Supporting Local Brands at the Big Connecticut Food Event

One of the first students I connected with after arriving in New Haven was Lauren D’Souza ’25, co-president of the SOM Food, Agribusiness, and Beverage (FAB) Club. Over coffee at Atticus, we talked about our shared interests—food, biking, dogs—and her experience at SOM so far. She mentioned a new partnership between FAB student leaders and the organizing team of the Big Connecticut Food Event, an annual event focused on strengthening the state’s food entrepreneurship ecosystem and getting more local brands on grocery store shelves. Given my interest in the intersection of food, business, and sustainability, I was eager to get involved.

This year marked the third iteration of the Big Connecticut Food Event and its first time at Evans Hall after outgrowing the capacity of its previous venue at the Yale School of Environment. Led by Reed Immer, co-founder of the CT Food Launchpad and director of sales and marketing at Chabaso Bakery, the organizing team convened a range of Yale and New Haven community members: there were representatives from the CT Food Launchpad, Food’NBev Connect, CitySeed, reSET, the Yale Center for Business and the Environment, and SOM. I was thrilled to meet so many leaders of the local food ecosystem and quickly found meaningful ways to contribute.

The flagship element of the Big Connecticut Food Event was a pitch competition among five local brands, selection of which required an application and evaluation process. I volunteered to update the scoring rubrics, excited to apply a niche skillset developed during my years running small business grant programs in Albany. My goal was to improve usability while ensuring applications were reviewed consistently and fairly. I started by reviewing the event’s strategic priorities, then analyzed reviews from prior years to understand how the scoring system had been used in the past.

As March 1 approached, I was struck by how much collaboration was required to bring everything together. There were initial applications to score, fundraising goals to meet, panels to build out, and logistics to nail down and communicate with hundreds of attendees. FAB leaders helped review applications, organize day-of expert coaching appointments, develop moderator questions, coordinate tabling for nearly 30 small businesses, and match pitch finalists to coaches.

The energy inside Evans was palpable on the morning of the event. The building slowly filled—first with brands setting up displays and meeting with expert coaches, then with hundreds of attendees. The excitement was contagious as people engaged with panels covering critical topics like sourcing, partnerships, and financing. The first floor filled with delicious scents as attendees sampled everything from sauces and baked sushi to allergen-friendly cookies and coffee.

The highlight of the day was the pitch competition featuring five finalist brands. Watching entrepreneurs passionately present their ideas and receive immediate feedback from industry experts was both thrilling and educational. Sitting in on the judges’ deliberation process was an exciting behind-the-scenes moment that underscored the thoughtfulness and rigor that went into selecting the day’s winner, Mama Hu’s Sushi Bakes.

The Big Connecticut Food Event was one of the highlights of my first year at SOM. It reminded me why I came here—to connect with like-minded peers, gain exposure to the consumer packaged goods industry, and contribute to initiatives that use business as a force for good. I’m already looking forward to next year’s event!