CHATTANOOGA, TN (Nov. 19, 2025) –  Kitchen Incubator of Chattanooga (KIC), powered by LAUNCH, was awarded the Golden Whisk ‘Community Impact Award’ at the Shared Kitchen Summit, the only national celebration of shared kitchen innovation and leadership, hosted by The Food Corridor.
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KIC was also a finalist at the 2024 Golden Whisk Awards in New Orleans for Shared Kitchen Industry Champion of the Year, underscoring sustained excellence and national impact.

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“We’re honored to receive this national award.  The Kitchen Incubator of Chattanooga (KIC) contributes so much to the Chattanooga community,” said LAUNCH Co-CEO Hal Bowling, “Whether it’s more than doubling the presence of food trucks in Chattanooga, serving over 100 food business owners through shared kitchen space, or engaging schools in our community with entrepreneurship training, our work continues to impact thousands of lives here.”
This award comes as LAUNCH nears celebrating having assisted 1,000 aspiring or current entrepreneurs in the Chattanooga region since the organization first opened in 2011.

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“It reflects the hard work of our food entrepreneurs, the dedication of our team, and the support of partners who believe in leveling the playing field,” said DeJuan S. Jordan, Co-CEO of LAUNCH. “We recognized early on that Chattanooga needed a specialized resource for food entrepreneurs, and it’s inspiring to see how far KIC has come. It has become a true launching pad for dreams, and we’re honored to see that impact acknowledged on a national stage.”

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The winners were announced live on November 12, 2025, at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio, at the conclusion of The Shared Kitchen Summit, where shared kitchen operators from across the country gathered to celebrate excellence in community building, mentorship, operational excellence, and innovation. Director of Kitchen Incubator of Chattanooga, Mark Holland, was also a finalist for the Golden Whisk Award ‘Mentor of the Year.’

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“As Director of the KIC, I’m incredibly honored that we were named the Community Impact Award winner at the Golden Whisk Awards,” said Holland. “Every day, our team shows up to remove barriers, cheer on our entrepreneurs, and help them turn their ideas into real businesses that feed their families and our city. This award isn’t just ours. It belongs to every food truck, caterer, and maker who has taken a risk in our kitchen, to our partners who believe in second chances, and to a community that continues to show up and support them. This recognition reminds us that when you invest in people, the entire community wins.”

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About Kitchen Incubator of Chattanooga‍

The Kitchen Incubator of Chattanooga (KIC) is an initiative of LAUNCH, a Chattanooga-based nonprofit focused on empowering individuals underrepresented in entrepreneurship. The KIC is the largest food-centric incubator in Hamilton County and the region, with a mission to empower and support Chattanooga’s food entrepreneurs. See how you can get involved here.

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Kitchen Media Contact:

Angela Belonzi, Director of Marketing & Communications at LAUNCH
abelonzi@launchchattanooga.org

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Shared Kitchen Summit Media Contact:

Tyler Sangermano
tyler@thefoodcorridor.com
630-276-6098
sharedkitchensummit.com

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