Join us in welcoming the 17 Bay Area entrepreneurs that have been selected to participate in our business advising programs, the Accelerator and the Lab at ICA. The programs, which have graduated 120 iconic Bay Area businesses, connect women entrepreneurs and founders of color with personalized business coaching and networks of peers. Entrepreneurs learn strategies to become capital-ready and scale their businesses while building wealth for themselves, their employees, and their communities.
These founders are committed to growing businesses with purpose. Now with the help of ICA, they will learn tested growth strategies, connect with our expert advising network, and – when the time is right – have access to our flexible, founder-friendly equity capital. Welcome to ICA!
The ICA Accelerator is an intensive 12-week program focusing on growth strategy, people strategy, capital strategy and investment readiness for established businesses. Participants join a cohort of peers and receive 1-on-1 mentoring sessions with high-caliber advisors. Selected entrepreneurs for Cohort 12 are:
B.T.R Nation
Founder: Ashley Nickelsen | Website | Instagram | Facebook
B.T.R. NATION makes on-the-go superfood snacks that are low in sugar, 100% plant-based, and powered by real food.
Good Housekeeping's 2023 Best Snack Awards, Jun 20, 2023, Good Housekeeping
11 Best Protein Bars of 2023, According to Dietitians and Taste Testers, May 25, 2023, Good Housekeeping
I Tried B.T.R. Nation's Low-Sugar Chocolates And I'm Officially Obsessed, Apr 7, 2023, Delish
CoCo Noir Wine Shop & Bar
Founder: Alicia M Kidd | Website | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok
CoCo Noir is a brick and mortar retail wine shop, tasting room, and bistro, that sells women and BIPOC-made wines, beer, champagne, and non-alcoholic beverages alongside a full social experience of catering and music.
Best wine bars in the Bay Area, Apr 2, 2023, SF Chronicle
First black women owned retail, tasting, room, and event space located in Downtown Oakland, Feb 27, 2023, KRON4
CocoTutti Chocolates
Founder: Elyce Zahn | Website | Instagram
CocoTutti Chocolates makes hand-crafted chocolates and confections, inspired by their housemade jams, marmalades and nut butters and topped with edible artwork.
There’s more than one reason to taste wine with chocolate, Feb 2, 2018, The Washington Post
Oodaalolly
Founder: Hernan Lauber | Website | Instagram | Facebook
Oodaalolly, based in Richmond, CA, makes award-winning chocolates that are a fusion of traditional Filipino flavors and the precision artistry of Swiss chocolate-making.
Otherwise Brewing
Founder: Aaron Gervais | Website | Instagram | Facebook
Otherwise Brewing makes gluten-free beers with proprietary IP and eco-friendly ingredients to bring the full range of craft beer styles to the nearly 1 in 3 Americans who avoid gluten.
Soothi
Founder: Krit Khandelwal | Website | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok
Soothi is an omni-channel gift and stationery brand that designs literature-inspired, handmade artisan products, made with sustainable and upcycled materials.
The Sip
Founder: Catherine Carter | Website | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok
The Sip is an e-commerce discovery platform for luxury beverages that is making wine more accessible through wine education and discovery, paired with curated boxes of sparkling wine tastings.
How Two Oakland Women Created A Million Dollar Wine Business During The Pandemic, Jan 25 2022, Forbes
WAJU Water
Founder: Chris Oates | Website | Instagram | Facebook
WAJU Water is a BIPOC-owned beverage company that extracts and upcycles naturally occurring water within organic fruit, transforming into a nutrient-dense sparkling beverage.
‘Diversity breeds innovation,’ Waju founder discusses startup challenges, splashing into Sprouts, Feb 21, 2023, Food Navigator
Black Ambition Prize Case Study - Social Media Toolkit, The Rockefeller Foundation
JEDI Program Supports Organic Innovators Getting Certified, Sep 9, 2022, Organic Trade Association
Young Kobras
Founder: Geoffrey Kober | Website | Instagram | Facebook
Young Kobras is a whole grain and gluten-free sourdough bakery based in the San Francisco Bay Area.
