Cohort Announcement: Meet the Ten Ventures in the Food Business Accelerator 2024
Connecticut-based food entrepreneurs recently began the Food Business Accelerator 2024, run by Collab and CitySeed
Key facts
Now in its sixth year, the Food Business Accelerator is a partnership program between Collab and CitySeed to support New Haven and Connecticut entrepreneurs.
A cohort of 10 ventures were selected among almost 40 applicants to participate in the 12-week program that includes in-depth 1-on-1 coaching, a free voucher to CitySeed’s commercial kitchen, seed funding, an educational curriculum, ServSafe training and certification, and more.
On Wednesday, January 10th, 2024 the program kicked off.
Past graduates from the Food Business Accelerator have gone on to create successful ventures, receive investment, create local jobs and more.
This week, ten food businesses began the Food Business Accelerator, a partnership program between Collab and CitySeed.
The Food Business Accelerator is an annual program between Collab and CitySeed to support New Haven and Connecticut entrepreneurs. Now in its sixth year, the Food Business Accelerator has nearly 50 graduates. Of those graduates, 85% are led by people of color and 61% are led by women.
A cohort of ten entrepreneurs were selected among almost 40 applicants to participate in the 12-week program that includes in-depth 1-on-1 coaching with Collab and CitySeed staff, an educational curriculum focused on entrepreneurship fundamentals and food business-specific workshops, such as access to CitySeed’s commercial kitchen space, ServSafe Managers training and certification, opportunities to vend at the CitySeed Farmers’ Market, and more.
On Wednesday, January 10th, 2024 the program kicked off via Zoom. This orientation session was led by Collab alum Tea Montgomery, CEO of Threads by Tea and attended by Collab staff, CitySeed staff, and to welcome the new ventures.
MEET THE GRADUATES
Brittney’s Famous Alabama Kitchen
Founder: Brittney Michelle Williams
Brittney’s Famous Alabama Kitchen is Soul food and home cooked family meal automat restaurant that is looking to expand into franchises. They offer Individually boxed and buffet style offerings that appeal to a wide variety of dietary preferences.
Island Infusions Catering
Founder: Damone Johnson
Island Infusions Catering is the premiere choice for food and event services in the Tri-State area. Our menus are influenced by a unique coupling of the owner’s Jamaican-American heritage and his immense love for cuisine found all over the world.
Macy’s Mission
Team: Leeze Suazo (Founder) & Nicolas Mattei
Macy’s Mission is a creative restaurant that reinvents classics and popular meals and items for the vegan community. They offer a variety of healthy and accessible vegan food options for everyone. Anything from hot meals, to pre-made frozen entrees, to non-perishable items that people who are vegan, plant-based, or health conscious can have access to.
K&K
Founders: Swadu Kamara & Alhaji Umarr Kromah
We will be offering the first West African foods and recipes typical of Rep.of Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia in New Haven. These products will include jolof rice, rice and sweet potatoes leaf, rice with casava leaves, cooked yam with fish , beef, or chicken soup in a catering and takeout style.
Will.I.AM Wings&catering
Founder: William Person
Will.I.AM Wings & Catering is a food truck that will serve a variety of home cooked style chicken wings and other southern dishes.
Zoey Cigar-Hodge
Zoey is creating a dog bakery that will sell New Haven Apizza inspired pie exclusively for pets among all of the other kinds of baked goods.
Naani Kochak
Founder: Homa Assadi
Naani Kochak is creating authentic Afghan breads and looking to distribute to ethnic grocery stores and restaurants all over New Haven.
Passionately Pasta
Founders: Nicholas Imbriglio
Passionately Pasta is a small shop in Wallingford, CT that frequently sells out. They offer homemade pasta that uses local ingredients and mills their own flour.
Morsel Dumplings
Founder: Terese Kung
Morsel Dumplings created a variety of Frozen, ready to cook Asian fusion dumplings.While the form and structure of the dumpling is Chinese in nature (large half moon dumplings), the filling is globally inspired (e.g., Italian, Mexican, Greek, and many other flavors.)
Suga & Spice Me
Founder: Shakeema Romero
Suga & Spice me offers a diverse range of natural food products while catering to individuals with food sensitivities. Our baked goods include muffins, cakes, and tarts that can be made dairy-free, and gluten-free with minimally processed flours and sugars catering to consumers who are health conscious.
Past graduates from the Food Business Accelerator have gone on to create successful ventures, receive investment, create local jobs and more. Notable graduates include Oh Shito!, Sanctuary Kitchen, Chef Sil’s Vegan Kitchen, Gorilla Lemonade, and La Isla.
The Food Business Accelerator 2024 is supported by the generous contributions of the The United States Department of Agriculture Healthy Food Financing Initiative, The Wells Fargo Foundation, Citizens, The TD Bank Charitable Foundation, The Liberty Bank Foundation,The Coville Triest Family Foundation, Santander, and Farm to Institution New England (FINE).
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Learn More About Collab
Collab is an early-stage accelerator that supports individuals in using entrepreneurship to build wealth for themselves and their families, create local jobs, build economic power and shape their communities with a focus on people of color and women entrepreneurs. Since 2017, Collab has supported hundreds of entrepreneurs, including over 120 graduates on their Accelerator. Of those graduates, 84% are people of color-led and 74% are women-led. For more information, head to Collab’s website at www.collabnewhaven.org.
Learn More about CitySeed Incubates
CitySeed Incubates delivers food business incubation services for early-stage food entrepreneurs. Our network of 400 entrepreneurs includes caterers, chefs, food trucks, packaged food products, and farmers. CitySeed Incubates aims to remove barriers to food entrepreneurship for all by supporting food businesses led by women, immigrants and refugees, Black, Latinx, Asian and other POC-led ventures, and low income entrepreneurs. Some of our support services include: commercial kitchen space at below-market rent, entry into CitySeed's Farmers Markets, a monthly newsletter with grants and opportunities, connections to pro-bono legal services, and advising and workshops on licensing, marketing, professional cooking techniques, menu development, business planning, and procurement. Learn more here: https://cityseed.org/food-business-incubation/
