cricket protein, toasted ravioli and adventures in St. Louis!

Exciting developments have unfolded in St Louis, Missouri, as Cullen Gilchrist, Founder and CEO, and Elena Rosenblum, Vice President of Union Kitchen, served on the Selection Committee for the Serving Our Communities Foundation's Food City Grant event! At this gathering, Cullen and Elena had the privilege of judging budding entrepreneurs passionately pitch their concepts spanning from the comforting familiarity of Cheesecake and Toasted Ravioli to the more adventurous realm of Cricket Protein.

Founded in 2012, Union Kitchen, a food business Accelerator based in Washington, DC, supports over 200 businesses from concept to national scale through their brands owning their manufacturing and having a phased approach to growth.

Through this approach, Union Kitchen's brands like Caribe, Maspanadas, and Compass Coffee have scaled nationally, created thousands of jobs, and ample opportunities for their local communities.

Through their collaboration with Union Kitchen, the Serving Our Communities Foundation awarded $150,000 in grants to packaged food brands owned by underrepresented founders, farmers, and social impact initiatives.

Congratulations are in order for all the winners of the Serving Our Communities' Food City Grant event and special congratulations extend to Cullen and Elena for their contributions as judges!