MIAMI – August 2, 2017 – The Wynwood Yard, an outdoor community gathering space in Miami, will expand its support of local entrepreneurs and its focus on creating a venue where people can connect and enjoy the city with $100,000 from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

Launched in 2015, The Wynwood Yard is a one-of-a-kind outdoor space, housing food trucks, lounge and performance areas, and pop-up stalls, which offer everything from jewelry and crafts to local culinary delights. It regularly hosts events including cooking, arts, and fitness classes, as well as garden workshops, educational programs for children, conventions, nonprofit fundraisers, festivals, and live music. The unique structure of The Yard allows resident entrepreneurs to draw customers from these 15-30 weekly events, and to benefit from the assistance of an experienced management team.

Knight funding will advance The Wynwood Yard’s mission of providing entrepreneurs, particularly those in the food, beverage, and creative industries, with affordable space and ready access to customers. In addition, it will help The Wynwood Yard develop as a strong community hub that provides business resources for entrepreneurs and educates guests in the fields of urban farming and food systems.

New funding will also support at least two culinary entrepreneur pitch events annually. The Wynwood Yard pitch events are moderated by visionary business leaders, developers and investors in the Miami community. Their purpose is to build connections between promising food startups and community leaders who may help these entrepreneurs further develop their business through resources and opportunities such as funding, assistance with finding viable business locations, or mentorship. The first pitch event took place this past July.

“The Wynwood Yard supports Miami’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and provides a welcoming space for people from all walks of life in our community to gather and interact. Its continued evolution will help catalyze the development of creatives, entrepreneurs, innovators and agents of change who are shaping Miami’s future,” said Della Heiman, The Wynwood Yard founder.

“The Wynwood Yard is a great example of how investing in Miami’s emerging innovators and entrepreneurs can help build community. It has already shown success in helping food and creative entrepreneurs find a home, get noticed and adopt good business practices, while providing residents with a vibrant space to connect with their city and each other,” said Chris Caines, Knight Foundation interim program director for Miami.

Support for The Wynwood Yard is part of Knight Foundation’s broader effort to invest in Miami’s emerging innovators and entrepreneurs as a tool to build community while fostering talent and expanding economic opportunity. Over the past five years, Knight has made more than 200 investments in entrepreneurship in South Florida.

For more information on The Wynwood Yard, visit: thewynwoodyard.com.

##

About the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
Knight Foundation is a national foundation with strong local roots. We invest in journalism, in the arts, and in the success of cities where brothers John S. and James L. Knight once published newspapers. Our goal is to foster informed and engaged communities, which we believe are essential for a healthy democracy.

About The Wynwood Yard

The Wynwood Yard is a hub of food and culture in Miami. The food yard, events-and-live-music venue and all-day hangout space brings locals a smorgasbord of food, fitness, music and other cultural activities.

Hand-picked culinary concepts, along with The Bar at The Yard and a garden by Little River Cooperative, are anchored within a vibrant outdoor setting. The current round of food concepts includes della test kitchen, offering plant-based “healthy bowls of happy;” Brazilian Fire’s mobile rodizio grill, Kuenko, offering unique Japanese-Spanish fusion fare conceived of by Michelin-starred Chef Ricardo Sanz; Caribbean-inspired soul food by World Famous House of Mac and Mr. Bing, a purveyor of refreshing Taiwanese-inspired “Ice Cream with a Fork,”™ along with The Lone Wolfe Food Truck serving Mexican fusion cuisine; Food Dude bringing authentic Caribbean eats with a contemporary twist; and Yoko Matcha, offering 100% organic matcha tea offerings that meld Japanese tradition with bold Latin flavors. Charcoal Garden Bar + Grill is the first full-service restaurant at The Yard, and the only one in Miami built out of modified shipping containers; it features seasonal, elegant charcoal-grilled food and a bar.

Other concepts at The Wynwood Yard include Radiate Miami, a one-stop source for natural living and healthy eating offering kombucha, food and natural beauty products; PopUpStream Retail, a fashionable purveyor housed in an Airstream, along with LivBox, a prototypical container home by design startup Wyn-Box available as a showroom for potential buyers, as well as for event rentals.

Located at 56 NW 29^th St. in the heart of Wynwood, The Wynwood Yard is open from noon. to 10 P.M. on Mondays. Tues.-Thurs.; 11 A.M. to 11 P.M.; Fri. – Sun. from 11 A.M. to late night. The bar is open Noon – 11 P.M. on Mondays; 11 A.M. to 11 P.M. Tues – Thurs; 11 A.M. – 2 A.M. Fri – Sun. Tel: 305-351-0366.

Contacts:

Rachel Pinzur or Mimi Chacin, Pinzur Communications, [email protected], [email protected], 305-396-1851

Anusha Alikhan, Communications Director, Knight Foundation, [email protected], 305-908-2677