Executive Director of OH Taste Foundation
Dabriah Rice is the Executive Director of OH Taste Foundation and co-founder of the 6888 Kitchen Incubator, a 10,000+ square foot state-of-the-art shared commercial kitchen and food business incubator located in the heart of downtown Dayton. With over 20 years of culinary and entrepreneurship experience as owner of Divine Catering & Events LLC, Dabriah brings a wealth of real-world knowledge to aspiring food entrepreneurs. Under her leadership, the 6888 Kitchen Incubator has been recognized with the 2025 BBB Spark Award, the 2025 Bob and Norma Ross Outstanding Leadership Award from the Dayton Unit NAACP, and as Game Changers by Who's Who in Black Cincinnati/Dayton. She also serves as an Advisory Board Member of the ECDI Women's Business Center of Greater Dayton and as a Trustee on the Downtown Dayton Partnership Board of Directors. A culinary arts graduate of Sinclair Community College and Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses alumna, Dabriah is passionate about helping food entrepreneurs turn their passion into a sustainable and thriving business.
This session explores how shared commercial kitchens are helping aspiring chefs, food truck operators, caterers, bakers, and specialty food producers start, grow, and scale their businesses. Through stories from the kitchen and real-world examples, attendees will learn how these facilities reduce barriers to entry, create pathways for small business ownership, and serve as powerful economic development tools for downtown and Main Street districts. Participants will gain insight into the "secret sauce" behind successful shared kitchen models, including partnerships, programming, funding strategies, and best operational practices. Whether you are considering launching a shared kitchen, supporting local food entrepreneurs, or looking to strengthen your community's small business ecosystem, this session will provide practical ideas and proven strategies to help cultivate the next generation of culinary entrepreneurs.