The final offline week of The Berkeley Food Accelerator program took place on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley). It was attended by 30 representatives from 18 Ukrainian companies specializing in food production.
This was reported by Ukraine Food Nation.
The program was aimed at developing entrepreneurial skills and included intensive training in design thinking, data processing, prototyping ideas, and developing innovative packaging. Participants worked under the guidance of faculty from UC Berkeley Haas School of Business and Plat Institute (Barcelona, Spain).
Throughout the week, Ukrainian producers visited CHO Chocolate and Berkeley Kitchens, talked to leading food industry experts, and conducted a study of the assortment of American supermarkets. Particular attention was paid to discussing business scaling and prospects for entering new markets.
The program culminated in a presentation of the participants to potential buyers and Silicon Valley experts, including representatives of NECTAR, Albertsons Companies, The EVERY Company, Co-Op Market, and Market Hall Foods. The participants received valuable feedback on their products, and several companies made specific offers of cooperation.
The program is implemented by the NGO Ukraine Food Nation in partnership with the Ukrainian Food Manufacturers Alliance, Berkeley Haas School of Business, with the support of the USAID Competitive Economy Program. The initiative is also supported by the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine, the Office for Entrepreneurship and Export Development, the national project Diia.Business, and the Consulate General of Ukraine in San Francisco.
Author: Danylo Pievchev