Food Venture Program

Women and non-binary restaurant owners in southern Ontario turn your recipes into retail-ready products!

Enrollment closes: Wednesday, February 1, 2023

WHAT:
Become a Local Sensation! Food Venture Program is an online course to help women and non-binary entrepreneurs in southern Ontario, specifically, restaurant owners, turn their recipes into retail-ready products with a spin on adding a flair of culinary tourism in their branding and communications.

The Laurier Women Entrepreneurship Centre has partnered with the Food Venture Program (FVP), who are leaders in food and beverage product development, to offer this 7-week program. The Food Venture Program is a team of food industry experts, helping food entrepreneurs in North America, turn their recipes into retail-ready products. 

The programs were designed by Sima Gandhi and Kiran Bains RD, who collaborated with senior food industry experts and post-secondary educators in the field. Food Venture Program (FVP) has now graduated over 400 food and beverage business owners across Canada, some now selling their food products in stores including Loblaws, Sobeys, and Whole Foods!  

WHEN:
Applications for Become a Local Sensation! Food Venture Program are open now! 

This program will run in 2.5-hour sessions per week for 7 sessions.

The program is designed to accommodate 20 people only. The 20 people will be selected on a reviewed and first come first serve basis. We want to support and guide restaurant owners in southern Ontario who are ready to start and execute.

Classes start online on Wednesday, February 8, 2023, and run each week on Wednesday mornings (9:30 - 12:00 noon) until March 22, 2023. Classes will be recorded and made available for 90 days after the program is over but in-person attendance is encouraged.

Enrollment closes on February 1 or until the session fills. We are only enrolling a limited number (20) of students in Become a Local Sensation! Food Venture Program, so if you wish to join us, let us apply as soon as possible. 

Important Dates:

• Application deadline: Wednesday February 1, 2023 at 11:59 pm
• Approval and notification of participants: Friday, February 3, 2023 at 12:00 pm (Only 20 seats available)
• Program start date: Wednesday, February 8, 2023, 9:30 am - 12:00 pm

Become a Local Sensation! Food Venture Program

If you are a woman or non-binary entrepreneur in southern Ontario, the program is available to you at no cost. 

Ready to join? Apply HERE.

WHERE:

Become a Local Sensation! Food Venture Program is an online course, so you can enjoy it (and implement it) right from where you are!

We’re enrolling students right now through February 1 (or until the class is full)! Only 20 spots are available. 

What does the Become a Local Sensation! Food Venture Program include?

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will learn how to turn their food product ideas and recipes into a consumer packaged food product! 
• Participants will learn how to commercially scale their recipes while ensuring consistency in texture, shelf life and taste.
• Participants will get a better understanding of what circularity and sustainability is and how sustainable processes of food production can be used in their food business to reduce and/or repurpose food waste.
• Participants will learn how to apply principles of culinary tourism into their restaurants and food product communications and branding
• Amateur photographers become well-equipped with tips and insights on food photography in the era of social media.

Program Delivery

• This is a live (never pre recorded) workshop held completely online via Zoom. Each class is 2.5 hours in length and can run for any 6 days of your choosing at your preferred time.​
• The classes involve live question and answer periods as well as direct interaction between the cohort of entrepreneurs and the speakers.

"The FVP helped me push through my limitations and helped me understand what I need to do in order to build my wholesale distribution model." — Nadia, Owner of Café du Monde Crêperie, Cambridge Ontario. FVP Graduate 2020

“How do I join?”

If you’re ready to join the Become a Local Sensation! Food Venture Program, click HERE.

Keep in mind: Doors close February 1 (or until the class is full). Availability is very limited.

Apply today – see you inside!