ICA Fund is excited to introduce the latest cohort of visionary entrepreneurs taking the plunge into our 12-week Accelerator program! This year marks our largest cohort to date, with 45 new businesses joining our community to become capital ready and build wealth for themselves, their employees, and their communities. We have two tracks: the Lab at for early-stage businesses and The Accelerator at ICA for companies ready to scale. This year, two of our Accelerator companies were previous graduates of the Lab, demonstrating the growth trajectory possible for the companies we work with.

We have an exciting mix of industries this year — from restaurants to culturally inspired wellness and beauty, our entrepreneurs are creating impact through innovation in all its forms. 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 Accelerator at ICA is an intensive program track focused on growth, people, and capital strategy along with investment readiness. Selected businesses for Cohort 13 are: 

Breadbelly, founded by chef-owner Clement Hsu, a bakery and cafe inspired by Asian traditions with contemporary Californian American tastes.

Casa Borinqueňa, founded by Lourdes Nau, the first vegan Puerto Rican restaurant in California serving classic dishes and special fusions.

FoodWare, co-founded by Romina Silva and Ignas Bolsakovas, a tech enabled reusables tracking system & impact accounting platform that eliminates disposable foodservice packaging

Forest & Flour, founded by Sway Soturi, an allergen-free bakery, based in Fremont

Impact Food, co-founded by Stephanie Claudino Daffara and Kelly Pan, a food technology company that creates sustainably sourced, plant-based seafood alternatives. 

‍La Guerrera’s Kitchen, owned by Reyna Maldonado, a woman-owned restaurant in downtown Oakland that serves authentic Gerrero cuisine.

‍Maker Studio Kidz, founded by Marissa Lucero, a creative immersive studio that provides students and educators with training, resources and community support through creative technical educational youth programming.

‍Malaya Botanicals, run by founder Pia Barton and COO Rolando Martin, a Pinay-owned CBD health & wellness company at the forefront of promoting wellness & empowerment.

‍Maujh, run by founder Shruti Goradia and CFO Vishal Goradia, a brand that makes handcrafted Apple Watch® bands inspired by traditional South Asian jewelry.

Meaningful Beginnings, founded by Ashley Du, offers high quality child care services and creative courses to children 0-5 years of age.

‍MIZO, co-founded by Holly Paul and Chris Tran, a beverage company that makes juice pouches with a boozy twist and is the only non-carbonated ready-to-drink cocktail on the market with 90% less sugar than the leading hard lemonade, based in San Jose.

‍Oakland Fortune Factory, co-owned by Alicia Zhang and Alex Issvoran, a 60-year-old bakery that specializes in custom-made fortune cookies.

Phlex65, founded by Ana Jones, a two-sided labor market platform linking seniors or their families with caregivers through a user-friendly app.

Sach Foods, founded by Tarush Agarwal, a culinary brand that makes Indian inspired, protein-rich vegetarian foods.

Spirited Play Labs, founded by Lindsay Teitelbaum, a multi-sensory, membership-based play center for neurodivergent, disabled, and neurotypical children and their families based in San Ramon and Berkeley.

The Matcha Factory, co-founded by Kori Saika Chen, a zero waste, solar-powered matcha brand.

‍

The Lab at ICA is our program track for early-stage businesses looking to strengthen their business model, stabilize operations, establish a path for growth, and get ready to take on capital. All companies that complete the Lab are priority applications for up to $50K from ICA’s Seed Equity Fund. Selected businesses for Cohort 7 are: 

‍Ade Deyhe, founded by Akintunde Ahmad, an ethically produced fashion brand with unisex outerwear made from hand woven fabrics across Sub Saharan Africa.

Bealthy, founded by Jacoby Stuart, a business development startup that provides digital educational products and network connections for entrepreneurs. 

Cocoa & Onyx, founded by Felicia Bradley, a pet accessory brand that makes functional products for people with pets.

Daybreak, co-founded by Michelle Tu and Stanislav Kroll, a third-wave coffee brand inspired by Vietnamese coffee culture.

