Whole Foods Market has shared the participants in its two tracks of the Local and Emerging Accelerator Program LEAP: Early Growth and On the Verge. The LEAP initiative launched in 2022 with the inaugural Early Growth cohort and continues to advance Whole Foods’ core value of seeking win-win partnerships with suppliers, according to the company.
“We are thrilled to welcome 10 exceptional local producers from all over the country into our second LEAP: Early Growth cohort,” said Alyssa Vescio, SVP of merchandising for Whole Foods Market, in a statement. “On top of that, we’ve expanded LEAP to support our existing supplier community through the On the Verge track, which will help brands explore the next stage of their growth potential, providing mentorship from both Whole Foods Market team members, as well as industry peers and experts. “
This year, Whole Foods received more than 1,000 new applicants for the Early Growth cohort, double the number of applications from the first year.
The Early Growth cohort is made up of 10 food brands that are not yet sold on the grocer’s shelves. They are Kinship Milk Tea, Ruby Jean’s Juicery, Tiny Sprouts Food, Gringuita Cookies, Jaju Pierogi, La Rossi Pizza, Lazy Food Co., Seed to Surf, Diaspora Co., and Bam.
Once the 12-week curriculum is complete, each supplier’s products will be considered for placement on the shelves of Whole Foods stores in their home city or region. Program participants will also be eligible to receive a $25,000 equity investment from a donor-advised fund managed by the Austin Community Foundation.
As part of this year’s programming, Whole Foods also introduced a second cohort, LEAP: On the Verge, exclusively for current local and emerging Whole Foods suppliers. These brands are considered innovative in trends, flavors, community engagement, or sustainability and demonstrate mission and values which align with Whole Foods’ core values. They also demonstrate strong growth potential and are poised for success, according to Whole Foods.
On the Verge participants were nominated by Whole Foods merchants and foragers. This year’s class includes Fitppl, Better Chew, Little Sesame, Fila Manila, Misha’s Kind Foods, 12 Tides, Nana Joes Granola, The Pizza Cupcake, Nguyen Coffee Supply, and Bright Endeavors.
"LEAP has been one of the most rewarding ways to support the local and emerging brands that bring incredible products and innovation not only to Whole Foods Market stores, but to our broader communities,” said Vescio.
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