15 Connecticut Food Startups Win Up to $1,000 Grants as Pika, 2 Bakers Take Top Awards
Updated
Updated · New Haven Independent · Jun 30
15 Connecticut Food Startups Win Up to $1,000 Grants as Pika, 2 Bakers Take Top Awards
2 articles · Updated · New Haven Independent · Jun 30
Summary
15 early-stage Connecticut food businesses pitched at CitySeed and reSET’s incubator showcase Monday, with Pika Food Truck winning the Audience Choice award and Downright Breads and Mariah Bakes taking the judges’ top prizes.
Up to $1,000 grants went to all participants, with an extra $1,000 for the three winners, funded by the Hispanic Federation, Connecticut’s economic development department and the federal Local Food Promotion Program.
12 weekly training sessions prepared the entrepreneurs in pricing, food-safety licensing and scaling, as the program aimed to connect local brands with customers ranging from farmers markets to retailers such as Big Y and Atticus.
2025 marked a structural shift for the incubator after Hartford-based reSET absorbed Collab, extending a years-long partnership with CitySeed to back home-based bakers, market vendors and food trucks seeking commercial expansion.