The Tory Burch Foundation announced this month its newest cohort of 50 fellows for 2022, eight of whom are female entrepreneurs in the food and beverage CPG industry.
Founded in 2009, the Tory Burch Foundation strives to empower women and women entrepreneurs by providing access to capital, education and digital resources. According to the foundation’s website, the year-long fellowship program was designed for founders of early-stage for-profit companies to “grow and scale, through workshops with expert instructors, a rich peer-to-peer network, a business education and access to capital.”
The Tory Burch Fellowship at the Innovative Genomics Institute includes live and on-demand virtual education classes, a peer network where entrepreneurs can connect and collaborate with other founders, a $5,000 grant to advance business education and a networking trip to the Tory Burch offices in New York City. Additionally, benefits from IGI and the University of California Berkeley include personalized coaching and mentoring sessions, a $5,000 education grant matching the funds from the Tory Burch Foundation and up to $50,000 in research supplies.
To qualify for the fellowship, applicants must be a woman-identifying entrepreneur who owns the largest stake in a qualifying business that is majority-owned and controlled by women, is at least 21 years old, is proficient in English and is a legal resident of the United States.
Past fellows include Claudia McMullin of Hugo Coffee Roasters (2021), Brittany Fuisz of Malibu Mylk (2020) and Laura Taylor of Mingle Mocktails.
The eight Food and Beverage CPG entrepreneurs among the 50 Tory Burch Foundation fellows for 2022 are:
- Adriana Livanos of Stray Dog Wild Gin, a producer of small-batch gin crafted using traditional copper pot stills. A portion of the company’s sales is donated to organizations and shelters in Greece that provide food, veterinary care and homes for stray animals.
- Diana Rios Jasso, CEO and founder of Jarabe Gourmet Pops. Jarabe, which means “syrup” in Spanish, specializes in handcrafted Mexican-style gourmet ice pops along with a variety of Latino sweets and treats.
- Kayla Castañeda, CEO and co-founder of Agua Bonita. Founded in 2020, Agua Bonita produces agua frescas made with rescued fruit and no added sugars.
- Lauren Chew, founder of Love + Chew, a vegan, gluten-free and whole food cookie company. The mission-driven brand donates a portion of its proceeds to San Francisco-based nonprofit Oasis for Girls.
- Maria Palacio, CEO and co-founder of Progeny Coffee, a coffee company dedicated to assisting farmers in reaching the specialty coffee scores (80 and above) and offering them the option to export through the company’s distribution platform.
- Monica Sunny, CEO and founder of The Chai Box, a producer of chai blends inspired by Sunny’s family chai ritual from when she was growing up.
- Pauline Idogho, founder of Mocktail Club, a better-for-you non-alcoholic beverage maker with added benefits of prebiotics and antioxidants. 1% of the company’s sales goes to supporting clean water access globally.
- Justine Monsul, founder of Monfefo, a Brooklyn-based producer of cold-pressed ginger and turmeric shots.
According to the foundation’s website, the fellowship program has aided 29% of its fellows in surpassing $1M + in sales and 14% in raising venture capital.
The 2022 Tory Burch Foundation Fellowship Program will commence this summer and culminate with the trip to the Tory Burch offices in New York City.