We’re thrilled to welcome 15 food businesses into the 2026 FFI Fellows Program as of June 2026!
This program provides free training and consulting to 15 food-focused entrepreneurs to help them succeed. Fellows get the expertise and support they need to grow and scale, with an investible business model and financing strategy unique to their business.
This cohort includes the following food and beverage businesses, 10 from Wisconsin and 5 from across the nation:
- Alaska Fresh Seafood – Butler, WI. Flash-frozen premium wild Alaskan seafood including salmon, halibut, black cod, smoked salmon, and caviar sourced from responsible fisheries.
- Baobab Foods LLC – Seattle, WA. Organic baobab fruit powder for food, beverage, and supplement use, along with nutrient-dense Baobab Superfruit Bites snack products.
- BamJam – Madison, WI. Protein-packed fruit spreads made with clean ingredients, delivering added collagen and no added sugar as a healthier alternative to traditional jam.
- Bite the Farm – Luxemburg, WI. Farm-to-table gluten-free foods featuring goat dairy and dairy-free options, highlighting ingredients sourced from Wisconsin farmers and producers.
- Dashelito Enterprises – Madison, WI. Award-winning line of hot sauces across a wide range of spice levels, focused on bold flavor from mild to extra hot.
- Great Lakes Tinned Fish – Grand Rapids, MI. Sustainably sourced, Midwest-produced tinned fish featuring cold-smoked whitefish in multiple flavors for convenient, shelf-stable meals.
- House Of Flavas – Madison, WI. Chicago-style comfort food including signature sauces, soul food entrées, and catering offerings rooted in bold, culturally inspired flavors.
- indi Chocolate – Seattle, WA. Bean-to-bar chocolate products alongside cacao-based foods, drinks, spice blends, and experiential offerings like tastings and classes.
- Mr. Tea’s Kombucherie – Madison, WI. Small-batch kombucha featuring core and seasonal flavors, crafted with simple ingredients and packaged for reuse and sustainability.
- Rabbit Foods – Los Angeles, CA. Organic smoothie pops made with fruits and vegetables, designed as a fun, nutritious frozen treat for kids and families.
- Ruta Foods LLC – Shorewood, WI. Flavorful, ready-to-use curry sauces and prepared foods inspired by global cuisine, designed for convenient, healthy meals.
- Tricky Foods / SNAXI – Madison, WI. Premium charcuterie boards, grazing tables, and ready-to-eat snack boxes, with a growing focus on scalable, shippable snack experiences.
- Unrefined Foods – Newbury, MA. Ready-to-eat muffins made with stone-milled organic flour and real fruits and vegetables, delivering convenient, wholesome nutrition.
- White Winter Winery, Inc – Iron River, WI. Craft beverages including mead, cider, spirits, and non-alcoholic options made with locally sourced ingredients and traditional methods.
- Yogi’s Pud’n – Kenosha, WI. Specialty pudding desserts with over 150 unique flavors, offered in single-serve and bulk formats for retail and wholesale markets.
The program kicks off this month with a food business finance course and culminates in four months with an investor pitch. Entrepreneurs participate in regular virtual meetings with their cohort and in 1-on-1 sessions with their FFI coach. Training and consulting cover all areas of food business, including marketing and branding, sales, operations, accounting, finance, and food safety. This program is FREE and open to any food-focused entrepreneur in the United States.
This national program serves food, beverage, technology, value-added agriculture, and processing businesses. The application is online here and takes about 30 minutes to complete. Applications are accepted year-round.
The FFI Fellows Program is funded by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) and supported by FFI industry experts including P2R Group, Craveity, Real Food Brands, Compeer Financial, Ogden, Glazer, + Schaefer (Law), Summit Credit Union, Catapult Commercialization Services, Eurofins (Food Safety), and Farm Credit.
The Fellows program has worked with 260 companies. As of 2025, participating companies have attracted $7.1 million in grant funding, $18.6 million in debt funding and $17.3 million in equity funding. In addition, they have generated over $127.2 million in business/sales.