De La Creamery, founded by Stephanie De Le Cruz, a company that makes handmade ice cream inspired by traditional Mexican flavors.

DEVAN GREGORI, founded by Devan Gregori, an ethically made apparel brand with everyday essentials and approachable statement pieces. 

‍Dr. A’s Lo-Fi Kava, founded by August Varlack, a beverage brand aimed at helping people curb alcohol consumption while still having “healthy buzzed” times. 

Ethnic Ties, founded by Acacia WoodsChan, a grassroots cultural organization that leverages tourism to support underserved Black and Brown communities.

Finance Friday, founded by Anthony Walker, an organization focused on educating families on business finance and entrepreneurship through video content, books, and curriculum. 

Hella Coastal, founded by Chaz Hubbard, a brewery and lifestyle brand that produces approachable beers for novice beer drinkers and connoisseurs alike.

Hooked Coffee, founded by Natalie Ma, a single-serve coffee platform that transforms coffee from partners and specialty roasters into sustainable, easy-to-brew formats. 

hot boi chili oil, co-founded by Alex Nguyen and Tram Huynh, an artisanal chili crunch with spice infused oils and garlic that supports nonprofit organizations in the community.

Huhu, founded by Meng Li, a parenting gear brand that offers functional, every-day products for parents.

‍Hungry Kitchens, founded by Mohamed Abdelmeguid, a selection of food experience products crafted with Mediterranean California Fusion influences.

Josu, co-founded by Parker Thomas, an Asian and Korean-inspired artisanal salt company with their ingredients sourced from a family farm in Imjado, South Korea.

Karl Marie, founded by Kyra Lumpkin, a clean-air fragrance brand specializing in home and body fragrances made with non-toxic ingredients.

‍Koast Kombucha, founded by Aaron Ho, bottles kombucha brewed with simple ingredients in oak barrels.

‍Living Flora, founded by Deb Chung, a company that makes flavored water kefir, a fermented probiotic beverage.

Luna Bags, founded by Luna Afroz, a sustainable, cruelty-free unisex bag company.

Mukupati, founded by Eliana Lopez, a mother-led business that creates sustainable underwear, pajamas and playwear for children.

NARRA, co-founded by Miggy Reyes, an Asian-inspired beverage company that makes plant-based tea lattes with no added sugar and zero artificial ingredients. 

Olori, founded by Tomide Awe, an African-inspired handbag company.

‍Plant Culture, founded by Meiko Scott, a plant-based culinary brand formerly known as Hella Nuts.

Sakura Soup, founded by Tomo Kusaka, a company that makes bottled  ramen soup based and broth concentrates

‍Terra & Self, founded by Kenne Johnson, a skincare brand that makes beauty products with high quality and naturally derived ingredients.

The Healing Place Apothecary, founded by Nubian Flunder, a wellness company that uses holistic skincare to encourage daily self-care rituals for busy women.

The Herbal Alchemist, founded by Sade Adeyemi, an affordable, plant-powered skincare brand made with organic ingredients.

The Jefas, founded by Aurora Diaz, an e-commerce platform for emerging Latina beauty brands.

‍Unified Pieces, founded by Gamaliel James, an Oakland-based jigsaw puzzle company.

‍

‍“This is going to be a supercharged accelerator. We’ve already done the work to optimize our program for entrepreneur support, advisor engagements, and curated curriculum and resources — and this time, we will have twice as many amazing founders in the room to continue this strategic approach with,” said Cyn Billops, Director of Direct Services. “We take seriously that we serve entrepreneurs that have been underserved. We are taking something that historically has not been for them and making sure that it is so for them.”

ICA Fund’s 850+ network of alumni are on the ground building businesses in the Bay Area that are creating good jobs and a thriving local economy. In 2023 alone, companies who worked with ICA Fund retained 1010 local jobs, and paid an average wage of $24.73/hour, compared to the $16.52 minimum wage in Alameda County. We are looking forward to supporting this newest cohort with their business goals and seeing their growing impact on the community. 

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. Interested in applying to ICA Fund's next Accelerator cohort? Sign up for our newsletter to be the first to know when applications open for 2025.