5Q: Kelly Ramirez

1 Social Enterprise Greenhouse recently launched its inaugural food-accelerator cohort. What does it involve?

SEG’s first food accelerator, led by SEG Food Initiative Director Isabella Cassell, will provide business support to 12 high-impact food ventures. The program includes online business training, tailored to food businesses; workshops presented by industry leaders; intensive one-on-one coaching and the ability to work out of our co-working space at 10 Davol Square. This first food cohort includes artisan food businesses, farm production, e-market distribution, meal-delivery service, cooking classes, resource recovery and others.

2 How do food ventures fit into your mission?

We define social enterprises as “do well, do good businesses.” These businesses not only create jobs, but also address social challenges and make our communities better. Access to local, healthy food is a social challenge that we believe Rhode Island is uniquely poised to address.

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3 This is the first time SEG has focused on an individual industry. Should we expect more of this?

Yes. Starting this month, we are piloting our second industry focus area in health and wellness. We have partnered with MedMates, a health care technology network group, and will work closely with several funding partners. … We are also recruiting businesses to participate in the SEG Health & Wellness Accelerator scheduled for the fall.

4 What are the benefits of focusing on an individual industry?

Although SEG will continue to provide services for social ventures across industry, we believe these industry cluster pilots can help drive good business development and job creation in sectors that our state has identified as high potential. We also realized that convening leaders in a specific industry allows us to identify and work to address both gaps and opportunities within that ecosystem.

5 Do you think food is a growth area in Rhode Island’s economy?

Food is a significant part of both our state’s culture and economy. At the same time, social enterprise was named as a promising growth opportunity in Providence’s recent economic-development report released by consulting firm Fourth Economy, and we believe Rhode Island has the best conditions to launch and grow a “do well, do good” business on the East Coast. •

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