SEASONED ACCELERATOR

WE’RE SETTING THE TABLE TO SUPPORT SMALL FOOD AND BEVERAGE BUSINESSES

Established in 2020 and funded by a Community Development Block Grant from the City of Los Angeles Economic and Workforce Development Department (EWDD), the Seasoned Accelerator supports micro and small food businesses. It is unique among local accelerator programs for its focus on food and beverage entrepreneurs and has served 44 businesses since the program’s founding. 

Food Access LA’s objective for the Seasoned Accelerator is to create a healthy local food economy and assist and grow food businesses. 

Each year, a cohort of 10 entrepreneurs receives: 

  • 1:1 Business operations coaching from an experienced Food and Beverage Entrepreneur/Consultant. 

  • 1:1 Marketing Advising sessions with Food & Beverage Marketing expert. 

  • Educational Webinars on the food industry and business development led by industry professionals. 

  • Linkage to resources and opportunities, including grants, Small Business Development Center (SBDC), and small business loans. 

  • Professional photographs of you and your work. 

Our coaches and webinar instructors, with deep knowledge and first-hand experience in food and beverage, teach and coach on Growth Strategy, Business Planning, Operations Refinement, Financials, and more.

Space is Limited and Excitement is Brewing…

The Seasoned Accelerator has a limited number of spaces available for Los Angeles-based food and beverage entrepreneurs. If you’d like to join, please click the button below to sign up for our waitlist.

GET A TASTE OF OUR 2023 SEASONED WEBINARS!

NEWLY LAUNCHED: SEASONED BOOTCAMP

The Seasoned Bootcamp provides support to first-time food and beverage entrepreneurs. With funding from LISC LA in 2021, we partnered with Occidental College’s Urban and Environmental Institute to learn about the experiences and needs of local food and beverage entrepreneurs. We learned that access to mentorship and financial resources are among the challenges faced by these entrepreneurs, with gaps being more significant for those that identify as female and/or BIPOC.

This has informed our approach both for the Accelerator, and the more recent Seasoned Bootcamp program.

We successfully piloted the Seasoned Bootcamp in 2023 with support from Wells Fargo. The pilot was targeted specifically to BIPOC women who plan to launch their first food or beverage businesses or who were in the early stages of operations, for less than 6 months. The twelve-week program provided access to information and resources necessary to build a solid foundation to operate in the food industry. 

While in the program, participants received:

  • Webinars on the food industry and business development, particularly startup topics.

  • Independent study to enhance learning.

  • Group coaching sessions conducted by experienced food and beverage professionals.

  • Linkage to entrepreneurship resources and opportunities.

The sequence of the Bootcamp webinars was designed in collaboration with Corissa Hernandez with the intention of allowing participants to build on the knowledge acquired from each consecutive course.

We are currently working on building the Seasoned Bootcamp into our annual program offerings. We encourage first-time women food and beverage entrepreneurs who are ready to bring their vision to life to sign up for our waitlist.

MEET OUR ENTREPRENEURS

KENCHAN RAMEN- COHORT 3 ALUMNI

VOLUNTEERS AND MENTORS WELCOME!

We invite professionals with extensive experience in the food and beverage industries to assist in making this program a part of our annual offerings and support our entrepreneurs. If you are interested in funding, providing instruction, individualized coaching, or other resources, get in touch by emailing us through the button below.

  • “I've learned to make more nutritious foods and found out that it actually tastes good.”

    Central Avenue Farmers Market Participant

  • “I learned to cook healthier and to be better. [The classes] help me to be better physically and to share recipes with my son.”

    Central Avenue Farmers Market Participant

  • “I've made many changes in my daily life because of what I’ve learned thanks to the wonderful staff who motivate me to live healthier [...] progress like never before and many of my friends have even made comments about my “Healthier” appearance.”

    Raphael Santillan, Central Avenue Farmers’ Market

  • "The program was amazing; I learned that eating healthy is a lifestyle I should make. I am thankful for everything. I appreciate it from the bottom of my heart.”

    Cindy Ortiz, Parent Center

  • “Nutrition classes helped me to make right choices in regards to shopping more veggies and fruits than meats and dairy products.

    Narina Kazarian, Parent Center

  • “There was a reason I kept coming back week after week. I want to thank you for teaching me how to read the labels because now when I go to the store I know how to tell what’s good for me and what isn’t."

    Darryl Turner, MLK Campus Farmers Market

  • "I never liked green beans or red peppers [but after learning about stir fry] I had to convert! It’s helpful to have different things to cook that are not only healthy but also very good. I’m very happy that I was introduced to something new by coming to your class.”

    Andres Lara, MLK Campus Farmers Market