The Dairy Runway program begins with a six-week virtual entrepreneurship course, giving participants the opportunity to hear from industry leaders, conduct an in-depth customer discovery process, and define their target market. As this phase comes to a close, the Spring 2025 cohort looks to take the next step, putting their ideas to the test.
“While the entire program has been incredibly rewarding, the customer discovery process has been the most transformative in allowing my business idea to grow and flourish into a full-fledged product,” said Rebecca Hale, founder of Bec’s Food Co. “I’ve learned to craft more insightful questions during customer interviews, empowering me to extract the most pertinent, precise information from my future customers.”
Teams that have attended and fully participated in the six-week virtual program will have the opportunity to work with Cornell’s dairy specialists and food technicians in the Food Processing & Development Lab’s pilot plant to develop a product prototype. During this second phase of the program, teams are paired with Cornell Entrepreneurs in Residence and other experts for one-on-one business coaching as they continue iterating on the business model canvas that was started during the course.
“As we head into the prototyping phase, I’m excited to apply these insights and fully trust that the critical decisions I will have to make will be grounded in deep customer-centric knowledge and previously unattainable (but essential) industry expertise,” said Hale.
Introducing the Spring 2025 Dairy Runway Cohort and their ideas:
Bec’s Food Co. – Founder Rebecca Hale is making an innovative, high-protein sweet treat that is as satisfyingly indulgent as it is functionally nutritious.
Culture Cream – Katiushka Melo is working on a kefir-based ice cream, a probiotic-rich frozen dessert that blends traditional ice cream with the health benefits of kefir.
Cuttlefish Ventures – Founder Yogini Borgaonkar has developed a Savory Yogurt and Olive Oil Smoothie. This innovative beverage is a savory twist on traditional smoothies.
Etelka – Co-founders Karolina Vass and Nicole Vereczkey are reimagining the traditional cottage cheese experience by blending the best qualities of creamy quark, classic cottage cheese, and Greek yogurt.
Mato Dairy LLC. – Alexis Freda is introducing soft, smooth, and slightly sweet cheese with a mild flavor that is similar to a cheese found in Catalonia, Spain.
Mishti Doi – Tanisha Afnan is putting her own modern twist on a Bangladeshi yogurt delicacy.
Nibs and Noms – Matthew McKay and Carla Luna are creating a protein-rich, chocolate-flavored string cheese stick designed to combine the nutritional benefits of low-fat mozzarella cheese with the indulgent appeal of chocolate.
Protean Kombucha – Allie Lin, Sofia O’Keefe, and Casper Liao are working to introduce an innovative, sustainable beverage product that combines kombucha with acid whey, a dairy byproduct.
Graduates of the Dairy Runway program will have the tools to create a scalable business plan, making them more competitive for accelerator programs and grant funding. Click here for more information.