Case study · Strategy & consulting
Homeboy Industries
A go-to-market and pricing strategy for Homeboy Harvest, the organization’s hydroponic farm.
- Role
- Consultant
- Team
- Four consultants · 180 Degrees Consulting
- Client
- Homeboy Industries
- Website
- homeboyindustries.org
- Farm
- homeboyharvest.com
Why this project
Homeboy Industries is the largest gang-rehabilitation and re-entry program in the world, giving people across Los Angeles a genuine second chance. That mission is one I align with deeply, and helping a new social enterprise stand on its own feet was some of the most impactful work I’ve done.
The problem
Homeboy Harvest, a hydroponic farm designed to grow 3,000 heads of lettuce a month across four grow spaces, was still under construction, with no product to sell yet, limited financial data from Homeboy’s other food enterprises, and no strategy for who would buy the produce or at what price. The farm needed a route to market before the first harvest.
What we built
Go-to-market strategy
Market analysis of hydroponic produce and microgreens (a $2.1B market growing 13% a year), plus competitor case studies of LA-area growers, showing how mission-driven branding lets farms command premium prices. We defined three ideal customer profiles: ingredient-driven restaurants, high-end chefs, and specialty retailers.
Restaurant outreach
A database of 50 LA-Metro restaurants and chains, with interviews on sourcing, pricing, and delivery habits: from national chains whose produce decisions run through corporate, to local restaurants open to samples, short-term trials, and paying a premium for fresh microgreens.
Pricing strategy
A competitive pricing analysis across farmers markets, restaurants, and direct-to-consumer channels, recommending lettuce at roughly $4.50 a head, competitive with the market while reflecting the freshness, local sourcing, and social mission Homeboy’s brand carries.
What I learned
Selling for a nonprofit isn’t charity; it’s competition. Restaurants already have suppliers they trust, so the mission only wins when the product also delivers on freshness, consistency, and price. The strongest strategy paired Homeboy’s story with concrete, chef-friendly terms: samples, flexible quantities, and pricing grounded in what buyers actually pay.