The fourth annual Big Connecticut Food Event is returning on Saturday 4/18/26 at the Yale School of Management in New Haven.

About the event

The Big Connecticut Food Event is an annual one-day event that gathers CPG/wholesale-focused food & beverage brands and other key stakeholders spanning the Connecticut food entrepreneurship ecosystem to network, share ideas, and showcase products and services.

Our goal is to support the development of the state’s entrepreneurship pipeline so it produces multiple food and beverage brands each year that exceed $2mil in annual sales.

The upcoming Big Connecticut Food Event will take place on Saturday 4/18/26 at the Yale School of Management in New Haven.

Attendee Tickets

Let's get CT brands on the shelf

🛒

Let's get CT brands on the shelf 🛒

Event Agenda

8:30 AM – 11:00 AM
Vendor & Exhibitor Setup

8:30 AM – 10:30 AM
Expert Coaching Sessions
(Pre-booked + open availability)

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Industry Hour
Buyers, retailers, distributors, and industry professionals connect directly with brands

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Emerging Brands Judging
Judges visit emerging brands for informal pitches and scoring

12:00 PM
Doors Open to Public

Afternoon Programming

12:30 PM – 1:30 PM

Scaling Without Spoiling: Food Safety(Panel)
A conversation on maintaining food safety standards while scaling production, navigating regulations, and building systems that support long-term growth

The Art & Science of Perfect Pricing(Workshop)
A practical workshop focused on pricing strategy, margins, and how to position your product for both profitability and retail success

1:45 PM – 2:45 PM

Where Are They Now? Alumni Spotlight(Panel)
Past participants share how their businesses have evolved, lessons learned, and what it takes to grow beyond the early stages

Building a Brand That Sells(Workshop)
A hands-on session on brand positioning, storytelling, and creating a brand that resonates with customers and drives sales

3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
Scaling Track Pitch Competition (On Stage)
Finalists present to judges and audience

4:30 PM – 5:00 PM
Networking + Final Sampling

5:00 PM
Awards & Closing Remarks
Winners Announced

Tabling Brands

Bozzutos | Caribbean Homestyle Products | Center for Inclusive Growth |

Full Moon Brewing | Good Baby Cakes | Hook & Arrow | Hot Monkey Nuts |

Sidekick Snacks | Sound Coffee | Soup and Story | Vulcano Pop |

Wildboard Snacks

Emerging Pitch Finalists | Scaling Pitch Finalists*

Emerging Pitch Judges

Andrew Beck - Beyond Good

Wayne Pesce - CT Food Association

Jeff Vocatura - Big Y

Sana Shaikh - Community Foundation of Greater New Haven

Cory Weir - Market 32/Price Chopper

Scaling Pitch Judges

Scott Rowe - Bozzuto’s

Justin Lindenmayer - Pip’s Heirloom Snacks

Kobla Asamoah - Board Member, Slow Money NYC

Chaka Wade - Managing Partner Fullerfield Capital

John Lawson - Whole Foods

Expert Coaches

Denise Whitford — CT Small Business Development Center
Danny Qiao — CT Innovations
Katrice Claudio — reSET Social Enterprise Trust
Amy Gorrek — Studio AG
Barry Nalebuff — Yale SOM / Eat the Change
Andrew Beck — Beyond Good
Jeremy Staub — BOX8
Cara Santino — Little Lion Collective
Kelly Criswell — Mudge
Jeff Krawczak — Alliant Food Safety Labs
Justin Lindenmayer — Pip’s Heirloom Snacks
Lisa Kidder — MYCTSavings
Catherine McGuiness — Haven’s Harvest
Paula Perez — NutriLab
Alexis Martinez in partnership with Donaldo Aragon — Nogara Copacking

Pitch competition

One-on-one coaching

20+ brands sampling & tabling

Industry leader panel discussions

Download Pamphlet

In the news

“CT food startups have a lot on their plates, but relief is on the way”

“CT brands gear up for Big Connecticut Food Event”

“Connecticut food startups pitch big ideas at Yale”

“Pitch Competition Showcases Local Brands”

“How organizations are fostering food entrepreneurs”

“Big CT Food Event also features panel discussions, networking and expert coaching opportunities...tickets sell out every year.”

“5 Connecticut food startups will compete in a pitch contest. Here are the hopeful entrepreneurs.”

Some context

Connecticut has made substantial progress in developing infrastructure for entrepreneurs in the state’s food and beverage industry. Multiple commercial kitchens, incubators and funding programs now span our small state and have generated interest within the regional industry.

Work remains to remove friction in the Connecticut food entrepreneurship pipeline, including stronger links with wholesale buyers and solutions providers, and more effective support for low-income, women and BIPOC entrepreneurs and businesses pursuing sustainable or regenerative processes.

The Big Connecticut Food Event is designed to provide opportunities for emerging food and beverage brands to connect with the expertise that they’re going to need on their journeys, and for strategic and industry partners to meet the growing community of promising brands.

Our goal is to support the development of Connecticut’s entrepreneurship pipeline so it produces multiple food and beverage brands every year that each exceed $2 million in annual sales.