The Lab at ICA is a 12-week long program for early-stage businesses to help entrepreneurs strengthen their existing business model, stabilize operations, establish a path for growth, and get ready to take on capital. All companies that complete the Lab at ICA are priority applicants for up to $50,000 in seed capital from ICA’s Seed Equity Fund. Selected entrepreneurs for Cohort 6 are:
Calaca Coffee
Christian Soto & Jose Rodriguez | Instagram | TikTok | Website
Calaca Coffee makes Mexican inspired coffee products and branded lifestyle merchandise, based out of the East Bay.
Middle school friends launch Calaca Coffee, Nov 8, 2022, KRON4
Best coffee in the San Francisco Bay Area, Aug 2, 2023, SF Chronicle
Deep in The East Bay, Calaca Explores What It Means to Be a Latinx-Owned Coffee Business - Eater SF, Apr 1, 2022, Eater SF
Kola Goodies
Founder: Sajani Amarasiri | Website | Instagram | TikTok | Facebook
Kola Goodies makes milk tea lattes and superfoods inspired by their South Asian heritage and directly sourced from farmers in South Asia.
Kuali LLC
Founders: Janeen Mendoza Cruz & Rodrigo Cruz Ayala | Website | Instagram | Facebook
Kuali is a Latino-owned artisanal salsa business bringing the bold, authentic and unapologetic flavors of Mexico in every salsa they make. Kuali's signature salsa, salsa macha, offers a unique experience into the world of Mexican chili oils.
Bay Area’s hottest condiment right now: inventive takes on spicy, crunchy salsa macha, Apr 26, 2021
The Correct Way to Eat a Bagel Is Open-Faced | Bon Appétit, Jun 27, 2023, Bon Appetit
Marin Living Foods, Inc.
Founder: Gaina Lieu | Website | Instagram
Marin Living Foods creates sustainable and nourishing almond milks with innovative flavors, simple ingredients, and rigorous sustainability practices.
Marin Living Foods: Creating an Earth-Friendly Almond Milk Brand, Milk Pick
Mira Blackman
Founder: Mira Blackman | Website | Instagram | Facebook
Mira Blackman makes small-batch, sustainable clothing and accessories with organic fabrics, and low-impact dyes.
Nama Water
Founder: Deepika Phakke | Website | Instagram | Facebook
Nama Water produces ethically-sourced, sustainably packaged, premium spring water.
Olive This Olive That
Founder: Janeli Pekkain | Website | Instagram | Facebook
Olive This Olive That is a boutique olive oil and vinegar tasting room and retail space in San Francisco that works directly with local California farmers to produce extra virgin olive oil and small-batch handcrafted food makers from the Bay Area.
Sinwise
Founder: Joshua Chemparathy | Website | Instagram | Facebook
Sinwise, based in Oakland, CA, brews South Asian chai and coffee beverages with direct-trade ingredients for healthy minds, bodies, and communities.
The secret to a perfect cup of Bay Area chai? A family farm in India, Apr 13, 2023, SF Chronicle
“This fall’s cohort of inspiring founders are committed to equitable job growth and representation in their communities,” said Hannah Shr, Senior Program Manager at ICA Fund. “We are excited to support their efforts of positive social and economic impact through a collaborative partnership and ICA’s expanded network of fellow founders, advisors, and investors.”
When business owners connect and build community through ICA Fund’s accelerator programs, they are better equipped to weather the challenges of entrepreneurship, share best practices, and thrive. In 2022, companies that worked with ICA experienced 46% average revenue growth, 16% overall job growth and contributed a total of 836 local jobs in the Bay Area.
About ICA Fund
ICA Fund accelerates small businesses and quality job creation in the San Francisco Bay Area by supporting women founders and founders of color with coaching, capital, and connections—maximizing the transformative potential of the small business boom to create good jobs and wealth. Our team, investors, advisors, and portfolio companies reflect the diverse, talented expertise in our community.
