Upcoming Events
The 2016 Summit:
Food & Ag Entrepreneurship
How to Succeed in Business by Slowing Down
Thurs.-Sat., April 28-30, 2016 — Downtown Brattleboro, Vermont
The sixth annual Summit focuses on entrepreneurship.
Join us for in-depth explorations of key topics in food and agriculture entrepreneurship: business planning, funding sources, refining and pitching ideas, ownership structures, social impact, collaboration, food & ag business case studies.
Food & Ag Entrepreneurship:
How to Succeed in Business by Slowing Down
Yes, you read that correctly, your eyes are not deceiving you. In the age of “accelerators” and “start ups” we want you to know that doing well and good includes taking a moment to slow down.
The 2016 Summit will be focused on explorations of key topics in food and agriculture entrepreneurship, including business planning, funding sources, refining and pitching ideas, ownership structures, social impact, collaboration, food & ag business case studies. While exploring these and many other related topics, the Summit is focused on the concept of Slow Business which means: reflecting upon failure for future success, taking care of yourself as key for business, and deepening community relationships as a part of good business.
Specifically, we invite attendees to:
- Embrace Failure as Your Teacher in Business: In our fast culture, everyone is competing for the top spot to be seen as the most successful. We invite you to think differently about success and its risks in regards to doing well within your food or ag business. Additionally, we want to share with you stories of success gained from failure.
- Connect Slowing Living & Being Present with Good Business: It is very common for entrepreneurs to forget about themselves in the middle of their business planning. While thinking about planning a sustainable food or ag business, we want to help you make the connection between giving back to yourself, your neighbors and your community as a key part of your business model. If you are not going well, how can your business do well?
- Re-think Doing Business as Community & Relationship Building: We are not just talking partnership but good business and doing well requires a community. This is the very essence of Slow Living because there is no business without community.
As always, the Summit takes the Slow approach to entrepreneurship. “Slow Living” embodies cooperation, celebration, respect, purpose, sustainability, gratitude, mindfulness, and resilience.
Who should come: farmers, entrepreneurs, students, funders, educators, consultants, concerned citizens.
Register today! Join our Facebook event
FEATURED SPEAKERS
Cairn Cross
Co-Founder and Managing Director, FreshTracks Capital
Paul & Barbi Schulick
Founders, New Chapter
Ashley Stanley
Founder & Executive Director, Lovin’ Spoonfuls
Fred “Chico” Lager
Ex-CEO, Ben & Jerry’s
Will Raap
Founder, Gardener’s Supply
Bob Wellington
Sr. VP, Agri-Mark Dairy Cooperative
Matt Dunne
V.P. Community Affairs, Google
Tanya Fields
Founder & Executive Director, the BLK Projek
Leah Fury
Loan officer, Community Capital of Vermont
Anna Dawson
Founder, Hometown Foods LLC
Shanta Lee Evans-Crowley
Summit Coordinator & Mistress of Ceremonies
Matthew Cropp
Vermont Employee Ownership Center
Orly Munzing
Founder & Executive Director, Strolling of the Heifers
Jess Collen
Partner, Collen IP
Gabriel Cole
Founder, Fare Resources
Tamara Stenn
Author, Teacher, Entrepreneur
CS Wurzberger
The Greenup Girl
Martin Langeveld
Marketing Director, Strolling of the Heifers
Jim Verzino
Social entrepreneur
Clark Wolf
President & Founder, The Clark Wolf Company
Natalie Holder
Founder & CEO, Quest Diversity
Shel Horowitz
Author, Guerilla Marketing Goes Green
Maggie Donin
Beginning Farmer Specialist, The Intervale Center
Michele Risa
President, Manhattan Holistic Chamber of Commerce
Erbin Crowell
Executive Director, Neighboring Food Co-op Association
John Steven Bianucci
Director of Impact, Iroquois Valley Farms
Daniel Kornguth
Plastic artist
Mark Morey
Founder & CEO, A Connected Leader
Don Kreis
Senior Law Fellow, Vermont Law School
Dr. Michael Finkelstein
The Slow Medicine Doctor
SUMMIT TRACKS
CALCULATED RISK
Alternative Business Models and Shared Ownership
Workshops will focus on funding options for new businesses, how to identify useful business models, and the needs of the budding food or ag new business. How does one create a business model that supports being socially responsible?
DEAL, NO DEAL, ANTE UP
Financing Outside of the Box
Workshops will focus on various methods for business financing. What are some of the pros and cons of various financing models? What is gained or lost in matching funding goals, business structure, and being a socially responsible food & ag entrepreneur.
FIX, PIVOT, CLOSE OR SELL?
Re-Thinking Your Business Model
If you are a current food or ag entrepreneur, your challenge is trying to stay in the game and make decisions about ways to improve your business.
IS EVERYONE AT THE TABLE?
Diversity within the Food & Ag Business
In addition to starting and maintaining a business, what are some of the challenges to access to the food & ag business sectors.
2015 Summit videos
The Opening Plenary, Wednesday, June 3, 2015
Plenary 2 — Thursday morning, June 4, 2015
Plenary 3 — Thursday afternoon, June 4, 2015
Plenary 4 — Friday morning, June 5, 2015
Plenary 5 — Friday afternoon, June 5, 2015
Past Events
Speaking Engagements & Healthcare Conference
