George Brown Polytechnic is located on the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and other Indigenous peoples who have lived here over time. We are grateful to share this land as treaty people who learn, work and live in the community with each other.
How the A2I Ecosystem for Founders Supports Entrepreneurs and Innovators
Founders are wearing many hats within their business and there’s always something to do. Many times, companies don’t know what they don’t know. This series will help founders think of their business and products from all angles, reduce mistakes and wasteful spending, and will provide many questions to ponder as you navigate your next business phase.
The Food Innovation & Research Studio (FIRSt) and the Innovators & Entrepreneurs Foundation (IEF) are proud to collaborate on this 8-session workshop, designed to support northern and rural Canadian food and beverage entrepreneurs with tangible how-to guides, mentorship, and practical support.
Programming will be focused on practical challenges food & beverage entrepreneurs face related to product development.
Topics will include:
- competitive analysis and feasibility research
- regulations
- labelling and nutrition
- food safety
- product development & product testing
- ingredient sourcing, packaging
- consumer feedback
- intellectual property
- manufacturing discussions
- shelf-life testing
Free to apply and attend.
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Navigating a business alone is tough. We want to help.
- Receive expert guidance from the Food Innovation & Research Studio (FIRSt) technical team on challenges specific to your business and product.
- Develop a stronger understanding of the regulatory, food safety, labelling, and nutrition requirements applicable to your products
- Learn practical approaches to product development, testing, ingredient sourcing, packaging selection, and shelf-life evaluation.
- Build relationships with peer entrepreneurs facing similar challenges and opportunities within the food and beverage sector.
- Reduce the time and cost associated with trial-and-error product development by learning industry best practices and avoiding common pitfalls.
Program Details
Requirements to Participate
- Access to a computer and reliable internet connection
- A microphone/headphones for audio participation
- A working webcam
- A description of your product(s)
- A collaborative attitude, open to coaching and learning
- Commitment to attend all 8 sessions
Who Should Apply
- Canadian food and beverage businesses
- Micro business size 1-4 employees (the founder counts as 1 employee)
- Company is past the ideation phase (TRL1-TRL 9 is acceptable)
- Located in designated Canadian rural or northern catchment area
- Founders who want coaching, support and knowledge in a collaborative setting
Session Format
- 8 live 90-minute sessions delivered over Microsoft Teams
- Each session starts with a presentation, and is followed by a Q&A and discussion
- All session notes and presentation will be shared with the participants
- Some weeks will also include mini-guides to support additional learning
- Free to register
- Participants are expected to attend all 8 sessions
Application Timeline & Details
| Details | Timing |
|---|---|
| Starting date: | January 7, 2027 |
| Duration: | 8 sessions, over the course of 6 months |
| Schedule: | January 7 Break for applying knowledge and mentorship April 1 Break for applying knowledge and mentorship June 17 |
| Deadline to apply: | October 30, 2026 |
| Decision: | Participants will be informed whether or not they have been accepted to the program by November 13, 2026 |
Session Leaders
Candace Mascarenhas
Manager, Operations & Industry Engagement
Candace has proven recipe and product development skills with over 16 years of culinary and foodservice experience. Candace values building strong client relationships at FIRSt and has a proven track record of meeting the demands of FIRSt’s diverse and dynamic clients. They are often at the cutting edge of the foodservice and the consumer package goods industry. Candace holds a B.A from the University of Windsor and is an alumnus of both the George Brown Polytechnic (GBP) Culinary Management and Italian postgraduate programs. Candace is a member of the Research Chef Association and a past recipient of the prestigious Ontario Hostelry Institute’s ‘Top 30 Under 30’ award.
Tolu Olutunfese
Lead Food Scientist
Tolu Olutunfese brings over 15 years of experience in food product development, regulatory affairs and technical services to the FIRSt team. She has worked in and around food science for the span of her career, first in Food Quality Assurance, deepening into a specialization in Food Research, Product Development and Commercialization. She has previously held technical positions at Dr. Oetker Canada Ltd, NSF International, TDL Group and Cargill Foods, where she helped to bring new products to market while meeting standards in Food Safety and Quality Assurance. Tolu has recently completed a post-grad certificate in Regulatory Affairs at Humber College and received her Bachelors in Food Engineering from the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology.
Caroline Rebello
Food Science Technologist, FIRSt
Caroline Rebello is a proficient food research and development professional with experience in the nutrition and nutraceutical industrial segments. In her career prior to George Brown, Caroline has developed formulations of nutraceuticals, infant and follow-on formulas, health supplements, and beverages; She has also worked on scale-up, from laboratory prototype to commercial production. Caroline has a MSc in Nutraceuticals from University of Mumbai, India, and a BSc in Life Sciences from St. Xavier’s College (Autonomous), India.