Providence, Rhode Island (January 16, 2018) – 17 Rhode Island based food businesses began the Social Enterprise Greenhouse (SEG) Food Accelerator program on January 10, 2018. The Accelerator, SEG’s signature venture development program, includes a 12-week blended learning model that provides high impact social entrepreneurs the tools, networks and resources to validate their idea, understand their customer, and formalize growth strategies from fundraising to social impact measurement. Additional value is provided by industry-customized curriculum and advising, one-on-one business coaching, a peer-learning cohort model, and access to SEG’s co-working space at 10 Davol Square, Providence.
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 create franchise opportunities for economically or socially disadvantaged individuals. Entrepreneur: Pierre Ghazal
Celebratedis a private dessert studio based in Providence, RI with a mission to create a more eco-friendly food space. All our desserts are made with the highest quality vegan ingredients, while our sustainable business practices minimize our impact on the environment. Entrepreneur: Becky Morris
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 low-income, urban families. EatWell healthy meal kits are sold at rush hour pop-up kiosks in low-income Boston metro neighborhoods. Entrepreneur: Molly Burke
Fit Bites Bakery offers an alternative to traditional high-fat, high-sugar, and high-calorie desserts. Their desserts perfectly integrate good-for-you ingredients without affecting taste. Entrepreneur: Elpida Filandrianos
foodSCAPE is on a mission to maximize the value of food in schools and minimize environmental degradation through education, food recovery, and highest value diversion of food waste. Entrepreneur: Diane Calvin
goTeff is the world’s first impact trade Teff company. For every bag of Teff you buy, we re-invest profits into Ethiopian farmers to scale up production capacity. Entrepreneur: Saron Mechale
Incred-A-Bowl is a Providence-based food truck that offers delicious food with bowled flavors. Our mission is to provide delicious healthier food options in a QSR (quick service restaurant) style restaurant. Entrepreneur: Russell Spellman
Mindful Maia’s Juice & Tea is a California influenced fresh juice shop on wheels that promotes better sleep, skin, and appetite by adding fresh juices to one’s diet. Entrepreneur: Karen Mejias
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
Cloverbud Ranch raises top quality grass-fed beef on lush coastal pasture to the highest humane, environmental, and culinary standards. Entrepreneur: Pat “Martin” Beck
NovaPlate provides the average working american living a fast-paced, technical lifestyle with delicious, healthy, and creative prepped food. Entrepreneur: Welbi Genao
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 Tepee
The Oyster Wench’s Block Island Shellfish Farm provides shellfish and seaweed through sustainable aquaculture on Block Island. Entrepreneur: Catherine Puckett
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, The 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.
The 2019 Food Accelerator culminates with a Pitch Event on Thursday, April 4th, 2019. Upon graduation, participants will receive priority access to later stage business services as well as the SEG Loan Fund that provides below market interest rate loans to high potential social enterprises.
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About Social Enterprise Greenhouse:
Social Enterprise Greenhouse creates positive social and economic impact by supporting social entrepreneurs and enterprises with the tools and networks they need to thrive. We are a network of 400+ enterprises and 300+ business and community leaders who contribute time, expertise and funding to grow Rhode Island’s social impact ecosystem.
Press Contact:
Crystal Rosatti
Social Enterprise Greenhouse
crosatti@segreenhouse.org
401.272.2558 ext. 4826