Dairy Processing - July/August 2023 - 19

supporting and nurturing innovative opportunities
and products that leverage the performance, flavor
and nutritional benefits of real California dairy.
" The competition is specifically designed to
find, fund and accelerate early-stage products,
giving entrepreneurs access to mentors, investors
and buyers, non-dilutive funding, and exclusive
network access from the California Milk Advisory
Board, " Talbot said.
Year one of the program focused on innovation
in the fluid dairy space and it since has expanded
over the years to include snacking, functional
products and open innovation.
" We recruit the most innovative products
and entrepreneurs making products that use at
least 50% real dairy in their formulation, winnow
them down to a selection of finalists and take
them through a rigorous mentorship and support
program in preparation for the final pitch stage, "
Talbot said.
The pitch comes in front of leaders in
everything from CPG, retail and media, to
venture capital.
A separate incubator spinoff was added in 2021
for applicants with potential that did not meet the
standards for the full competition, Talbot added,
giving them access to customized mentorship to
bring them further along for the future.
FROM CONCEPT TO PRODUCTION
Getting a product from idea stage to production,
and ultimately to the consumer, through retail
channels or direct to consumer has many stops
along the way, Talbot explained.
" Programs like the RCM Excelerator tap into
a network of resources - from formulation and
copacker contacts, market research, marketing
resources, etc. - often unavailable to start-ups,
as well as providing access to high-level mentors
and even funding for elements like packaging
and promotional tools, " he said. " For the dairy
industry, it provides a pipeline of new products
and innovators using real milk and dairy
ingredients and accelerating the process to get
these products into the marketplace.
" The relationships built during these
competitions live beyond the entry and pitch stage
and continue to resonate for finalists and other
participants. We want these products to succeed
and have created an innovation ecosystem for
support during the
competition process
and beyond. "
Talbot said the
Excelerator program
is curated specifically
to help entrepreneurs
grow their products and
business models.
There is a month-long
recruiting period for
makers with products
made with at least 50%
dairy, including but
not limited to: foods,
beverages, personal care
products, packaging, material sciences, textiles,
pet products or anything else using dairy in an
innovative way, Talbot said.
These makers must have less than $1 million
in domestic lifetime sales and be willing to
commit to conducting business within the state
of California and producing their products using
100% California milk.
Eight finalists are selected who are then entered
into a three-month program featuring access to
industry-specific content resources, high-quality
and tailored mentorship, and a group stipend to
cover costs associated with producing, developing
and fine-tuning products and business plans.
At the conclusion of the program, the cohort
samples and pitches their products to a panel
of industry expert judges at a final live pitch
event, Talbot explained. Four winners receive a
$30,000 marketing support prize and access to an
exclusive retailer and investor event to generate
business leads and investment opportunities.
A $100,000 marketing support grand prize is
awarded to the winner with the highest sales
tracked over a year after the live pitch event.
Over the past four years, the Excelerator
has worked with 45 start-ups across numerous
categories, including food, beverage, direct-toconsumer
platforms, textiles and personal care.
" We've accelerated products including Goon
With A Spoon, Wheyward Spirit, Sach Foods,
Cheese Bits, dosa by Dosa and Kefir Labs, " Talbot
said. " Representing nearly 40% of states across
the US, program alumni have gone from idea to
distribution with organizations such as UNFI and
DAIRYPROCESSING.COM | JUL-AUG 2023 19
The new Good
Culture Probiotic
Milk was developed
in a partnership
between Good
Culture and Dairy
Farmers of America.
What
startups need
most is often
capital and
supply chain
efficiencies
which are easy
for a large
company to
share and
deliver a mutual
benefit. "
Emily Darchuk,
Wheyward Spirit
Dairy Farmers of America
http://www.DAIRYPROCESSING.COM
Dairy Processing - July/August 2023

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