NWC Food Incubator

04/22/2016

We are looking forward to the beginning of farmers market season!
Here are a few of our favorites that are starting in May:
Evanston Farmers Market- Opens May 7
Green City Market- Opens May 7
Logan Square Farmers Market- Opens May 15

Check out this for more farmers markets in different locations all summer!
http://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/farmersmarkets0.html

Complete schedule of the 2015 Chicago Farmers Markets.

04/13/2016

Congratulations to our incubator members the zen of slow cooking for this amazing article in Sheridan Road Magazine! We are so proud of everything they have accomplished!

http://jwcdaily.com/sheridanroadmagazine/2016/04/05/the-zen-of-slow-cooking/

Before the Buddha could attain enlightenment, he first had to eat something. As the story goes, Buddha, sitting cross-legged under a la...

04/10/2016

Interested in learning what it takes to get your product into Whole Foods? The Whole Foods Market Englewood is hosting a small business outreach event on April 16 to talk to experts and Whole Foods buyers. This is a great networking opportunity for new entrepreneurs! http://www.englewoodportal.org/calendar/13012

This event will: Show business owners what it takes to get your product into our stores and network with people who can help your business grow. We’ve invited experts in the field from packaging to financing to help connect you with the

04/05/2016

We are very excited to see FRIO Gelato LLC back in Evanston, Illinois!

What comes to mind when you think of Argentina?

Tango and Gelato, of course!

Come see our new friends and neighbors - Nu-Tango - a group of students passionate about tango - demonstrating the beautiful dance at FRIO Gelato LLC:

Grand Re-Opening Friday, April 15
517 Dempster Street, Evanston
Demonstration from 7pm -9pm*

*Starting April 15, our store hours will be 12pm-10pm, 7 days a week.

Chicago / Dempster, Evanston City of Evanston Illinois Government Evanston Edge - City of Evanston Economic Development Evanston Now Northwestern University The Daily Northwestern Kellogg School of Management Medill - Northwestern University Weinberg College Arts Sciences The Main-Dempster Mile

03/27/2016

Having a great product is only half the battle. Crafting a brand identity that leaves a lasting, positive impression strengthens consumer connections and loyalty to your product. Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation shares an interesting perspective on brands in their article below.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/kauffman/2016/02/12/your-brand-more-than-a-name-or-twitter-handle/?_cldee=bmVsbEBud2Nvb2tpbi5jb20%3D

Forbes Welcome page -- Forbes is a global media company, focusing on business, investing, technology, entrepreneurship, leadership, and lifestyle.

03/25/2016

Celebrate Good Food – local, sustainable, humane and fair – at the Good Food Festival & Conference.

The Festival brings together consumers, producers, buyers, top chefs, experts, and investors to celebrate the fast-growing Good Food movement! Join the big, family-friendly Festival on Saturday – shop for local foods at the Good Food Marketplace; learn from chef demos by Rick Bayless and Paul Kahan; hit the DIY workshops on the Organic Valley Good Food Commons; introduce your kids to Good Food at the Purple Asparagus Kids’ Corner; get lunch at the Good Food Court, and much more. Our clients, Hooked On Fish, Gotta B Crepes and Chutney Devis will be there! http://bit.ly/1Lb1Cf6

Join Us In March for the Good Food Festival & Conference – The Midwest’s Premier Showcase for Local and Sustainable...

03/20/2016

The Good Food Festival & Conference - Chicago is more than an opportunity to find new, awesome food in the Chicago, Illinois area! It is also hosting conferences on Thursday, March 24, Good Food Financing Innovation Conference and Friday, March 25 Good Food Industry Conference. Are you a food entrepreneur in the Chicago area? These are great events to practice your networking skills and meet like-minded people in the Chicago community.

https://www.f6s.com/financinginnovationconference/about

03/18/2016

Looking to scale your business? This Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation web series is a great resource. The series covers everything from "Starting to Scale" to "Funding Your Growth."

http://www.entrepreneurship.org/Founders-School/Scaling-Your-Company.aspx?utm_source=newsletter

The act of innovation, the act of startup is what sets up the opportunity for greatness. The scaling stage is what allows you to grab that greatness and build a lasting company.

