17 businesses are joining the ICA family

Join us in welcoming the 17 Bay Area entrepreneurs that have been selected to participate in our business advising programs, the Accelerator and the Lab at ICA. The programs, which have graduated 120 iconic Bay Area businesses, connect founders with personalized business coaching and networks of peers. Entrepreneurs learn strategies to become capital-ready and scale their businesses while building wealth for themselves, their employees, and their communities. 

These founders are committed to growing businesses with purpose. Now with the help of ICA, they will learn tested growth strategies, connect with our expert advising network, and – when the time is right – have access to our flexible, founder-friendly equity capital. Welcome to ICA!

The ICA Accelerator is an intensive 12-week program focusing on growth strategy, people strategy, capital strategy and investment readiness for established businesses. Participants join a cohort of peers and receive 1-on-1 mentoring sessions with high-caliber advisors. Selected entrepreneurs for Cohort 12 are:

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B.T.R Nation

Founder: Ashley Nickelsen | Website | Instagram | Facebook 

B.T.R. NATION makes on-the-go superfood snacks that are low in sugar, 100% plant-based, and powered by real food.

‍Good Housekeeping's 2023 Best Snack Awards, Jun 20, 2023, Good Housekeeping

‍11 Best Protein Bars of 2023, According to Dietitians and Taste Testers, May 25, 2023, Good Housekeeping

‍I Tried B.T.R. Nation's Low-Sugar Chocolates And I'm Officially Obsessed, Apr 7, 2023, Delish

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CoCo Noir Wine Shop & Bar

Founder: Alicia M Kidd | Website | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok

CoCo Noir is a brick and mortar retail wine shop, tasting room, and bistro, that sells women and BIPOC-made wines, beer, champagne, and non-alcoholic beverages alongside a full social experience of catering and music. 

‍Best wine bars in the Bay Area, Apr 2, 2023, SF Chronicle

First black women owned retail, tasting, room, and event space located in Downtown Oakland, Feb 27, 2023, KRON4

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CocoTutti Chocolates

Founder: Elyce Zahn | Website | Instagram 

CocoTutti Chocolates makes hand-crafted chocolates and confections, inspired by their housemade jams, marmalades and nut butters and topped with edible artwork.

‍There’s more than one reason to taste wine with chocolate, Feb 2, 2018, The Washington Post

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Oodaalolly

Founder: Hernan Lauber | Website | Instagram | Facebook

Oodaalolly, based in Richmond, CA, makes award-winning chocolates that are a fusion of traditional Filipino flavors and the precision artistry of Swiss chocolate-making. 

‍Oodaalolly Newsroom

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Otherwise Brewing

Founder: Aaron Gervais | Website | Instagram | Facebook

Otherwise Brewing makes gluten-free beers with proprietary IP and eco-friendly ingredients to bring the full range of craft beer styles to the nearly 1 in 3 Americans who avoid gluten.

‍Otherwise Brewing Press

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Soothi

Founder: Krit Khandelwal | Website | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok

Soothi is an omni-channel gift and stationery brand that designs literature-inspired, handmade artisan products, made with sustainable and upcycled materials.

‍Soothi PR Features

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The Sip

Founder: Catherine Carter | Website | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok

The Sip is an e-commerce discovery platform for luxury beverages that is making wine more accessible through wine education and discovery, paired with curated boxes of sparkling wine tastings.

‍How Two Oakland Women Created A Million Dollar Wine Business During The Pandemic, Jan 25 2022, Forbes

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WAJU Water

Founder: Chris Oates | Website | Instagram | Facebook

WAJU Water is a BIPOC-owned beverage company that extracts and upcycles naturally occurring water within organic fruit, transforming into a nutrient-dense sparkling beverage.

‍‘Diversity breeds innovation,’ Waju founder discusses startup challenges, splashing into Sprouts, Feb 21, 2023, Food Navigator

‍Black Ambition Prize Case Study - Social Media Toolkit, The Rockefeller Foundation

‍JEDI Program Supports Organic Innovators Getting Certified, Sep 9, 2022, Organic Trade Association

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Young Kobras

Founder: Geoffrey Kober | Website | Instagram | Facebook

Young Kobras is a whole grain and gluten-free sourdough bakery based in the San Francisco Bay Area.

