Foodpreneur Lab is a Black woman-founded and led Canadian non-profit. This organization strives to make a difference by addressing systemic barriers in the food ecosystem. The non-profit received funding to support Black food entrepreneurs Start and Scale their consumer packaged goods businesses. Their second cohort is reaching an exciting milestone as they complete their path in the project on January 31st, 2023. As they finish, they will take with them vital skills needed to move forward. In an industry that doesn’t always give access to BIPOC communities, funding and resources are vital.
“‘Cohort Two Start participants have rounded out business fundamentals with product launch knowledge,’ says Executive Director Janice Bartley. ‘Scale participants have had the chance to level up. They will work through challenges in their business from manufacturing to co-packing and distribution.’”
Two participants in the current cohort have already made waves
The Wall Street Journal recognized Eight50 Coffee. The Food Network Canada featured Caribbean restaurant Baccanalle as one of the Top 10 Black-Owned Canadian Restaurants You Need to Try ASAP.
Applications for cohort three will open for all of Southern Ontario by February 2023, with information available at www.foodpreneurlab.com. The Government of Canada through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario is funding the project.
The cohorts began on November 1st, 2021, and will continue for four years until it closes on December 31st, 2024. At the end of the four years, Foodpreneur Lab will have helped 200 Black food entrepreneurs either bring a new product to market or reach the next level of growth for an existing product.
About Foodpreneur Lab
Established in 2019, Foodpreneur Lab is the only Canadian Black woman-founded and led nonprofit with a fierce national mandate to advance racial and gender equity in the food sector. Its mission is to level the playing field for underserved communities and forge Paths where Black foodpreneurs can leverage their cultural insight and lived experiences in food product innovation. We don’t want to just break beyond the grocery store’s ‘ethnic food aisle’; we want to celebrate new food products that connect with a community’s sense of belonging. Find out more at foodpreneurlab.com.
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