2024 May Board Book

PARTNERS IN INNOVATION

PARTNERS IN INNOVATION

Real California Milk Excelerator The Real California Milk Excelerator celebrated its fifth year in 2023 with a continued focus on Open Innovation. Eight new founder competitors participated in the 12-week mentoring program in preparation for a live “Shark Tank” style pitch event before a panel of judges from companies representing retail, consumer

California Dairy Research Foundation As CMAB’s research partner, CDRF funds projects directed at Environmental Management, Social Responsibility, Human Health & Nutrition, Capacity Building, and Product Innovation. In 2023, CDRF focused on implementation of the first round of funding through the $85 million USDA Partnership for Climate Smart Commodities Dairy Plus

packaged goods, food distribution and media. During the final event, 2022 cohort members dosa by DOSA and Wheyward Spirit each unlocked $100,000 and $25,000 in additional funding after demonstrating their ability to grow their businesses in California over the past 12 months. Four 2023 winners – Amazing Ice Cream, Arbo’s Cheese Dip, Petit Pot and The Empanada Shop – were selected to move on to the second phase of the competition and unlock marketing funds up to $100,000. The event also featured a first ever “Future of Dairy Expo” where attendees tasted and

grant. Nearly $18 million in grant funding was announced for 15 California dairy producer

projects – both Alternative Manure Management Program (AMMP) and Dairy Digester Research and Development Program (DDRDP) projects. A full report on CDRF projects is available at cdrf.org.

California Dairy InnovationCenter CDIC worked closely with university and industry partners to support education and innovation – from student entrepreneurship programs at Cal Poly, Chapman and Fresno State – to creating internship opportunities for 15 students and sponsoring short courses on everything from frozen desserts to coffee and other beverages. More than 50 students are working on product concept/

tested products from 15 of the industry’s most innovative startups, and a panel highlighting insights on the impact of dairy innovations on retail sales and consumer behavior. Processor Partnerships Processor partnerships are essential to the CMAB’s ability to drive demand for the milk that comes from California dairy farms. CMAB works closely with processors to identify and create opportunities for growth and find new processors to bring into the Real California Milk family. We provide support, guidance, resources and connections for processors to add capabilities to their plants and help fill capacity when needed. Currently 156 processors are using the Real California Milk seal on 3,269 products that are distributed throughout the U.S. and globally. We connected with processors through the monthly

Private Label Marketing Association Trade Show

156 RCM Seal Partners

development projects through this effort. Collaborating with university partners, the team provided technical support for bulk liquid shipping, the shelf life of frozen desserts and options for plastic-free packaging. The Product,

2023 Processor Partnerships

Milk Marketers Toolkit

6 California University Partners Engaged

>$17M in Dairy Plus Funding to California Producers, Processors

15 Interns Placed

Virtual Pr ocesso r Mee ting 3 Webinar Sess ion s

3,269 RCM Seal Items

$2.2M Dairy Business

RCM Excelerator 8 Finalists 17 Mentors

2023 Innovation

>$384k External CDIC Funding

Process & Packaging Innovation Conference returned

Grant Funding

e-Newsletter, which provides research insights and resources to participate in CMAB retail and foodservice initiatives as well as programs with our key partners. The team also hosted a series of webinars throughout the year, including a partnership with Store Brands for representatives from Walmart, Whole Foods, Amazon, Target, Albertsons and more. The virtual Annual Processor Meeting included keynotes from Circana (formerly IRI), the Western United States Agricultural Trade Association (WUSATA), FBI and Central California Intelligence Center. In 2023, the Digital Optimization Toolkit for processors was expanded to include a new feature called the Milk Marketers Playbook, a comprehensive guide to digital marketing strategies specifically tailored for dairy product marketers. To create this playbook, the team collaborated with a seasoned digital marketing expert to provide step-by-step instructions on how to leverage various Google assets to better understand and utilize them to their fullest potential.

Product

Small Plant Feasibility Study

5 Short Courses / 1 Conference

and a mini version with workshop was hosted at Fresno State. The CDIC Steering Committee continued to help award grant funding through the USDA’s Dairy

Business Innovation Initiative Pacific Coast Coalition, with California producers and processors securing funding for growth projects. An additional $384K in non-CMAB funding (>45% of CDIC’s budget) also was secured for dairy innovation projects.