CHICAGO – Farmer-funded Midwest Dairy is partnering with nonprofit The Hatchery Chicago on a project targeting emerging brands.
Midwest Dairy presents the Private Kitchen Pitch Contest, which gives participants access to commercial kitchen space, as well as business development support services. The Hatchery shared that two finalists will receive up to one year of a private kitchen at its facility.
To enter the competition, a business must use 30% or more cow's dairy milk in its ingredient base. The Hatchery said businesses and entrepreneurs can apply to enter the competition at bit.ly/midwestdairyhatchery2023.
Last year, the Twisted Eggroll won the competition. Company owner and founder Nikkita Randle called Midwest Dairy's involvement “an absolute blessing” for Twisted Eggroll.
“Having our rent waived for six months has kept our business in a healthier financial position,” Ms Randle said. “We were able to send more samples to potential stores with the money we saved. Midwest Dairy has connected us to a different platform that will allow Twisted Eggroll to thrive going forward.”
Hatchery Chief Strategy and Incubation Officer Natalie Shmulik said Midwest Dairy's commitment to innovation and creating more diverse and inclusive experiences for startups aligns with the nonprofit's mission.
“These sponsored kitchens give entrepreneurs the opportunity to break barriers, bring unique ideas to market and drive innovation in dairy and the industry as a whole,” Ms Shmulik said.
Midwest Dairy represents 4,600 dairy farm families and is funded by farmers from Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas and Oklahoma.
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