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Cottage Food Launchpad: Your Start-up Guide to Home-Based Food Ventures
Session 3 - Running Your Business Part 1
The Cottage Food Launchpad: Your Start-up Guide to Home-Based Food Ventures is a six-part training series designed to help aspiring entrepreneurs start and grow a cottage food business. The curriculum spans 10-12 hours of development, with 15 hours of co-teaching between instructors.
Over six webinars, participants will learn key concepts such as navigating licensing, setting up a business, managing operations, marketing, and understanding costs. Topics also include choosing a niche, legal requirements, food costing, and customer base development.
The series runs from May 20 to June 24, 2025, and is taught by experienced instructors Shawn Walker Smith, Heather Saffer, and Deagon Williams.
Over six webinars, participants will learn key concepts such as navigating licensing, setting up a business, managing operations, marketing, and understanding costs. Topics also include choosing a niche, legal requirements, food costing, and customer base development.
The series runs from May 20 to June 24, 2025, and is taught by experienced instructors Shawn Walker Smith, Heather Saffer, and Deagon Williams.
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Meet the instructor
Deagon Williams
Deagon Williams is a chef, food consultant, and SBDC advisor. She is a graduate of Mills College with a BA in Sociology and an MBA with an emphasis on entrepreneurship and marketing. A graduate of LaVarenne Culinary School, Deagon was a part of the first wave of American women to climb the ladder in high-end kitchens.
Patrick Jones - Course author
Meet the instructor
Shawn Walker-Smith
Shawn Walker-Smith is a Norcal SBDC Regional Norcal Eats! business advisor with over 30 years in
corporate and entrepreneurial environments. He is a graduate of the California Culinary Academy
(Le Cordon Bleu) in San Francisco. Shawn has owned and operated TART! Oakland and co-managed Steel Rail Brew Pub. He has participated in and managed food areas of large and small special events.
Patrick Jones - Course author
Meet the instructor
Heather Saffer
Heather Saffer is an award-winning entrepreneur, startup advisor, and brand strategist with over 15 years of experience building and scaling consumer brands. She founded and sold Dollop Gourmet, an all-natural frosting company that secured a Shark Tank deal and expanded into 1,000+ retail stores. A Food Network’s Cupcake Wars winner and author of two cookbooks with Simon & Schuster and Sterling Epicure, Heather has helped startups raise over $12 million and refine their brand and growth strategies. She also served as a Co-Founder within General Mills’ G-Works Innovation division and continues to mentor founders through roles with Launch NY and multiple SBDCs.
Patrick Jones - Course author
Visit www.norcalsbdc.org
To sign up for one-on-one advising and no cost training with the NorCal SBDC.
To sign up for one-on-one advising and no cost training with the NorCal SBDC.