‘Bottles, Bags, and Jars’ themed pitch contest gives entrepreneurs opportunity to pitch to industry leaders
(CHICAGO) — The Hatchery — a nonprofit food and beverage incubator — announced today a contest to give entrepreneurs the chance to win six months of private kitchen space to grow their business. Contestants will pitch their business ideas to industry experts including Julie Smolyansky and GT Dave.
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“We are thrilled to offer this opportunity to entrepreneurs.. Last year, we saw everything from adaptogenic coffee to winning, Mexican-Jewish baked goods brand Masa Madre, ” said Hatchery CEO Natalie Shmulik. “This year’s theme is bottles, bags, and jars, so we expect to see a lot of early-stage beverage, fermented or acidified foods, baked goods, and CPG startups. This is an opportunity for the industry to see the innovative brands that are produced right here in the Garfield Park neighborhood.”
All entrepreneurs interested in pitching must apply by 5 PM CST on Monday, November 1. Visit bit.ly/TheHatcheryDreamPitch21 for more information. Finalists should prepare a pitch presentation and tasting samples.
The judging panel also includes industry leaders from Square, Ingredion, Sysco, Associated Bank, and Zepole.
Other prizes include one year of free membership at The Hatchery, four hours of formulation and product development support with Ingredion, equipment consultation and purchasing credits from Zepole, $1,000 in ingredients from Sysco, plus wraparound support and mentorship.
The contest will play out live at 4 PM on Thursday, December 2 as a part of The Hatchery’s annual fundraiser, Good Mood Foods & Gutsy Trends, featuring keynote speaker Dr. Erika Ebbel Angle of Ixcela, the Internal Fitness Company. Tickets are available at bit.ly/TheHatcheryFundraiser21.
ABOUT THE HATCHERY
The Hatchery was developed as a joint venture of two Chicago nonprofits, Allies for Community Business and Industrial Council of Nearwest Chicago (ICNC) to economically develop the west side of Chicago. All funds support The Hatchery’s mission of helping entrepreneurs grow their businesses, and enhance economic development and job creation on Chicago’s West Side.
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