PROGRAMS

Food Accelerator

IMPACT ACCELERATOR

About the Program

Food companies of all sizes have a role to play in addressing the needs of the community they serve. Startups and small business entrepreneurs alike have an opportunity to design businesses that focus on increasing profitability, implementing sustainability practices, improving work culture, and offering a “third place” of welcome to their communities. 


reSET’s Food Accelerator supports social entrepreneurs who are using their business to tackle the big and complex issues that governments, communities and businesses haven't addressed, and who are solving for a more local, equitable and sustainable food economy.


The Food Accelerator program is a 3-month program that supports small businesses, ranging from proof of concept (or revenue-generating idea) to $250,000 in annual revenues, looking to strengthen their business models and amplify their social or environmental impact. Our goal is to help companies with consumer-packaged goods (CPG) or a food service, embed sustainability as they scale and grow towards creating positive impact.



reSET is particularly interested in ventures that: 

  • Are led by people of color and/or women, based in anywhere CT, but will prioritize Greater Hartford Area
  • Are for-profit and have generated revenue Exception: if you have not generated revenue, please demonstrate that you have made efforts to raise funds, such as launching a kickstarter, or have taken significant steps in connecting with potential customers or users.
  • Have a viable product (Consumer Packaged Good) or service-based food business concept 
  • Aim to create thriving wage employment for those with barriers to access such as formerly incarcerated individuals or entry level workers
  • Invest resources into the collective food ecosystem
  • Address a specific and measurable environmental or social problem
  • Have a focus on sustainability and impact


Important Dates
  • Check back for updates on the next program
Workshops & Peer Learning

Weekly Monday Accelerator sessions will be held as an interactive workshop style, led by food service and food packaged goods and design experts. The workshops will focus on a variety of topics, including understanding customers, competitive positioning, and preparation steps for building and scaling your food business.


In addition, you have the option of attending reSET general workshops on topics that are relevant to you such as business development and marketing. Thursday sessions include peer-to-peer learning activities, time to implement information from prior classes, time for deeper dives on the homework, and mentorship.

Mentors

Mentors are a key component to the success of an entrepreneur and their food business. Our extensive mentor network is comprised of professionals from many industries who are seeking opportunities to help guide and support startups. The large network size and high participation rate gives participants many opportunities for guidance.

Community

Food business success is a lot of hard work and requires many tools and resources, many of which are particular to the unique needs of the food industry. A vibrant and supportive community is a critical component, especially in food entrepreneurship. Participants get direct access to the large reSET community where they can find support, guidance, suggestions, and customer leads. Participants can join our quarterly Eat Up Meet Ups and attend our alumni gatherings.

Access to Resources

Participants get access to discounted and free resources including legal office hours, discounted HubSpot subscription, accounting advising, and more. Plus, thanks to funding from the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD), participants who complete the program have the ability to apply for grants up to $2,000 for their business.  Hartford and the surrounding areas are a wealth of resources for food entrepreneurs, and we look forward to connecting you with our supportive entrepreneurial community.

Affordable

If you are selected for the program, there is a nominal fee to participate, which helps us provide access to the resources and networks to grow your business. To help cover the essentials of running this program in 2023, the total cost to participate for up to 2 team members per company is $450, billed monthly as   $150 per team per month from August through November, 2023 (for up to 2 members; additional members add $50 per month) for a total of $450 for the entire program. Participation in the program includes benefits valued at over $25,000, much of which is covered by grants and corporate sponsorships. 



We encourage food businesses post-program to become reSET members or contribute to reSET’s annual fund, to help “pay it forward” to the next cohort of entrepreneurs as your business grows. At this time we are not taking equity in companies.


Proximity

We are located in Hartford with community partners such as the Hartford Culinary Collaborative (HCC), a group of 7 local food-centric organizations that each provide a value-add and service to our food entrepreneurs. HCC partners include reSET, Hands on Hartford, Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, Forge City Works, Swift, Parkville Market, and Knox. 

We believe in being connected with our Connecticut community partners and are continuously building relationships across CT, including CitySeed, Collab CT Food Launchpad, CLICK Willimantic, and more.

Situated about half way between Boston and New York City, and full of affordable transportation options, Hartford is an excellent place to base and grow your food business while remaining close to other major entrepreneurial hubs.


FAQs

  • Who is this program for?

    This program does not require any specific educational background. Instead, we are looking for people with validated business ideas and the focus and energy to put these ideas into action. You are not required to have a co-founder, but it can be helpful to grow a company in partnership. You can be a full-time entrepreneur or have a side hustle, as long as you are looking to grow your business and have the capacity to participate.



    The Food Accelerator program supports small businesses, ranging from proof of concept (or revenue-generating idea) to $250,000 in annual revenues, looking to strengthen their business models and amplify their social or environmental impact. Our goal is to help companies with consumer packaged goods (CPG) or a food service, embed sustainability as they scale and grow towards creating positive impact.



    While this program is not industry-specific, we are interested in the following categories:

    • Food consumer packaged goods that are already certified or in the process of certification
    • Service-based food businesses with a solid business plan and an intention to scale up or scale deep
    • Food businesses with an intention towards social or environmental impact 


  • What are the benefits of the program?

    • Identify & measure your impact
    • Identify strategic goals & engagement plan 
    • Create a dynamic pitch deck
    • Gain experience pitching your business
    • Learn the basics of raising money for your venture
    • Develop a strategic sales process
    • Develop financial projections  
    • Develop documents & agreements for employees and vendors
    • Receive accountability from your cohort
    • Build community with other entrepreneurs
    • Access to food & business community
    • Access to free legal advice and templates
    • Access to discounted services like Hubspot CRM
    • Meet and learn from a network of mentors
    • PR visibility 
    • Opportunity to meet potential angel investors, and observe behind-the-scenes angel investor meetings
    • Opportunity to apply for up to $2000 in grant funds for your business

  • Are there requirements to apply?

