Chickapea Pasta is Accelerating, Quickly Accepted into Arlene Dickinson's District Ventures Program

COLLINGWOOD, ON--(Marketwired - December 19, 2016) - Chickapea Pasta, created by Shelby Taylor, Founder & CEO, joins the ranks of entrepreneurs in the District Ventures Accelerator, a 6-month program just for consumer packaged goods companies based in Canada. Taylor was accepted into the recently launched Cohort III, and will benefit from the mentoring, networking, seminars and pitch guidance available through the program to grow the Chickapea brand.

"We received thousands of applications since we opened our doors in October 2015, and I'm really excited about this group. They have the right ingredients to scale-up," says Arlene Dickinson, CEO and visionary behind District Ventures.

Chickapea Pasta is made of TWO ingredients only -- organic chickpeas and lentils -- creating a high protein, high fibre, gluten free, organic product. Formerly a health shop owner, Taylor created this pasta after seeing a need in the marketplace for nutritious, convenient and familiar foods, especially for busy parents with young children. A new mother herself, it was a challenge she could relate to. Chickapea has become the pasta of choice for many families, health food professionals, athletes, seniors and health conscious consumers. "Our mission is to bridge the gap between health and convenience -- starting with Chickapea," says Taylor.

The rapid growth of the pasta line, launched this past July, has now surpassed 350 stores in Canada and will be launching in the U.S. in early 2017. Already distributed by Neal Brothers Foods and Planet Foods, leading organic, healthy and specialty food distributors, and launching in Longo's stores, the brand is quickly creating a demand for shelf space in major stores across the country. Not surprisingly, according to a recent Packaged Fact report, "In the U.S., non-GMO food and beverages generated $200 billion in sales last year." Non-GMO Foods: U.S. and Global Market Perspective, 2nd Edition. The timely creation of this brand coincides with recent studies from National Grocer stating, "An increasing number of people are judging the quality of their food by where it comes from, what it is made with and how it is made. This is the new definition of "healthy" that's been driven by the millennials, and is spreading quickly."

Taylor will graduate from the Accelerator program in May 2017. Earth to Kids' involvement with the incubator program is critical to the growth of a young brand like Chickapea and is an excellent way to achieve sustainability.

Chickapea pasta, from Earth to Kids Inc., is a family favourite turned into a super food! It's organic, high fibre, high protein, non-GMO, gluten free and chock full of nutrients, and best of all, it actually tastes like pasta! It's healthy convenience you can feel good about. Chickapea pasta is showcasing at the Specialty Food Expo & Gluten Free Expo in Vancouver Jan 14 and 15th at booth #319 and has been nominated for the Emerging Specialty Product of the Year. For more information visit: www.choosechickapea.com.

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