Nevada City, CA — September 12, 2025 — Sierra Commons, Nevada County’s nonprofit business incubator, is launching its Food Accelerator – Part One on October 6, 2025, an online course designed to help food entrepreneurs build, launch, and grow their businesses.
The Food Accelerator Part One combines the convenience of online learning with hands-on, local experiences. Participants will gain access to a new speaker series featuring industry experts, along with in-person opportunities such as a special session at BriarPatch Food Co-op, self-guided commercial kitchen tours in both eastern and western Nevada County, and a graduation showcase where students present their business ideas.
In keeping with Sierra Commons’ commitment to accessibility, the program offers scholarships and childcare stipends to make participation possible for entrepreneurs with financial or family obligations.
“Food entrepreneurs face unique challenges when starting out. The Food Accelerator provides the knowledge, resources, and community support to move from idea to action,” said Robert Trent, Executive Director of Sierra Commons. “This year’s addition of scholarships, stipends, and an expanded speaker series makes the course more accessible than ever.”
This program is part of Sierra Commons’ Cultivating Resilient Rural Food Ecosystems project, funded through the California Jobs First initiative and the We Prosper Together regional collaborative. The initiative focuses on building a stronger local food web by supporting value-added food businesses – creating jobs, and reducing barriers for new entrepreneurs.
“There’s nothing more satisfying than to see passionate food makers develop their products into a viable food business,” said Mani Niall, Food Accelerator Lead Instructor, “and helping them navigate through the process is a super rewarding experience.”
October 6th marks the beginning of the first course in a two-part series. Part Two starts January 20, 2026 – diving deeper into finance, HR, scaling production, and tools to avoid burnout.
“The Food Accelerator gave me the confidence to take my product from my home kitchen to store shelves. The connections I made continue to support my business today.” — Carmen Lang, Hola!Tortilla
Course Details:
- Dates: October 6–29, 2025
- Format: Online classes with select in-person activities
- Schedule: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday evenings, 6:00–7:30 PM
- Opportunities: Speaker series, BriarPatch Food Co-op session, kitchen tours, graduation showcase, one-to-one advising
- Support: Scholarships and childcare stipends available
Registration is now open at www.sierracommons.org/food-accelerator.