Hy-Vee recently awarded $50,000 to local minority- and women-owned businesses during the Hy-Vee Opportunity Inclusive Business Summit. Thursday’s event was the third summit Hy-Vee has hosted in support of underrepresented groups to provide these business owners with access to funding and business development resources.
During the pitch competition, 15 companies from around Minnesota presented to a panel of judges and over 350 event attendees. Each company competed for the chance to win a small business grant. A committee of community business experts and Hy-Vee executives served as judges and selected the finalists from a pool of nearly 150 applications.
Businesses came from across many categories including food and beverage, innovation and technology, and health, wellness, and beauty.
In the food and beverage category, All Clean Food from the Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul area won first place, receiving a $5,000 cash prize. The company sells organic, gluten-free, plant-based pasta meals that are free from the top 14 food allergens.
Soul Grain, based in St. Paul, won the Judge’s Choice Award, receiving $2,500. The company is a female-led and minority-owned business that incorporates the flavors of the Black diaspora into its granola.
The event also featured an expo offering resources for small businesses, learning opportunities through presentations, and panel discussions, the chance to learn about local brands, and more.
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