FS6 Newsletter - February 2021

FS6 Community News and Updates
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​​We are in the final stretch of the Cohort 7 application season and we want to hear from you! Interested applicants must submit a completed application by March 5.

The FS6 accelerator program prioritizes working with entrepreneurs who are innovating across the food and agriculture landscape and building a food system that focuses on health, sustainability, and justice.

We support each participant in building up the tools necessary to pitch and present their business, as well as the behind-the-scenes hygiene that will prepare them to raise funds, deep-dive into strategy, and refine their approach to capital. Our objective is to help entrepreneurs develop and hone the clarity of thought that they need to go out and effectively communicate their impact and business to any stakeholder - be it an investor, a foundation, a customer, or a producer.
 
Questions about the program? Take a look at our FAQs page or check out the replays for episodes One and Two of the Startup Refresh web series. Each episode kicks off with an overview of the accelerator program and is followed by a topic chosen with entrepreneurs in mind. Join us for Episode Three on March 4th.

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FS6 Portfolio Updates
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Articles Featuring FS6 Portfolio Companies:

• NAFICI Makes Packaging Materials From Agriculture Waste (Waste360, Featuring Nafici Environmental Research)
• The FoodTech 500 - AgriDigital (Forward Fooding, Featuring AgriDigital)
• Broadband Expansion Benefits a More Resilient Food System (Food Tank, Featuring Farm Generations Cooperative)
• The End of the Golden Age of Silicon Valley Cafeterias (Bloomberg, Featuring Fare Resources)
• PODCAST: 3 Sustainable Alternatives to Single-Use Plastic, EPS Foam, Paper Packaging (Food Navigator, Featuring Nafici Environmental Research, Rhizoform, and SoluBlue)

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MilkRun Founder and CEO,  Julia Niiro, has earned her place on the Forbes Next 1000 list. Huge congratulations to Julia as she continues to receive recognition for her leadership and commitment to reshaping our food system and supply chains.

Firebrand Artisan Breads is moving to Alameda Point! They'll be incorporating a worker resource center into their new space to make career development services and classes available to employees.

After 20 years of bringing fresh meals to school cafeterias across the United States, Chef Ann Foundation's very own Chef Ann Cooper is retiring. In this article she reflects on the heartwarming progress made and the work still to be done.

Renewal Mill has been keeping busy! Not only are they now available on FreshDirect with a vibrant new rebrand, but also have released an upcycled Oat Chocolate Chip Cookie mix! Rumor has it they're on a fast track to be one of the top food trends of 2021. Hear more about what they’re working on in this episode of "Why Food?"

Congratulations to Matriark Foods on their acceptance to the Foodbuy USA Accelerator program for Minority and Women Owned businesses. Guided by an inspirational balance of culinary artistry, ancestral wisdom and respect for nature, founder Anna Hammond continues to bring meaning to farm surplus that would have otherwise been discarded.

FluroSat recently launched Regrow- a new company providing solutions to scaling, measuring and monetizing resilient agriculture practices. Hear more about what FluroSat has on the horizon in this podcast episode with Founder Anastasia Volkova.

Throughout a year riddled with obstacles, Equitable Food Initiative continued to grow, elevate ethics and put employees first. Curious about what they've been up to? Take a look at their COVID-19 vaccine FAQ for farmworkers, register for their web series spotlighting social responsibility, or learn about their responsible recruitment scorecard relaunch.

Named one of the top food organizations to watch in 2021, Center for Good Food Purchasing, is committed to building a food system that makes good food accessible to all people. Take a look at their roadmap to a post-pandemic food system for insight into the pillars they believe support a healthy food system for all.

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News & Events from the Ecosystem
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​WEBINAR: Startup Refresh: Business Entity Formation & Impact
March 4 at 10:00am PT

Join FS6 for Part 3 of the Startup Refresh series! This series is designed to explore some of the fundamental elements of building your business for impact, as well as to introduce the FS6 program and application details for Cohort 7, for which we are currently accepting applicants.
 
In this final episode, our panelists will discuss business entity formation and impact from a variety of perspectives. Each speaker will tell you the pros and cons of various entity types from their experience and will engage around the increasingly pertinent question of how to build impact, resiliency, community, and success into the foundation of your business. Learn more and save your seat.

EVENT: Storyslam 2021- Recipes for Resilience
March 25 at 5:00pm to 6:30pm PT
 
Join Real Food Real Stories for their fourth annual Storyslam, Recipes for Resilience, taking place on Thursday, March 25 in living rooms across the country! An evening of celebration and reflection in the midst of what has been a trying year for our food community, all proceeds will directly benefit food changemakers facing the devastating impacts of the pandemic and California wildfires.

​Good stories, good cause, good way to spend a Thursday! Get your tickets here.

APPLY: ICA Accelerator
February 26

Inner City Advisors (ICA) provides high-impact coaching and capital for small business in the Bay Area.  Companies that complete ICA programming are now eligible for investment from ICA. When you join the Lab or the Accelerator at ICA you can expect a strong support network, hands-on engagement from strategic advisors, and a community of like-minded entrepreneurs. Learn more and apply by February 26.

EVENT: Inclusive Economy Showcase
April 22 at 11:00am-2:30pm PT
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East Bay Community Foundation is hosting their first virtual Inclusive Economy Showcase on April 22 that will highlight entrepreneurs of color and community-based companies and organizations who are building and shaping an inclusive economy in the East Bay region. The showcase will prioritize the needs and goals of founders and there will be educational opportunities for all participants. Every applicant will receive feedback, support, and exposure. Apply by March 3 via this link to be considered to present. Learn more about the showcase and register here.

EVENT: Future Food-Tech
March 11-12

The Future Food-Tech virtual summit will gather 1,000+ global food corporates, investors and technology start-ups from around the world to uncover the most exciting innovations in the agri-food sector and to forge the right partnerships to take those solutions to market. Get 10% off registration with code FS610.

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Other Articles We're Enjoying:

• 5 Actions to Reboot Food Retail (Food+Tech Connect, Authored by FS6 Advisor Errol Schweizer)
• Black Farmer Fund is Building Resilient Black Food Economies (Food Tank)
• Updated Guide to USDA Programs Opens Door to Millions of Dollars of Available Funding (SARE)