WASHINGTON — Dairy Farmers of America (DFA), a national, farmer-owned dairy cooperative, and Sprint (NYSE: S) announced that applications are open for the 2018 Accelerator program that helps accelerate and grow startup businesses.
For the 2018 program, DFA will be joined by CoBank, a cooperative bank serving vital industries across rural America, as a supporting partner. DFA, along with CoBank, will further expand their involvement by recruiting ag tech companies as well as early stage food product companies that are dairy-focused or dairy-based. It is not a requirement that the product is exclusively dairy, but dairy must be a primary ingredient.
“Innovation is a core value for DFA, and we are thrilled to continue our support for the 2018 Accelerator program, which will help spur new ideas and innovation for the dairy industry from farm to table,” says Kevin Strathman, senior vice president of finance at Dairy Farmers of America. “It’s truly exciting to be on the forefront of new technologies and developments that will help drive our industry forward. Adding CoBank and their wealth of industry insight into the mix will certainly provide additional value for the entrepreneurs.”
As a sponsor for the Accelerator, DFA will provide mentorship, connections and resources to help accelerate the growth of the ag tech and food company start ups selected. Features of the 90-day program include:
- Targeted, strategic meetings with the corporate partner teams to discuss business development, pilots and potential sponsorships;
- Mentoring from DFA senior members and their networks, as well as from the investor, business development and entrepreneurial communities;
- Business building sessions around product, brand, marketing and entrepreneurship;
- State-of-the-art workspace facilities provided at Sprint Accelerator in Kansas City’s Crossroads Arts District.
“We are excited to have DFA back to support our 2018 program as well as CoBank as a supporting partner,” said Doug Dresslaer, managing director of the Sprint Accelerator. “As we saw from our 2017 program, having strong corporate sponsors to engage with start ups is key to a successful program.”
Additional details and applications are available at sprintaccelerator.com. The 90-day program will begin on March 5, 2018.
–Dairy Farmers of America
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