Bold Growth Program
Bold Growth: Scaling for Success in Food & Ag
Effective scaling by high potential companies is vital to the future of Minnesota’s food and agriculture ecosystem. The Bold Growth program provides individualized support to address critical needs chosen by each cohort member such as planning for their next growth horizon, vetting key business opportunities, honing their value proposition, or growing financial resources while navigating the choppy waters of scaling up.
The program is targeted to post-accelerator companies with annual revenue of $5 million - $20 million and strong potential for growth. This MBOLD program is led by Grow North and the Agricultural Utilization Research Institute and are also pleased to welcome Launch MN as a supporter this year.
Celebrating MBOLD's New Cohort of Up & Coming Businesses
MBOLD is pleased to announce the selection of four high-growth businesses to participate in the 2022 cohort of our “Bold Growth” entrepreneurship program.
Led by Grow North and AURI, Bold Growth provides high growth businesses with targeted support from senior leaders within and beyond MBOLD’s membership and the opportunity to become the next great Minnesota food and ag business success story. Congrats to our new cohort:
- Step One Foods: Maker of meals and snacks to support healthy cholesterol levels
- Local Crate: Provider of restaurant-quality meal kits featuring locally sourced foods
- Bizzy Coffee: Manufacturer of premium cold brew coffees
- HidrateSpark: Manufacturer of smart water bottles to advance optimal hydration
A Quick Snapshot of Our 2021 Cohort
Our 2021 Cohort consisted of successful companies such as So Good You, Sentera, Bizzy Coffee, Peace Coffee, and Katana AgriScience.
The cohort companies receive things like:
- A 3-4 person Advisor group made up of senior level leaders from within the MBOLD coalition companies. They meet every 6 weeks to discuss progress and additional needs
- Tailored work/support on 2-4 specific projects
- Option to participate in additional cohort-wide education sessions.
- Quarterly networking events for existing and previous Cohort members, Advisors, and MBOLD leaders.
- All programming is highly customized and will span 12-18 months as needs are determined by the company and Bold Growth program leaders.
Bold Growth Applications Now Being Accepted
MBOLD is accepting applications April 1st - April 30th. They are seeking Minnesota-based businesses that advance a compelling food or ag innovation that aligns with MBOLD’s mission to accelerate solutions to environmental sustainability (particularly climate change) and the growing global demand for food. MBOLD has a particular interest in high-growth businesses that are innovating in the protein space, whether by making meat and dairy proteins more sustainable or advancing plant and novel proteins. MBOLD is committed to advancing equity in food and ag entrepreneurship and encourages Black, Indigenous and People of Color, and women-led businesses to apply.
Eric Hall, CEO of So Good So You and member of the 2021 cohort had this to say,
“We’ve had a phenomenal experience with Bold Growth. MBOLD spent a lot of time getting to know our business and what we’re trying to solve for. They facilitated connectivity and engagement by the right corporate leaders - people we wouldn’t have had access to otherwise. They were incredible partners. This program has helped us take our business to a whole new level.”