Providence, Rhode Island (March 25, 2019) – Join Social Enterprise Greenhouse (SEG) to celebrate the 2019 Food Accelerator participants as they complete their 12-week business development journey at the Food Accelerator Pitch Event on April 4th.
The Pitch Event will take place at the SEG Hub (10 Davol Square, Suite #100, Providence) from 6:00pm-8:30pm. Each venture will present their business and plan for positive social impact with a pitch to the audience. This event is free and open to all.
The Food Accelerator kicked off in January 2019. The Accelerator, SEG’s signature venture development program, includes a 12-week blended learning model developed and delivered in collaboration with Brown University. Throughout the three months, each of the social entrepreneurs work to refine, formalize, and grow their business and social mission with the support of SEG’s community of coaches and advisors. Additional value is provided by one-on-one business coaching, a peer-learning cohort model, and access to SEG’s co-working space at 10 Davol Square, Providence. Upon graduation, participants will receive priority access to the SEG Loan Fund that provides below-market interest rate loans to social enterprises in addition to later stage business services.
“We are honored to have the opportunity to work with the entrepreneurs in the 2019 Food Accelerator and witness their growth over the past twelve weeks. The program, made possible by our generous funders, network of coaches, advisors, and workshop instructors, has provided the entrepreneurs with the knowledge and tools to grow their ventures and impact, all while achieving financial sustainability,” said SEG CEO, Kelly Ramirez. “We are confident that these businesses will not only create good jobs but will also strengthen the Rhode Island food system and improve the health and wellbeing of our community. ”
The purpose of the SEG Food Accelerator is to help create more successful, sustainable ‘do well do good’ food businesses in Rhode Island, leading to a more just and resilient local food system. The 2019 Food Accelerator is funded in part by the RI Department of Labor and Training’s Real Jobs RI initiative, MAV Foundation, and the Blount Fine Foods Fund. The program is also made possible by SEG’s network of 300+ volunteer coaches and advisors, many of whom are business and community leaders in Rhode Island.
Meet the 2019 Food Accelerator Cohort:
Boston Pita Cafe is a North Attleboro restaurant that offers shawarma pita wraps, salads, and rice bowls fresh to order and their mission is to provide franchise opportunities to the dis-enfranchised to serve the underserved. Entrepreneur: Pierre Ghazal
Celebrated is a private dessert studio based in Providence, RI with a mission to create a more eco-friendly food space. Our desserts are made with the highest quality vegan ingredients and our sustainable business practices minimize impact on the environment. Entrepreneur: Becky Morris
Cloverbud Ranch raises grass-fed beef cattle in Portsmouth, RI on 100 acres of lush coastal pasture. Our free-ranged animals enjoy a long happy life before we take their gift in gratitude. We deliver nutrient-dense beef with healthy fats and big powerful flavor to top chefs and home cooks who share our values – improving the land, promoting community wellness and increasing the abundance of joyful living. Entrepreneur: Martin Beck
Deep Roots Farm is creating a healthier and more connected world through pasture-based farming; bringing the best tasting and most nutritious food possible to local communities. Entrepreneur: Katie Steere
Dukho Farms, Ltd is committed to producing affordable, high-quality and organic staple food crops, specifically to consumers at the economic ladder in Liberia. Entrepreneur: Komlan Aloysh
EatWell Meal Kits‘ mission is to make healthy eating more available to families living in food insecure communities with our affordable, nutritious meal kits. Entrepreneur: Dan Wexler
FitBites cheesecakes change the way we think about healthy food. Our all-natural cakes provide the perfect protein boost for cross-fitters, weekend warriors and busy moms. Eating healthy just became a piece of cake. Entrepreneur: Elpida Filandrianos
foodSCAPE works with schools, students, parents and food service providers to reduce food waste by focusing on healthy choices for students, donating healthy food to people in need, and diverting the rest of the food from the landfill to animal feed, composting, or energy production. Entrepreneur: Diane Calvin
goTeff is a mission-driven nutrition brand using Teff—a super-food from Ethiopia, with a vision to provide superior Teff products to US consumers while investing in Ethiopian farmers. Teff is an ancient grain, 4000+ years old and known to fuel the record-holding runners of Ethiopia. Our first product is an instant breakfast meal which is a gluten-free, vegan and low sugar breakfast option made of simple, natural ingredients. Entrepreneur: Saron Mechale
The Incred-A-Bowl food company is currently a food truck offering fresh made to order rice bowls, noodles bowls, salads, soups and smoothies. People come to Incred-A-bowl for the delicious food and return for the unique culinary experience. Entrepreneur: Russell Spellman, Sterling Clinton
Mindful Maia is a Mobile Raw Juice Bar that offers delicious healing refreshments made of fruits, vegetables and herbs. Mindful Maia contributes to the evolution of the human organic intelligence, by using high vibrational plant based super foods to cultivate youth, health, energy and alkalinity. Entrepreneur: Karen Mejias
NovaPlate provides the average working american living a fast-paced, technical lifestyle with delicious, healthy, and creative prepped food. Entrepreneur: Welbi Genao
Moor Food is a biointensive organic vegetable, herb and flower farm in Seekonk, MA that provides high quality and culturally-relevant healthy food to the Greater Providence and RI region, with a particular focus in reducing food insecurity for communities of color and immigrant communities. Entrepreneur: David Kuma
Sweet Pea Farm‘s mission is to cultivate sustainably-grown vegetables and cut flowers on three acres in Charlestown, RI for the Rhode Island community while providing a living wage for its employees. Entrepreneur: Kathan Teepe
The Oyster Wench’s Block Island Shellfish Farm provides shellfish and seaweed through sustainable aquaculture on Block Island. Entrepreneur: Catherine Puckett
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Press Contact:
Crystal Rosatti, Social Enterprise Greenhouse
crosatti@segreenhouse.org / 401.272.2558 ext. 4826
Social Enterprise Greenhouse creates positive social and economic impacts by supporting social entrepreneurs and enterprises with the tools and networks they need to thrive. We are a network of business and community leaders who contribute time, expertise and money to create jobs and support positive change through social enterprise.