Santander Bank’s 12-week program Cultivate Small Business came to a close on June 29, 2021 with a virtual graduation ceremony. The 85 food entrepreneurs from New Jersey and Massachusetts were joined by their friends, family and mentors gathered on Zoom to celebrate their accomplishments over the past 12 weeks.

Funded by Santander Bank and in partnership with LAEDA, Commonwealth Kitchen, and Babson College, Cultivate Small Business is a program designed to engage early stage entrepreneurs in the food industry from historically excluded backgrounds. The 12-week program includes growth-focused business education, mentoring, networking, as well as access to capital grants.

Opened by Professor Candy Brush of Babson College, the graduation ceremony reached its peak during a fireside chat with Stacy Madison of Stacy’s Pita Chips, facilitated by Patrick Smith, the head of Small Business Banking at Santander Bank. Highlights of the fireside chat included Ms. Madison’s story of the growth of her business, the most important part of her branding process, as well as key mistakes she learned from throughout her journey.

LAEDA congratulates all graduates of Cultivate Small Business Cohort 4, especially the clients and alumni of LAEDA that successfully completed the course.