13 food entrepreneurs complete Ana G. Méndez’s ‘Foodpreneur’ program
The Kingbird Innovation Center, associated with the Carolina Campus of the Ana G. Méndez University (UAGM, in Spanish) announced the 13 entrepreneurs with food products that completed the second edition of Foodpreneur, a 12-week workshops and mentoring program.
Entrepreneurs will now power their projects with the range of knowledge and skills they gained, which included workshops with experts on accounting and finance, food labels, permits and regulations, revenue management, trademarks and patents, among other courses focused exclusively on the food industry.
The goal of Foodpreneur is to promote entrepreneurship on the island, specifically aimed at those entrepreneurs who are in the initial phase of creating a business related to the food industry, as well as those with established businesses who want to scale their operations or gain more knowledge.
“The Foodpreneur trains all entrepreneurs with the necessary tools and knowledge to establish and/or promote their business,” said Anthony Rivera, CEO vice chancellor of UAGM Carolina.
The program is funded through the Disaster Recovery, Post-Disaster Community Development and Economic Revitalization Program (CDBG-DR), which has allocated $2.5 million for the next three years, said CDBG-DR Undersecretary Maretzie Díaz-Sánchez.
The businesses that completed the program are: Cosecha Urbana PR, Granja Ecológica Pesca Vida, Veganlicious, Del Patio, Sofrito La Viña, K-Fe D’ Aquí, Coquí – Rainforest to table, Sabor Caribe, and Sazón Chef Cinco Estrellas. While the ones that are under development are Abuela’s Delicacy, Isabela Café, Sweet Bites and Confección de Helados.
“They give you the tools to make that dream come true, no matter if it’s just an idea or a business already developed,” said Ana Gutiérrez, owner of Mermeladas Ana Belén, participant of Foodpreneur 2021.
“I got a lot out of the program, because it helped me develop the business side of what was my hobby,” said Gutiérrez.
Kingbird Innovation Center of the UAGM in Carolina is a nonprofit organization that offers an incubation program so that its participants have access to resources and services, essential to develop competitive and sustainable companies related to the hospitality and gastronomy industry.
