The world’s first-of-its kind, nature-based business accelerator, Accelerating Appalachia, has selected 11 seed-stage businesses and an entrepreneur from 80 applications for its second 12-week program. The businesses cover a range of markets, including sustainable food, farming, clean energy, forest production, craft brewing and distilling, natural fibers, green building and integrative medicine. The 2015 cohort of Accelerating Appalachia include the following:
Ecological Services Markets is building new markets to achieve land-based sustainability in food, farming and forests.
EntrepreneurJoseph H. Adams has created a toy and game that aims to inspire divergent thinking, positive play, cooperative learning and innovation in commerce.
Green River Picklers strives to produce the highest quality pickled vegetables using the simplest and most sustainable means.
Grow Journey is a seeds of the month club specializing in certified organic heirloom seeds
Harvest Moon Grille is a farmer-owned restaurant in Lincolnton, North Caorlina that only uses seasonable ingredients from their farm, as well as from other small-scale sustainable farms within a 100-mile radius.
Orb Technologies is developing ultra-low energy building technologies.
River Island Apothecary is a product line of all-botanical perfume and skin care designed and produced in thoughtful batches by Katie Vie.
Smiling Hara Tempeh is a family-owned business that makes soy-free tempeh.
Read more about Accelerating Appalachia’s 2015 program in the Citizen-Times.
