Due to the success of its inaugural class, Gopuff will continue to support the growth of minority and underrepresented entrepreneurs with its second class of “Put Me On” small business participants.
Ten brands from across the U.S. will take part in this year’s program and raise brand awareness through the company’s platform while being given tools and resources to advance their business goals. First-time entrepreneurs themselves, Gopuff co-founders and co-CEOs Yakir Gola and Rafael Ilishayev are passionate about supporting other entrepreneurs.
“Supporting entrepreneurs and small businesses is a fundamental pillar of what we do at Gopuff because Rafael and I know firsthand the challenges of building a business from the ground up,” said Gola in a statement. “The Put Me On program is a way for us to leverage our business model and resources to help others succeed, particularly entrepreneurs from underrepresented communities facing even greater obstacles. Running with the incredible success we had with the inaugural class, we’re so proud to announce this new group of entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds who are ready to take their brands to the next level.”
The latest class of Put Me On participants features specialty food businesses, including:
• Boba One Ice Cream, a business disrupting the ice cream industry and transforming ice cream with Asian-inspired flavors;
• GoOats Oatmeal Bites, an on-the-go oatmeal concept;
• Hella Cocktail Co., a mixology company using unique flavors;
• Hrbvor, a tea company using organic herbs;
• Nunbelievable, a cookie company with the mission to fight hunger;
• Superfrau!, a beverage company upcycling fresh liquid byproducts;
• Sweet Logic, a keto-friendly desserts, snacks, and sweets company.
Running from Fall 2022 to Spring 2023, the program includes the launch and promotion of participants’ products on Gopuff, access to monthly workshops hosted by industry leaders, networking events, and one-on-one capacity-building sessions with Gopuff’s marketing, private label, business insights, advertising, merchandising, and supply chain teams.
"Hella Cocktail is ecstatic to be a part of Gopuff's Put Me On class two as we take heavy stock in partnering with amazing brands unto themselves offering to create innovative solutions to help meet our collective customers where they are,” said Jomaree Pinkard, CEO and co-founder of Hella Cocktail, in a statement. “Secondly, it's important to have Gopuff’s dedicated resources to ensure we have the space to contribute to the economic narrative that diversity plays beyond goodwill, while at the same time displaying the blueprint for how to turn bootstrapped startups into fledgling businesses."
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