InteliSpark client, Equiti Foods, wins a phase II STTR (Small Business Technology Transfer) grant from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) to further develop their business model for “Good Bowls,” appetizing frozen meals based on the Mediterranean diet with local southern flavors.
Chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes are the leading cause of death and disability in America and are a major contributor to our nation’s $3.8 trillion in annual health care costs. Poor nutrition is a risk factor for developing chronic diseases which makes low-income, minority and rural communities that lack access to affordable, nutritious foods at a higher risk of developing a chronic disease. Rural poverty and lack of economic opportunities for upward mobility, exacerbated by discrimination against black farmers, contribute to lack of access to affordable, nutritious food.
Equiti Foods, a mission-driven start-up, is taking on this public health crisis by addressing both healthy food access and economic opportunity. Good Bowls are good-tasting frozen foods based on the Mediterranean diet that integrate southern staple foods like collard greens, sweet potatoes, peppers, corn and beans. Through the creation of Good Bowls, Equiti Foods is striving to build a network of local producers and to locally source as many ingredients for their frozen meals as possible, thereby opening up economic opportunities in communities. They are also working to provide subsidized Good Bowls to communities that might not otherwise have access to healthy food options. Through a sliding-scale model, these locally sourced meals are sold at a lower price in corner stores and at a higher price in high-end stores.
Nutrition professor and Equiti Foods founder, Dr. Alice Ammerman, will lead this project to address the following aims:
1. Establish Employee Wellness Committees to refine implementation strategies and facilitate engagement with blue-collar workers and families;
2. Test the impact of subsidized Good Bowls availability and promotion alone (Good Bowls) relative to Good Bowls + the phone App nudge and home- based education program (Nudge/Education); and
3. Further develop and test the cost-offset model using both direct-to-consumer and retail sales to assess the volume and pricing of high-end sales needed to support the social mission.