CHICAGO, IL — Two Midwest startups were crowned winners of the Midwest Dairy Accelerator pitch event yesterday, earning $30,000 in prize funding to help scale their dairy-based innovations. RoseBud Ice Cream took home the $20,000 grand prize and an in-kind consulting package from Queue Brand Communications worth $10,000, while Zoguri was awarded $10,000 as runner-up, following a live pitch competition at The Hatchery, a past Midwest Dairy partner and nonprofit food and beverage business incubator in Chicago.
The event marked the finale of the Midwest Dairy Accelerator, an intensive eight-week program launched this summer by Midwest Dairy in partnership with innovation advisory firm VentureFuel. Designed to accelerate the next generation of dairy-forward entrepreneurs, the program provided mentorship, industry connections, and resources to help startups grow innovative businesses with real dairy at the core. The participating companies in this program and the September 3 pitch event included Lorenzo’s Frozen Pudding of Chicago, IL; RoseBud Ice Cream of Glen Ellyn, IL; Sugarwitch of St. Louis, MO; and Zoguri of Omaha, NE.
Throughout the program, founders participated in workshops and one-on-one sessions with experts across the dairy value chain, including Associated Milk Producers Inc., Agropur, Iowa State University, and the U.S. Dairy Export Council. The curriculum covered topics such as consumer insights, ingredients and innovation, co packing and manufacturing, distribution and retail, marketing and pitching.
Final pitches were evaluated by a panel of industry experts, including Brigette Wolf, CMO, My/Mochi; Cameron Lee, Senior Manager of Brand Partnerships, Instacart; Jill Houk, R&D Chef, Culinary Culture; Ross Vangalis, CEO and Founder, Queue Brand Communications; and Silvia Robles, VP Growth Platforms & Partnerships, Dairy Management Inc..
RoseBud Ice Cream, a Glen Ellyn, IL–based brand bringing ice cream in convenient, kid-friendly pouches, plans to use the prize money to strengthen operations and scale. “I’ll be using the prize money to make a switch to a new pouch supplier and manufacturer, and I can already tell the networking connections are going to pay off dividends to know these people as we continue to grow,” said Sam Rose, founder and chief cream officer.
Winning the competition was a milestone moment for the company. “It feels great to be a winner,” Rose added. Beyond the funding, RoseBud reflected on the broader impact of the accelerator. “Being part of this cohort has shaped my perspective on dairy innovation by illuminating a lot of things when it comes to dairy. I did not realize how much of a superfood dairy is — it’s been pretty crazy to see and gives me a lot of ideas for how we can further iterate products in the future.”
Runner-up Zoguri, based in Omaha, NE, develops fermented dairy supplements featuring a proprietary L. reuteri probiotic strain. For the company, the recognition itself was deeply meaningful. “The recognition by Midwest Dairy is incredible and helps us reaffirm our mission to improve the health of others through fermented dairy and using an L. reuteri strain of probiotic.”
The prize money will also directly support the brand’s next stage of growth. “The prize money is going to help us revolutionize what we’re doing with our packaging,” said Daniel Rehal, president and founder.
“Dairy farmers have always been innovators, finding new ways to bring nutritious products to market and meet the changing needs of consumers,” said Beth Bruck-Upton, vice president of research and innovation at Midwest Dairy. “Today, that same spirit of innovation drives us to support emerging brands by providing the mentorship and resources they need to grow and succeed.”
Midwest Dairy’s commitment to innovation is fueling the continued evolution of dairy in the U.S., with research and pilot initiatives advancing economic, environmental, and social sustainability. The Midwest Dairy Accelerator extends this commitment by helping early-stage entrepreneurs meet rising consumer demand for dairy-based products that deliver on flavor, function, and convenience. Building on three years of pitch events and programming with The Hatchery and No More Empty Pots, the accelerator transforms that momentum into a structured program designed for greater long-term impact.
“The ingenuity and commitment we’ve seen from RoseBud Ice Cream and Zoguri showcase exactly what it takes to turn bold ideas into real-world impact,” said Fred Schonenberg, CEO of VentureFuel. “This is not innovation for innovation’s sake—it’s about commercializing breakthrough concepts to meet consumers where they are today and where they’re headed tomorrow. We’re proud to partner with Midwest Dairy to help bring these exciting innovations from vision to market to accelerate what’s next in dairy.”
For more information on the program and this year’s winners, visit MidwestDairyAccelerator.com.
