Associate Director at Findlay Kitchen
Kelly Shaw is the Associate Director of Findlay Kitchen. She has 15 years of hospitality experience in various roles ranging from line cook to kitchen manager and most everything in between. Kelly also has extensive customer service and administrative management experience, allowing her to support Findlay Kitchen members and lead the incubator kitchen into its next phase of growth.
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.