03/16/2016

Licking icing off of candles is always the first step to eating a birthday cake. Now you can take a bite out of the candle! Let Them Eat Candles from Glencoe Studio LLC has created a candle out of chocolate that is as yummy as it is decorative. As a long time client, Let Them Eat Candles have been featured in The Grommet. https://www.thegrommet.com/let-them-eat-candles

These edible candles, discovered by The Grommet, make cakes & cupcakes more elegant and fun with their tapered, delicious designs. Bonus: they're American-made.

03/13/2016

We are always happy to see other shared kitchens providing great homes for food businesses. Congratulations to our clients, Chutney Devis, on their product launch last week and video on WGN TV!
http://wgntv.com/2016/02/17/commercial-kitchen-helps-get-cooking-ideas-off-the-ground/

CHICAGO — It is an exciting and extremely busy week for long time friends Vineeta Santoshi and Uma Vaiyapuri: for the past 18 months they have been mixing and cooking and testing as they perf…

03/11/2016

Kellogg School of Management Food & AgriBusiness Management Club partnered with NWC for the 3rd year to help our entrepreneurs address their next big strategic issues. Our clients, the zen of slow cooking, Hooked On Fish, Pak'd, Amanecer Breakfast Tacos, collaborated with student teams at NWC Food Incubator and designed exciting next steps for growing their businesses.

03/08/2016

On this International Women's Day, leads as having one of the highest percentages of female entrepreneurs! At NWC Food Incubator, we are proud to say that 70% of our businesses are owned or co-owned by women. From slow cooker spice mixes to Indian chutney, chocolate sauce to breakfast tacos, our female clients are building businesses to last!

http://chicagoinno.streetwise.co/2015/07/28/new-report-says-chicago-has-the-highest-percentage-of-female-entrepreneurs/

A new report measuring startup ecosystems around the world has found that Chicago has the highest percentage of female entrepreneurs out of the top 20 ecosystems it examined. The report by...

03/04/2016

We had so much fun on February 25 with Infant Welfare Society of Evanston. The Warm Your Palate fundraising event at NWC Food Incubator was such a success that we had to share some of the fantastic photos! Look at popular Evanston Farmers Market vender, Gotta B Crepes, serving up delicious apple cinnamon crepe rollups for dessert!

02/28/2016

Congratulations to our long standing client the zen of slow cooking on being finalists in the Peapod Next Best competition. Windy City LIVE @ WLS ABC7 Studios created a video showing the semi-finalist products and judges comments. New entrepreneurs, here's a first hand look at what it takes to create a new food product.

http://abc7chicago.com/food/peapods-next-best-finalists/1212562

02/26/2016

The Infant Welfare Society of Evanston had their annual fundraiser, "Warm Your Palate" in our space last night. We had a fantastic time last night! Thank you to the chefs from Campagnola, 90 Miles Cuban Cafe, Peckish Pig, La Macchina Cafe - Evanston, Boltwood, Libertad, Ten Mile House, Gotta B Crepes and everyone who attended!

02/24/2016

Our founder and Incubator Manager, Nell Funk, was featured in FW: Chicago this past month. She has mentored countless entering the food market. Congratulations Nell! http://fw-chicago.com/profiles/entreprenuers/nell-funk/ http://fw-chicago.com/profiles/entreprenuers/kathy-herbert/

The president and owner of NWC Food Incubator has seen many facets of the food industry and currently has plans to expand to the city from Evanston to further support entrepreneurial food businesses.

02/21/2016

Cooking is an art - and artist Carlos Reyes took this concept literally! His art was baked up in our kitchen: White Flag Projects used Hewn Bakery bread dough and our kitchen to create bread installations for his show presented in St. Louis recently. See his work at http://whiteflagprojects.org/wfp10/exhibition_details.cfm?eID=108

02/19/2016

Popular Evanston Farmers Market vendor Ryan Jones came out from winter hibernation to share his story with Spoon University. Find out more about the delicious combinations created by Gotta B Crepes (and, by the way, prepped in our kitchens right here in Evanston)!

http://nu.spoonuniversity.com/live/getting-know-ryan-jones-gotta-b-crepes/

Serving crepes the way it's gotta be.