Cureate Announced Winners of Farm Pitch Showcase, Held at Maryland’s Best Expo
ANNAPOLIS/BALTIMORE, MD – JANUARY 13, 2025 - Cureate, in partnership with the Maryland Department of Agriculture, hosted a pitch competition for Maryland farm businesses graduating from the Cureate Courses program at the annual Maryland’s Best Expo on Wednesday, January 8, 2025.
The graduates of Cureate Courses pitched live in front of event attendees and a panel of expert judges for a $5,000 grand prize. Event attendees included Secretary Kevin Atticks and University of Maryland Medical System’s Vice President of External Affairs, Chuck Tildon, who met with program participants to learn more about their unique business offerings. In addition, $500 in community prize funds were awarded to the businesses who received the most community votes during the event. The funds awarded are used by the businesses for the growth goals they defined as part of the curriculum. Learn more about the winners below.
Cureate Courses is a 10 week educational program for farm, food, and beverage entrepreneurs - empowering them to grow, scale, and best-serve their customers in a highly-competitive industry. This innovative program is made possible through the collaboration and support of Baltimore Community Lending through a grant from University of Maryland Medical System, funder of the program. These partners share a vision of a more resilient, local, diverse supplier network throughout the state of Maryland, generating economic impact in local communities.
The following businesses for this Maryland farm cohort were selected by a committee of community partners, and are 70% woman-owned, 80% Black-owned:
“Cureate’s tenure in the industry, coupled with our food & beverage specific curriculum, has positioned us to foster economic growth across the state of Maryland and the region at-large. This is bolstered by a community of over 200 Cureate Courses alumni,” stated Kim Bryden, CEO of Cureate. “We are immensely proud of this year’s Maryland farm business graduates because of their commitment to healthy food access and equity in the communities they serve. I look forward to witnessing the growth of these business leaders and what will come of the collaborative partnerships developed during the program.”
About the Cureate Courses Winners
Boyd Cru Wines won the $5,000 grand prize and will be putting their money towards bringing a new tasting room and community marketplace to life. They envision the space as a hub for pop-ups and events, as well as a retail incubator for businesses without physical locations and a place to foster collaboration and community.
The community vote winners include Byrd’s Nest Box and Wildberry Farm + Market. Byrd’s Nest Box is a heritage farm honoring historical Afro-Indigenous farmers through regenerative farming practices and value-add products, and is currently working towards intellectual property protection. Wildberry Farm + Market is creating community around agriculture and hopes to purchase an automatic egg washer in order to keep local, fresh eggs affordable and available.
Testimonial
In answer to a judge's question, “how did the Cureate program help you with your business model?” Cohort graduate Farmer Nell responded with the following: “Kim Bryden [CEO of Cureate] was the first person to actually believe in City Weeds as a mission. So before even Cureate Courses, Cureate was the number one supporter of City Weeds — that was in 2016 — so this is a full-circle, surreal moment. And how has Cureate Courses helped me? It’s actually helped me with a better business plan! The language, the connection to academia, the discipline, and actually I would say that it’s an experience that I’ve never [had] before, and it’s been tremendously helpful in moving forward this new project, and moving with confidence.”
About Cureate
Cureate Courses programming and leadership derives from Cureate. Cureate is a woman-owned, food-tech company dedicated to empowering local communities by creating a sustainable and inclusive supply chain. Through small business development, food systems strategy, and local procurement programs, Cureate helps build interconnected, economically-vibrant communities. Visit cureate.co and watch our Impact Videos to learn more .