Olympia Auset is the founder of pop-up grocery store SÜPRMARKT, which offers affordable and organic food to the South Los Angeles community. Although California is a major food-producing state, many of its residents live in food “deserts,” where fresh produce is expensive and difficult to access. Noticing that food insecurity persists because of structural racism in local policies, Auset established a supermarket that collaborates with local farms, buys wholesale, offers produce delivery, and regularly pops up in community centers and parks across underserved areas. With a team of local volunteers, Auset is transforming the neighborhood’s food landscape through social entrepreneurship and a community-based model, as well as a 501(c)3 nonprofit called SÜPRSEED that raises awareness about food injustice and raises donations to sustain the pop-up supermarket. Photo Credit: Civil Eats
