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Target Launches Accelerator Program

Specialty Food Association

Target has created Forward Founders, a virtual, eight-week accelerator program for early-stage product companies in food and beverage, household, baby, over-the-counter healthcare, beauty and cosmetics, toys and entertainment categories to better understand retail. This program offers connections with industry-disrupting founders, Target team members, and other cohort members in addition to providing access to industry-leading retail resources and partnerships.

Participants will engage in live virtual workshops and one-on-one sessions, learning about retail channel distribution and Target’s Retail Action Plan, which is a custom curriculum to help early-stage companies understand how to scale their business for retail. A $5,000 stipend will be given to all program participants.

“When building this program what was most important was to build with founders. This isn't just from the retailer perspective, it's also from the founder perspective,” said Alana Hinkston, senior program manager for the Target accelerators program, in a statement.

Applications are open through May 12. The program will run July 12 to September 3.

Related: Target Sees Unprecedented GrowthBon AppéSweet Wins The Empower Project.

Image: Target