DoorDash Announces the Inaugural Cohort of Accelerator for Local Goods Participants
In March, DoorDash debuted the Accelerator for Local Goods – an educational program designed to uplift local consumer packaged goods businesses owned by entrepreneurs who are women, transgender, immigrants, or people of color. Today, DoorDash is proud to announce the inaugural cohort of business owners from Chicago, New York City, and the greater Washington DC area who have been selected to participate in the six-week program designed in partnership with Next Street aimed at providing educational resources and funding for participants to grow their businesses.
This class of innovators represents a wide range of identities, with 77% of participants identifying as female, 40% of participants identifying as Black or African American, 7% Hispanic or Latino, and 21% Asian or Pacific Islander. Immigrant-owned businesses make up 20% of the participants and the top product categories include sweet snacks, grocery products, non-alcoholic beverages, and salty snacks.
“While we were selecting the participants for the program, we were immediately blown away by the entrepreneurial spirit of all of the business owners,” said Tasia Hawkins, Social Impact Program Lead at DoorDash. “It was evident from the applications how much passion these inspiring entrepreneurs have for their businesses and community they operate within. We hope that the immersive educational programming and financial capital helps these businesses quickly scale to the next level.”
DoorDash is welcoming the below entrepreneurs from Chicago into the Accelerator:
These participants were selected based on their business story, ability to fully participate in the program from the first day to commencement, opportunity for growth and potential to overcome challenges with access to more resources, in addition to meeting the standard eligibility criteria.
"I created Chicago French Press to bring unique and flavorful coffee and tea to homes across the world, after drinking one too many cups packed with sugar. Participating in the DoorDash Accelerator for Local Goods will help me strengthen my expertise and network of other high growth founders,” said Kris Christian, Founder and CEO of Chicago French Press. “We know this program will expand our reach as we can scale our 'Grinding for a Cause' donation program to support more Chicago non-profits."
"After seeing a lack of Mexican culture represented at grocery stores in the United States, I created Nemi Snacks to change how Mexican food and Latino culture is viewed in this country,” said Regina Trillo, Founder of Nemi Snacks. “The DoorDash Accelerator for Local Goods will help me take the next step to immerse myself in the retail industry, positioning us one step closer to distribution and expansion."
The accelerator’s six-week programming is now in session, with the first live discussion between participants beginning today. Topics include:
Week 1: Strategic Planning for Entrepreneurs
Week 2: Marketing and Business Development
Week 3: Financial Management and Funding Options
Week 4: Working with Wholesalers (Part I)
Week 5: Working with Wholesalers (Part II)
Week 6: Commencement and Networking
In addition to participating in the educational programming, businesses will receive a $5,000 grant to support their growth, access to marketing and sales support from DoorDash, plus the opportunity to sell their items via DashMart – a DoorDash-owned and operated grocery and convenience store.
For many participating entrepreneurs, this will mark the first time their products have been distributed outside of their own websites. DoorDash is excited to welcome these entrepreneurs into the program.
More information about Entrepreneurship and Access Programs at DoorDash can be found here: https://get.doordash.com/en-us/about/entrepreneurship-and-access
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