Pepper Labs, a Malaysian accredited social enterprise has launched a cloud-kitchens concept initiative to support B40 women micro entrepreneurs with culinary skills through hands-on training. As a partner to private and public stakeholders, Pepper Labs is collaborating with the Ministry of Finance, the Federal Territories Ministry, Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur, and impact-based foundation Yayasan Hasanah to establish the Dapur Digital initiative – the latest in its multiple ventures in driving social transformation for marginalised communities through sustainable economic empowerment and inclusive growth.

This initiative, founded on empowering B40 women micro entrepreneurs identified from the PPR or Program Perumahan Rakyat (People’s Housing Programme) areas in Kuala Lumpur, will offer them access to five fully operational cloud kitchens that have been established for this purpose. This model takes after the burgeoning presence of cloud kitchens that have become a commercial hit for F&B businesses today – given the savings on operational / rental costs and capacity to capitalise on booming online deliveries. Vacant, underutilised PPR units were identified and subsequently converted into these kitchens through renovations and installation of equipment.

With Dapur Digital, it looks to train these women from less privileged communities to not only sharpen their craft and hone their flair in cooking, but also guide them through various aspects of running and managing a food business successfully – from product development to digital marketing leveraging on the use of technology and online platforms. This additionally promotes a synergistic approach for the government to streamline economic empowerment programmes through Pepper Labs’s connected ecosystem, and sets an exemplary case in point of the government’s partnership with social enterprises.

Pepper Labs CEO Gevi Ananda Roe emphasized that the core vision of this cloud kitchen initiative is to empower women micro-entrepreneurs from marginalized and low-income communities, particularly those living in PPR areas, by providing them with sustainable income opportunities. "This initiative not only equips them with the necessary skills through our comprehensive training program, but also offers a clear pathway to financial independence upon their 'graduation,' enabling them to thrive as entrepreneurs in the digital food economy," she explained.

“Dapur Digital is aimed at supporting our target group of women micro entrepreneurs with hands-on coaching and comprehensive training in operating a cloud kitchen behind-the-scenes and moving into the frontline crucial element of selling, just like any commercial restaurant would – minus an actual restaurant space or costs of rental,” says Gevi

“We are delighted and thankful to be collaborating with our four distinguished partners from the government and private sector, as well as with UNITAR that has agreed to offer micro credential certificates in Cloud Kitchen Technology, which is a big boost in recognising participants with qualifications that enhance their culinary expertise and visibility on food tech platforms,” she adds. The combined dynamics of technology architecture, cloud technology, Internet of Things (IoT), micro-credential certification, and poverty eradication are all well represented in this grassroots programme that effects direct change to the needy, genuine beneficiaries from the ground level up through community-based entrepreneurship.

Like some of its impactful and successful subsidiary initiatives that Pepper Labs oversees including Masala Wheels and Mobilefood.my – both of which also involve capacity-building and employment via the means F&B, whether for the B40 or marginalised communities – the enterprise places high hopes and ambitious targets for its Dapur Digital venture. 

“We anticipate generating an economic return of around RM1.2mil in two years from the digital leverage of our collective five cloud kitchens. And moving forward, we are hopeful in expanding this initiative to more areas and scaling it to reach out to more women beneficiaries,” quips Pepper Labs co-founder Ir Kuhan, citing that under the Malaysia Madani 12th Malaysia Plan (2021 – 2025) to building a sustainable, prosperous and high-income nation, it was announced that a more inclusive digital policy will be established to provide exposure and awareness on technology and digital encompassing all societal levels including the poor in the urban, rural and remote areas through a conducive infrastructure and review of guidelines to improve the environment for digital economy development1. This aspiration is also in line with Pepper Labs’s mission statement, guided by its core values of building strong and sustainable communities while driving social innovation based on the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals. 

Beyond building businesses, this programme is also about fostering independence and self-sufficiency that benefits families and communities. The increased participation and support from participants and stakeholders would enable a thriving ecosystem that transforms the hidden, culinary talents into acute, businesswomen who have what it takes to contribute and put food on the table for their families with this viable, small business. This venture has been envisioned to not take away their family responsibilities at home, but provides them with the option for an entrepreneurial pursuit that they can work around their schedule.

To learn more about Dapur Digital or to explore partnership opportunities, visit https://linktr.ee/dapurdigital. You can also follow Pepper Labs’ development on its social media channels namely Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pepperlabssocialenterprise and IG: https://www.instagram.com/pepperlabsmy 

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