This month, a new cohort of dairy innovators started Dairy Runway, a free entrepreneurship program supporting early-stage ideas for value-added dairy products using New York State cow’s milk. During the first stage of the program, a six-week virtual entrepreneurship course hosted by Cornell’s Center for Regional Economic Advancement will introduce participants to the customer discovery process and tools like the business model canvas. The program employs the National Science Foundation’s Innovation Corps (I-Corps) model to help participants determine if their product ideas meet a market demand. “As a small batch cheese producer with limited production and business experience, I feel uncertain about how to scale my business effectively,” said Benita Kasbo, founder of Kasbo’s Market. “The Dairy Runway program is exactly what I need at this stage of my business journey to help me learn and determine my next steps.” Instructors Ken Rother and Heather Sandford will lead the group through a process to determine if their product ideas are desirable, viable, and feasible; guest speakers from a variety of industries will cover consumer preferences, product branding, retail, and the entrepreneurial experience. Returning as guest speakers for the program are Marla Buerk, Executive Vice President of Global Innovation for Dairy Management, Inc. (DMI); Maureen Ballatori, Founder and CEO of the brand strategy firm Agency 29; and Jason Goodman, CEO of Antithesis Foods. Silvia Robles, Vice President of Partnerships & Growth Platforms for DMI, will join Marla Buerk for the DMI presentation. In her role at DMI, Silvia collaborates with dairy cooperatives and food service partners to boost U.S. dairy sales and trust through consumer-focused product innovation and marketing. Training from instructors and guest speakers prepares teams to take the next steps toward building and scaling their business once the virtual course concludes. Teams that complete the entrepreneurship course successfully are offered fully-funded access to Cornell’s Food Processing and Development Laboratory. During this kitchen incubator phase of the program, teams receive guidance from Cornell’s Food Science technical experts and Cornell Entrepreneurs in Residence to bring their innovative ideas to the prototype stage and further develop their business model canvas. “I hope to partner with Cornell to assist with production, testing, and packaging, ensuring I can meet both current and future demand for my product,” Kasbo said. Eight teams are participating in this cohort of Dairy Runway: Big Head Paneer (Anaya Jhaveri and Amogh Sharma) is developing paneer, a high-protein Indian cheese. Chula (Ujjwal and Grace Rai) is cultivating partnerships between Nepali refugees and local farmers to produce ghee. Farmers Cone Creamery (Holly Rippon-Butler and Lisa Malmgren) is creating a premium soft serve ice cream mix. Kasbo’s Market (Benita Kasbo) is producing a Syrian cheese called Jibneh. Kosi (Christian Gjelaj) is developing an Albanian-style yogurt. Kriemhild Dairy Farms (Bruce Rivington) is developing a flavored buttermilk. Solsbury Hill Scoop Shoppe and Bakery (Lauren Glaser) is making a shelf-stable toasted dry milk powder. Synbiotic Kefir (Matthew Pataki) is developing a kefir product. “Farmers Cone Creamery has made handcrafted ice cream for the past seven years for the Adirondack and Upper Hudson regions,” said Holly Rippon-Butler, co-founder of Farmers Cone Creamery. “We are now ready to grow our business by adding soft serve, but are challenged by developing a mix that meets our standards and serves our customers with fresh mix ins and quality, local ingredients. We hope that participating in Dairy Runway will give us the access to business mentorship, networking with other dairy businesses, and state-of-the art facilities to help bring our soft serve dreams to reality.” Read the original story on the Dairy Runway blog.

Carol Fitzgerald’s entrepreneurship journey began with making whiskey-infused fudge for members of her son’s band, Whiskey Shivers, and their parents as a gift around the holidays.

Launched earlier this year in partnership with the Northeast Dairy Foods Research Center (NDFRC), the program offers a free, virtual curriculum that focuses on product concept and consumer discovery, along with training in prototype development and business coaching.