Coming to Fruition: Fresh Truck Aims to Increase Food Access in Boston

Abstract

Founded in 2013 in Boston, Massachusetts, Fresh Truck is a mobile fresh produce market focused on increasing access to fresh produce and nutrition education in Boston’s low-income neighborhoods. Fresh Truck is a non-profit social enterprise that earns revenue through the sale of fresh produce in various Boston neighborhoods. It has become a key part of Boston’s food access ecosystem, which includes health care centers, the City of Boston, and other non-profit organizations. To date, Fresh Truck has attracted funding through a business plan competition, a Kickstarter campaign and grants that have helped to launch two trucks serving its mission. However, to expand, Fresh Truck faces a number of key management, logistical and operational challenges that affect its economic sustainability and thus its mission. These challenges relate to customer acquisition and retention, finding time to grow, inventory control, parking issues, and measuring impact. Josh Trautwein, co-founder and executive director of Fresh Truck, must make decisions to navigate these challenges and continue daily operations as he develops and executes a strategy for growing the enterprise and helping to solve food access issues in Boston. What should Josh do to chart a course through these challenges so that Fresh Truck can earn revenue and meet its social mission?

AuthorsNardia Haigh, Anya Weber & Jennie Msall
InstitutionUniversity of Massachusetts Boston, USA
Competition Year2017
PlaceSecond Prize
TrackSustainable Entrepreneurship
Key WordsCSR, Socially Responsible Investing, Environmental Performance, Social Performance
CoursesSustainable Finance, Strategic Management, Finance, Business Sustainability, Business and Society, or Environmental Entrepreneurship
Target AudienceMBAs, Undergraduates
Permission rightsThis case is part of the oikos free case collection. Download a free online copy below. If you are a faculty member and you are interested in teaching this case, you can request a free teaching note by sending us an email to freecase@oikos-international.org.
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oikos International

posted June 19, 2017

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