Cohort Announcement: Meet the Ten Ventures in the Food Business Accelerator 2025
Announcing the Ventures in the 2025 Food Business Accelerator
Ten Connecticut-based ventures have been accepted into the latest cohort
Key facts
● Now in its seventh year, the Food Business Accelerator is a partnership program between Collab and CitySeed to support Connecticut entrepreneurs.
● Ventures participate in a free 12-week program that includes in-depth 1-on-1 coaching, a free voucher to CitySeed’s commercial kitchen, ServSafe training and certification, and more.
● 10 ventures were chosen from over 40 applications.
● Past graduates from the Food Business Accelerator have gone on to create successful ventures, receive investment, create local jobs and more.
Collab and CitySeed, organizations that support Connecticut early-stage entrepreneurs, announced today the ten Connecticut-based ventures that have been selected to participate in the Food Business Accelerator.
The Food Business Accelerator is an annual program between Collab and CitySeed to support New Haven and Connecticut entrepreneurs. Now in its seventh year, the Food Business Accelerator has nearly 70 graduates. Of those graduates, 85% are led by people of color and 71% are led by women.
A cohort of ten entrepreneurs were selected 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.
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!, Chef Sil’s Vegan Kitchen, and Venezia Pizza.
MEET THE COHORT
Antonio's Cider Project
Founder: Antonio Rivera
Antonio's Cider Project specializes in crafting hard cider using locally grown and foraged heirloom apples to honor farmers, land stewardship, and cider-making traditions.
Hook & Arrow
Founder: Salvatore Dziekan
Hook & Arrow is a condiment brand that offers small-batch hot sauces and mustards, tailored for outdoor enthusiasts and characterized by high-quality, natural ingredients.
Kosy’s African Kitchen
Founder: Kosarachi Okwunna
Kosy’s African Kitchen offers authentic Nigerian and Ghanaian cuisine in New Haven County, providing a taste of home with traditional recipes and high-quality ingredients.
Across Our Table
Founder: Geoffrey Croteau
Across Our Table is a food subscription and delivery service dedicated to providing meals designed to bring families warmth and connection at the dinner table. Utilizing local, seasonal ingredients, the service caters to working families who lack the time, energy, or culinary experience to prepare meals themselves.
Founders: Sam Kraszewski & Gino Cordone
Their venture specializes in gut-healthy fermented foods and pickles made from locally grown produce, aiming to introduce healthy, sustainable eating options at farmer's markets and potentially a dedicated storefront.
Takisha’s Spice Blends
Founder: Takisha Carter
Takisha’s Spice Blends offer a line of garden-to-table seasoning blends that enhance both flavor and health, aiming for distribution in supermarkets and educating the community on herbal and nutritional benefits.
Cooking with Honcho
Founder: Tashea Younge
Cooking with Honcho offers elevated Caribbean fusion cuisine through catering and event production, focusing on creating inclusive dining experiences that empower underrepresented culinary talents.
Chef Will Meals
Founder: Willie Mewborn III
Chef Will Meals offers a food subscription and delivery service that targets busy employees and health-conscious individuals. The service emphasizes fresh, organic meals that not only taste good but also contribute to the clients' health and fitness goals.
ina Sweet Bakery
Founder: Florina Gosturani
ina Sweet Bakery specializes in traditional Albanian desserts like baklava, aiming to expand its presence through multiple outlets while maintaining authentic, high-quality culinary traditions.
Founder: Barbara Gioia Scharlau
Gioia aims to provide convenient, time- and cost-saving, individually tailored solutions to support environmentally- and health-conscious consumers. The venture focuses on creating and curating fresh, wholesome, quality artisanal foods that are beautifully presented.
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 almost a hundred graduates on their Accelerator. Of those graduates, 83% 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
CitySeed 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/