Welcome to 4 Access Partners
Elevating Women + BIPOC Food Entrepreneurs Across America
Connecting Opportunity with Expertise
It takes a pioneering spirit to venture out on your own and become a food entrepreneur, especially for those in underrepresented communities. However, these entrepreneurs are needed to keep the food industry thriving, because we believe a diverse economically-sustainable food industry ultimately elevates entire local communities. 4AP was created to amplify the success of diverse small businesses by connecting opportunity with expertise.
Through volunteers and partnerships with local communities and businesses, 4AP uniquely creates long standing relationships with diverse entrepreneurs. Mentors pass on the technical food and business knowledge; plus experiences needed to navigate the unique challenges and potential pitfalls on the journey to success.
Our Values
- We believe in enduring relationships
- We value both depth & breadth
- We ensure there is an unmet need that we can uniquely meet
- We believe in maximizing collaboration & partnering
- We live the spirit of continual experimentation and innovation to drive impact
4 Access Partners helps provide access to:
How We Help
Business owners face countless challenges when starting and growing their business. The food manufacturing industry is exceptionally competitive, with countless products vying for limited space on grocery stores’ and supermarkets’ shelves. Without access to expertise, capital, networking opportunities, and professional mentors, many entrepreneurs face an uphill battle.
4 Access Partners is determined to help our clients achieve sustainable growth. Our proven process pairs our clients with industry experts who have volunteered their time, support, and insight. With the volunteers’ support, our clients can expand their operations, employ more community members, and learn more about their industry. We help small food entrepreneurs scale, standardize, and succeed. In addition to the expertise our volunteers offer clients, 4 Access Partners also assists clients in securing capital, opening up access to markets and scaling their businesses – everything needed to grow and expand.
FAQs about 4 Access Partners
Who qualifies for support?
Retail food and small farm entrepreneurs from under-represented groups and who are under-resourced.
At what stage of their business journey should entrepreneurs be in order to fully utilize the support available?
We welcome entrepreneurs who have taken early steps to demonstrate consumer appeal for their idea as well as early steps to begin producing product at a commercial level.
Who are our volunteers?
Our volunteers come to 4 Access Partners from various industry-leading companies. Corporate partners refer these individuals based on their level of expertise and interest in our Intellectual Philanthropy model. Many have decades of experience navigating the food manufacturing industry in a crucial capacity. Volunteers’ expertise spans every necessary business function; we partner with engineers, food scientists, marketing and sales professionals, and other experts. These volunteers provide the critical knowledge every growing business needs – knowledge that our clients may otherwise miss out on.
Would you like to offer your expertise to help local entrepreneurs grow their businesses? Get in touch to schedule a call and learn more.
How does an entrepreneur tap into this expertise?
We have a standard introductory call and onboarding process where we identify the needs that the food company has and then help them put these needs in priority order to be addressed. For further information please fill out our contact form.
What does typical volunteer engagement look like?
Typically, there are 3 types of volunteers;
Client Lead – In charge of developing relationships with the Client, ensures Volunteers have what they need and provide overall project management.
Ask an Expert – Answers specific questions. This is typically “one and done.”
Project Volunteer – Project Team Members serve on specific, defined projects to assist 4AP clients. They are selected for projects based upon their skills and experience. Projects can last for up to 3 months.
The process for volunteers typically includes: Registration, Intro Call and Onboarding, Assigning to a Project, Monitoring Progress, Closing out the Project and Debriefing.
What does typical Entrepreneur engagement look like?
Intro Call, Enrollment, Finding the “Right Problem to Solve,” Project Charters, Monitoring Progress, Project Close and Debrief