Sharkey’s Restaurant Group
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Academy & Impact
Changing Lives, One Plate at a Time
Welcome to Sharkey Academy
At Sharkey Restaurant Group, we don’t just build restaurants — we build people.
Sharkey Academy is the engine of our impact, designed to empower the next generation of culinary and business leaders.
We provide free training, industry certifications, and mentorship for youth aging out of foster care, underserved communities, and aspiring entrepreneurs ready to take a shot at something greater.
This isn’t charity. It’s a movement.
This is about unlocking potential, creating jobs, and delivering real ownership opportunities — both inside and outside the kitchen.
What We Offer
Sharkey Academy isn’t just training — it’s an engine for workforce development and entrepreneurship. Our programs span across industries to create future-ready leaders who can thrive in restaurants, boardrooms, studios, and beyond.
Core Pathways:
✅ Culinary Arts & Hospitality — Apprenticeship programs aligned with ACF, plus real-world training at SRG restaurants.
✅ Business & Finance Leadership — From franchise operations to the Doctor of Business Administration in Entrepreneurship (DBAE), designed to build owners, not just managers.
✅ Technology & AI — Certification programs in Sharkey AI, coding, robotics, and digital operations.
✅ Creative Arts & Media — Animation, graphic design, branding, and in-house production through SRG Media.
✅ Entrepreneurship & Ownership — Step-by-step franchise and start-up coaching with direct access to SRG concepts.
✅ Mentorship & Career Coaching — 1-on-1 guidance from industry professionals, with lifelong access to the SRG network.
Graduate Outcomes:
🎓 Industry-recognized certifications.
💼 Direct job placement in SRG restaurants, logistics, or media.
🚀 Pathways to launch franchises, start businesses, or pursue advanced degrees.
🌍 Real community impact — reducing unemployment, empowering underserved talent, and creating a pipeline of Black, brown, and minority leaders in hospitality and beyond.
How We Track Impact
At SRG, impact isn’t a slogan — it’s data. Sharkey AI powers a real-time dashboard that measures success across every stage of the journey.
We Track:
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📊 Student Enrollment & Retention — Who we reach, who we keep, and why it matters.
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🎓 Certification Completions — Industry-recognized credentials earned.
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💼 Job Placement & Career Growth — From first jobs to long-term advancement.
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🚀 Entrepreneurial Readiness — Students who transition from learners to owners.
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🧠 Mental Wellness & Resilience — Partner-supported metrics to ensure students succeed inside and outside the classroom.
Why This Matters
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Only 50% of youth aging out of foster care are employed by age 24.
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Fewer than 10% enroll in higher education.
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Most never access the networks, mentorship, or capital needed to break cycles of poverty.
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We’re changing that — one plate, one person, one program at a time.
How We’re Doing It Differently
✅ Fully Funded Programs — Supported by partners, investors, and city initiatives so students never pay.
✅ Immersive Learning — Training in real SRG kitchens, restaurants, and media studios instead of classrooms.
✅ Cultural & Emotional Relevance — Mentorship rooted in lived experience, not theory.
✅ Ownership Pathways — Graduates who complete the full track gain access to franchise select SRG brands with guided financial and operational backing.
Why We Built the Academy
A Letter from the Founder
“Not everyone gets a second chance. That’s why we’re committed to making sure the next generation doesn’t have to wait for one.”
— William Sharkey, Founder & CEO
Sharkey Academy wasn’t born from theory — it was born from lived experience.
I didn’t grow up with mentors in business or fine dining. I had the hustle, the vision, and the grit — but no one to show me how to translate that into success. That’s why I built SRG with a different blueprint: one that leaves the door open for others. Especially those who’ve been locked out.
We know what it feels like to be underestimated. To be overlooked. To be told, “That’s not for you.”
At Sharkey Academy, we flip that narrative.
Whether it’s a teen aging out of foster care, a single mom rebuilding her career, or a young man just needing someone to believe in him — this is the place where dreams and discipline meet. Where people don’t just learn how to cook — they learn how to lead.
This isn’t just about creating jobs.
It’s about creating futures.
It’s about feeding people — and fueling purpose.
Every apron tied. Every plate served. Every brand launched.
It all starts here — in a kitchen full of second chances and unstoppable energy.
