Start Your Food Business Here | Food Venture Program

Leaders in Canadian food and beverage product entrepreneurship

Courses & Services

Our courses and services are designed for food and beverage entrepreneurs looking to start or build their businesses and to learn more about food industry! All of our programs include 1-1 mentorship with executives and business owners in the food industry as well as access to a community of other food/beverage entrepreneurs in your shoes!

Circularity & Sustainability in Food Production

This program is for new food and beverage entrepreneurs looking to develop a consumer packaged good

Have a recipe idea you want to commercialize and bring to market? This course is 6 hrs in total, spread over 2 days.

FREE Founding & Funding your Food Business

An overview of idea feasibility, food & beverage business start up costs, current food trends & more. This course will help you understand what it takes to run a consumer packaged good food & beverage business I am a Registered Dietitian, passionate about entrepreneurship. I founded The Dietitian Project in March 2020 with the aim of supporting dietitians and dietetic students with the tools to level-up their skills and reach ultimate career satisfaction. With this, I provide business

Learn the ins and outs of marketing your business in this 6 week online course. Receive 1-1 mentorship.

Live via ZOOM

Web development for food or beverage companies including e-commerce set up for online distribution.

We teach you how to turn your product journey into a beautiful brand story and help you translate that to your packaging/marketing.

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About Us

The Food Venture Program (FVP) is a collaboration of senior business mentors, food industry executives, chefs, product developers and dietitians in the food industry.

Designed by Sima Gandhi and Kiran Bains, FVP offers educational programming based on design thinking with experiential workshops for food & beverage entrepreneurs across North America.

Sima is owner of InnovatorLab.ca, previous manager for entrepreneurship programs at MaRS Discovery District (MaRSDD.com), workshop facilitator at Food Starter Toronto, 2018 EIR for the Toronto Public Library and founder of riince.com.

Kiran Bains, MSc, RD is a registered dietitian and owner of edovivo.com, a food industry consultancy and food and nutrition marketing agency. Kiran is also co-founder of the Upcycle Kitchen - a not for profit consumer packaged goods company in Guelph, that focuses on food system sustainability.

Our Team

SIMA GANDHI

Founder/Facilitator of FVP

Owner of Innovator Lab
Experiential Ed Designer & Facilitator.

Founder -

Founder -
Food Business Consultant

Favorite thing about working in food industry:

"Love the people in the food innovation ecosystem!"

Something you couldn't live without:
"Dark chocolate with almonds!"

DEREK VELLA, Chef

Manager and Instructor of Research & Development at Guelph Food Innovation Centre, Product Developer/Consultant

Instructor of FVP

Favorite thing about working in food industry:

"I get to be creative, technical and academic all at the same time - in a field that I still love to learn about everyday."

Something you couldn't live without:
"Chilies - fresh, dried, smoked, fermented"

WINNIE CHIU

Project Manager, Innovation at EarthFresh Foods

25 years experienced Food Scientist specializing in product development and applied research to commercialization.

Favorite thing about working in food industry:

"The diversity and variety of products."

Something you couldn't live without:
"Citrus fruit!"

DON BOURNE

Client Service Advisor, Mentor

Henry Bernick Entrepreneurship Centre, Georgian College

Founder, Bourne Principles, Entrepreneurship Consulting.

Favorite thing about working in food industry:

"Passionate about helping entrepreneurs start, build and grow profitable companies.."

Something you couldn't live without:
"Small batch beef jerky"

IAN FERGUSON, MBA

Sales Manager of Central and Western Region for Balcan Plastics

Juror for the SIAL Canada Food Innovation Competition

Co-chair of the PAC Packaging Consortium's Food Waste Leadership Council.

Favorite thing about working in food industry:

"Tasting great food!"

Something you couldn't live without:
"Oysters!"

KIRAN BAINS, MSc, RD

Founder/Facilitator of FVP

Registered Dietitian

Owner of edovivo.com

Co Founder of Upcycle Kitchen

Favorite thing about working in food industry:
"Every day is so different when you're a food product consultant. It keeps life interesting!"

Something you couldn't live without:
"Salted butter and high-fat dairy products!"

HELEN LANGFORD

President of Groupex Canada

Founder and co-owner of HSL Consulting: Consulting services to the food, food service and retail segments

20+ yrs in food service industry

Favorite thing about working in food industry:

"Leading people and business is my passion... I love the industry because it is so fast paced, changes all the time and I love nothing more than the preparation of a great meal shared with family and friends."

Something you couldn't live without:
"My perfectly brewed cup of coffee that I make in my French Press I have had for, well, a long time."