Entrepreneur to Table Summit provides access to the minds, networks and wallets of entrepreneurs, business leaders and investors, and is FREE to attend!

Entrepreneur to Table Summit provides access to the minds, networks and wallets of entrepreneurs, business leaders and investors, and is FREE to attend!


Focused on growing conscious food and agriculture businesses, the Entrepreneur to Table Summit will take place in Brattleboro, Vermont on June 1-2, 2017.

Presented by the Strolling of the Heifers' “Slow Living Summit” and “Windham Grows”, the Summit aims to directly impact the growth of  food and agriculture industry by investing in local communities, businesses and farms that support it.

Orly Munzing, Executive Director of Strolling of the Heifers commented, “Starting a business is challenging mentally, physically and financially. We didn't want cost to prevent any entrepreneur from coming. We decided to make this year's Summit free to attend, and thanks to all our generous sponsors, we are able to do that”.

The dynamic Summit features business growth tools, hands-on training, interactive sessions and  events designed to give entrepreneurs access to the minds, networks and wallets of leading entrepreneurs, businesses leaders and investors.

Jim Verzino, Windham Grows Director and Entrepreneur-in-Residence, said “a great entrepreneurial ecosystem is built on relationships and knowledge sharing. The Summit is designed to give attendees the opportunity to connect one-on-one with thought leaders, fellow entrepreneurs and investors.”

A series of access events and hands-on training with limited space have been integrated into the program:

Investor Roundtable

Entrepreneurs will have a rare opportunity to ask questions and showcase their products to representatives from eight of the top lenders and investors in New England. Participating organizations include: Cooperative Fund of New England, Milk Money Vermont, Vermont Community Loan Fund, Flexible Capital Fund, FreshTracks and Community Capital of Vermont.

Business Leader Luncheons

Bring your questions to the table and share a meal with business leaders. Four topic-based conversations with business leaders will be offered including: permaculture, farm-to-table, financing and conscious business.

Ready, Set, Pitch!

Do you have a concept for a potential food or ag business that you want feedback on?  Or a new idea to expand your business? Pitch your idea to potential investors and seasoned entrepreneurs. The three entrepreneurs with the most compelling pitches will receive 3 hours of personal coaching from Windham Grows Entrepreneurs-in-Residence Jim Verzino and Cairn Cross.

Limited space is available for access events and advance registration is required. Registration information is available on the SlowLivingSummit.org website.

Covering the complete Entrepreneur to Table lifecycle, the Summit will host sessions on: bootstrapping your business, branding and marketing strategy, distribution, local sourcing, creating and implementing sustainable business models, the stages of financing, design thinking, lean startup, time management for innovation, and more.

Additional Master Class - Social Media Marketing for Food Businesses

On Wednesday, May 31, there will be a full-day Social Media Master Class offered. This full-day workshop will teach entrepreneurs how to launch a social media marketing program. Windham Grows’ Entrepreneur-in-residence, Jim Verzino will show participants how social media can help boost their business, and have an ad campaign up and running by the end of the day. This class is an addition to the Summit and costs $199 to attend. Space is limited. Please register at www.SlowLivingSummit.org.

Showcasing local and global experts in their field, the speaker lineup will provide resources and expertise across three summit tracks including Farm to Table, Permaculture, and Entrepreneurship.

Featured speakers include:

Raj Sisodia,  Founding member of the Conscious Capitalism movement

F.W. Olin Distinguished Professor of Global Business and Whole Foods Market Research Scholar in Conscious Capitalism at Babson College. As Co-Founder and Co-Chairman of Conscious Capitalism Inc. and co-author of the Wall Street Journal bestseller Conscious Capitalism, Raj brings a depth of knowledge in building and growing a conscious business.

Mark Shepard, Founder of New Forest Farm

With one of the most developed and productive perennial farms in North America, Mark brings a unique understanding of the connection between permaculture, food systems, and economic sustainability.  

Mike Burns, Founder of Finger Lakes Permaculture Institute

Operating Cayuta Sun Farm, Mike teaches and puts permaculture principles and sustainable economics into practice.

Richard French, Founder and President of The Works

With a successful and growing local business, Richard French knows what it takes for aspiring food producers to get their products into local restaurants.

Thomas Moffitt, CEO of Ehrmann Commonwealth Dairy

The growth and success of Commonwealth Dairy provides a case study for how local businesses can leverage global capital and non-traditional models to finance and scale their businesses.

Erika Elder, Strolling of the Heifers' marketing director, said “the Summit provides a forum to gather the specialized resources and expertise food and agriculture entrepreneurs need to attract attention and investment, generate revenue, expand markets and accelerate their growth.”

“We hope this year’s interactive Summit encourages farmers, food entrepreneurs, food system specialists, teachers, students, artists, business leaders, entrepreneurs, educators, government officials, foundation and nonprofit leaders, community leaders and engaged citizens to attend.”

The Summit includes a Thursday evening “Speed Dating” session where entrepreneurs can get immediate feedback on their business idea from fellow entrepreneurs and investors in a fun, interactive format designed to give everyone the opportunity to build relationships and connections.

The full Summit schedule, biographies of speakers, and registration information can be found at the Summit website, www.slowlivingsummit.org.