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The Lab at ICA is a 12-week long program for early-stage businesses to help entrepreneurs strengthen their existing business model, stabilize operations, establish a path for growth, and get ready to take on capital. All companies that complete the Lab at ICA are priority applicants for up to $50,000 in seed capital from ICA’s Seed Equity Fund. Selected entrepreneurs for Cohort 6 are:

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Calaca Coffee

Christian Soto & Jose Rodriguez | Instagram | TikTok | Website

Calaca Coffee makes Mexican inspired coffee products and branded lifestyle merchandise, based out of the East Bay. 

‍Middle school friends launch Calaca Coffee, Nov 8, 2022, KRON4

‍Best coffee in the San Francisco Bay Area, Aug 2, 2023, SF Chronicle

‍Deep in The East Bay, Calaca Explores What It Means to Be a Latinx-Owned Coffee Business - Eater SF, Apr 1, 2022, Eater SF

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Kola Goodies

Founder: Sajani Amarasiri | Website | Instagram | TikTok | Facebook

Kola Goodies makes milk tea lattes and superfoods inspired by their South Asian heritage and directly sourced from farmers in South Asia. 

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Kuali LLC

Founders: Janeen Mendoza Cruz & Rodrigo Cruz Ayala | Website | Instagram | Facebook

Kuali is a Latino-owned artisanal salsa business bringing the bold, authentic and unapologetic flavors of Mexico in every salsa they make. Kuali's signature salsa, salsa macha, offers a unique experience into the world of Mexican chili oils.

‍Bay Area’s hottest condiment right now: inventive takes on spicy, crunchy salsa macha, Apr 26, 2021

The Correct Way to Eat a Bagel Is Open-Faced | Bon Appétit, Jun 27, 2023, Bon Appetit

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Marin Living Foods, Inc.

Founder: Gaina Lieu | Website | Instagram

Marin Living Foods creates sustainable and nourishing almond milks with innovative flavors, simple ingredients, and rigorous sustainability practices.

‍Marin Living Foods: Creating an Earth-Friendly Almond Milk Brand, Milk Pick

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Mira Blackman

Founder: Mira Blackman | Website | Instagram | Facebook

Mira Blackman makes small-batch, sustainable clothing and accessories with organic fabrics, and low-impact dyes.

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Nama Water

Founder: Deepika Phakke | Website | Instagram | Facebook

Nama Water produces ethically-sourced, sustainably packaged, premium spring water.

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Olive This Olive That

Founder: Janeli Pekkain | Website | Instagram | Facebook

Olive This Olive That is a boutique olive oil and vinegar tasting room and retail space in San Francisco that works directly with local California farmers to produce extra virgin olive oil and small-batch handcrafted food makers from the Bay Area. 

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Sinwise

Founder: Joshua Chemparathy | Website | Instagram | Facebook

Sinwise, based in Oakland, CA, brews South Asian chai and coffee beverages with direct-trade ingredients for healthy minds, bodies, and communities.

‍The secret to a perfect cup of Bay Area chai? A family farm in India, Apr 13, 2023, SF Chronicle

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“This fall’s cohort of inspiring founders are committed to equitable job growth and representation in their communities,” said Hannah Shr, Senior Program Manager at ICA Fund. “We are excited to support their efforts of positive social and economic impact through a collaborative partnership and ICA’s expanded network of fellow founders, advisors, and investors.”

When business owners connect and build community through ICA Fund’s accelerator programs, they are better equipped to weather the challenges of entrepreneurship, share best practices, and thrive. In 2022, companies that worked with ICA experienced 46% average revenue growth, 16% overall job growth and contributed a total of 836 local jobs in the Bay Area.

About ICA Fund

ICA Fund accelerates small businesses and quality job creation in the San Francisco Bay Area by supporting founders with coaching, capital, and connections—maximizing the transformative potential of the small business boom to create good jobs and wealth. Our team, investors, advisors, and portfolio companies reflect the talented expertise in our community.