    We are looking for ventures that:


    • Have generated revenue **Exception: if you have not generated revenue, please demonstrate that you have made efforts to raise funds, such as launching a kickstarter, or have taken significant steps in connecting with potential customers or users.
    • Can submit a business plan. This includes explaining the value of your good or service, initial research on competition, and rough financial projections, at minimum.  
    • Are for-profit *Nonprofits are recommended to set up an intake call instead, to learn about other resources and opportunities. 
    • Have an Impact focus - You have Identified social or environmental impact; Intention for identifying social or environmental impact and measuring it

    Please reach out to info@resetco.org to discuss these prerequisites so that we can work with you to prepare the best application. While interviews are a requirement of the application process, we also encourage you to schedule a discovery call with our team before applying. 

  • Can I apply if I am a cannabis or alcohol business?

    Yes! It is important to note, cannabis and alcohol have significant regulations in addition to the standard food, health and safety regulations. While this program will support food businesses in building connections for regulations and certifications, we are not able to provide direct application support and would refer you to one of our community partners. 

  • What's the relationship with Village Capital?

    Village Capital, in partnership with Travelers, supports the VilCap Communities platform. reSET is one of six incubators and accelerators that are focused on uplifting underserved entrepreneurs. Each of these organizations is helping diverse entrepreneurs in a particular geography to get the support they need to grow and scale. 

  • What are the important dates?

    • 7/6/2023 – Applications open Applications due by 11:59pm on Sun, August 20th, 2023
    • 7/12/2023 & 7/18/2023 - Info Sessions (7/18 session will be recorded)
    • 8/21/2023 - 8/25/2023  – Interviews, due diligence, and final selection
    • 8/31/2023 – Companies Notified
    • 9/4/2023 – Onboarding Paperwork is sent to companies
    • 9/11/2023-11/30/2023 – Weekly Program Sessions: Mondays and Thursdays 5:30-8p + Workshops intermittent (dates pending)
    • 9/15/2023- First $150 payment due
    • 10/15/2023- Second $150 payment due
    • 11/15/2023- Final $150 payment due
    • 12/4/2023 - Food Entrepreneur Demo Day (subject to change)

    Starting Mondays and Thursday 5:30-8pm, Sept 11th- Nov 30th 

    Tuesdays are highly encouraged, optional Office Hours

    Highly Encouraged Saturday field trip in October


    *All dates are subject to adjustment. Additional (optional) workshop dates will be scheduled by early September. 


  • How much does it cost?

    To help cover the essentials of running this program in 2023, we will charge a nominal fee of $150 per team per month ($450 for the total program) due on September 15, October 15 and November 15 for up to 2 members; additional members add $50 per month. 


    Participation in the program includes benefits valued at over $25,000, much of which is covered by grants and corporate sponsorships. Participants who have fully paid their tuition are eligible to apply for up to $2000 in grant funds per company with the successful completion of the program.



    We encourage food businesses post-program to become members or contribute to the reSET annual fund, to help “pay it forward” to the next cohort of entrepreneurs as your business grows. At this time we are not taking equity in companies.


  • Can I deduct the amount of the tuition from the grant at the end?

    Unfortunately we are not able to use the end of program grant funds towards your tuition.

About You

  • Is this a full-time program? Do we have to be full-time founders?

    The Food Accelerator is not full time, but it does require a significant time commitment. We designed the program to meet on Monday and Thursday evenings, with one in-person Saturday field trip because we know that many of our founders are working other jobs and balancing the business among family and work obligations. If you can commit to being available on Mondays and Thursdays between 5:30-8pm during the months of the program, then you’ll be fine. 

    You will be putting this information into action as you go, that said, our program does require time outside of the scheduled sessions + workshops. Expect to spend an additional 5-10 hrs each week.


  • Can I be a solo founder?

    Absolutely. We know that going it alone can be tough and we’re here to offer the support and network you need to drive your business forward.

  • I’m still at the idea stage. Am I eligible to sign up?

    Ideally  your startup is past the initial concept stage and onto testing your MVP (minimum viable product) or is already generating revenue to be a good fit for the Food Accelerator. If not, we highly recommend checking out our Food Incubator program. Reach out and we’d be happy to connect with resources and other programs that can help get you started.

  • I’m not in Hartford. Can my startup participate?

    As a Hartford-based program, we have a soft spot for Hartford residents creating Hartford-based businesses that serve the greater Hartford area. That said, we’re not going to turn you away if you’ve got an impactful and promising Connecticut-based food business that really benefits from our Food Accelerator.

  • Can my business participate if we’ve been a part of an incubator and/or accelerator before?

    You bet. Our program is designed to take your food business to the next level. If you’ve built and tested your MVP (minimal viable product) in a previous accelerator, we can establish your product market fit in our program. There already? Maybe your business could really benefit from considering how it might create a social or environmental impact plan. Looking to expand a product line? Also a good time to consider signing up. Interested? There are plenty of options!


  • Do you think it would still be helpful for us to apply if we don’t need to raise money for a while?

    Sure thing. We aim to connect our food businesses with investors only where appropriate. Still, there are plenty of benefits from growing your network of mentors, collaborating with other entrepreneurs  and, at least, preparing to pitch to investors.


Get Started Today

Schedule a virtual meeting with a member of reSET.