journey that celebrates the warmth of home and the joy of shared memories. Her passion for dessert-making is rooted in her childhood memories of baking with her cousins. Her goal is to evoke feelings of warmth, comfort, and togetherness with every dessert she creates.
Liza Riascos from Colombia: Liza brings the vibrant flavours of Colombia to the table, blending traditional family recipes with her own creative twists. Using natural ingredients like fresh vegetables and rich chicken broth, she crafts bold, delicious flavours that showcase the warmth and spirit of Colombian cuisine.
Rocio Valderas from Chile: Specializing in Chilean-inspired empanadas and baked goods, Rocio draws inspiration from her heritage and upbringing in Southern Chile, where food played a central role in family and community celebrations. Rocio is passionate about sharing the flavours and traditions of Chilean cuisine while incorporating local and seasonal ingredients. For her, food is a universal language that connects people and cultures.
Emem Nwogwugwu from Nigeria: Emem is a passionate entrepreneur, dedicated to sharing the flavours and love of her Nigerian heritage through flavourful spices and snacks. Inspired by her mother's recipes and cooking legacy, Emem aims to nourish her community with healthy, authentic dishes made with fresh ingredients and a dash of love.
We can't wait to see their culinary dreams take shape and the impact they'll make in our community. Stay tuned for updates on their journey!
2024 Impact Report
Discover the transformative year we've had! Let’s celebrate the immense growth, inspiring stories, and impactful feminist food businesses led by newcomer immigrant and refugee women entrepreneurs in our community.
“It’s hard to be in a new country, and starting a new business is hard. With Dream Cuisines, someone is always beside me to support me.”
Watch 'Flavours of Hope: Nourishing Community, Cultivating Change' Documentary Film on CBC!
about the program
Dream Cuisines is empowering & equipping newcomer women entrepreneurs to make a living by doing what they excel at: cooking and sharing food! This 9-month immersive program addresses systemic barriers in the food industry, providing women with access to educational workshops, peer knowledge sharing, commissary kitchen space, sales channels, and a network of supportive relationships.
program tenets
Care and reciprocity
We prioritize the work of nurturance, care, and emotional support in programming, creating platforms for reciprocal relationships and meaningful connections between women, mentors, and other small business owners, so women’s businesses are bolstered by community and sustained for the road ahead.
Anti-racist & feminist framework
Built and led by women of colour, Dream Cuisines centres the voices and wisdom of Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC) in building, leading and facilitating programming. We work to combat systemic racism and oppression as we seek increased access and equity, with relationships at the centre of the work.
Heart & body centred
We emphasize a decolonial approach by integrating embodiment through breaths, pause, and paying attention to our bodily needs. Recognizing that women’s well-being is affected by multiple factors, we seek to provide holistic support and build trust—nurturing not just a business, but the whole person.
Prioritizing peer knowledge
We move away from traditional charity and service-provision models, and instead towards equipping women in their strengths. We notice and work to equalize power dynamics, seeking women’s self-determination in decision-making.
Collaboration and adaptation
In creating a program amidst an ever-evolving food landscape, we found imaginative ways to meet women’s need for flexible work and economic provision for their families.
Dream Cuisines is proudly supported by:
