Cornell Opens Applications for Dairy Innovation Program
The sixth Dairy Runway cohort will provide early-stage entrepreneurs with product development training, business coaching and prototype support for value-added dairy products
Cornell University's Center for Regional Economic Advancement (CREA) has opened applications for the sixth cohort of Dairy Runway, a free entrepreneurship program for food innovators developing value-added dairy products. Designed for early-stage food entrepreneurs, the program introduces participants to the customer discovery process and provides prototyping training, along with business coaching.
Over the past three years, the program has supported 30 teams of dairy product innovators through a collaboration between CREA and the Cornell College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS). This upcoming cohort of Dairy Runway participants is funded by the Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center (NE-DBIC) and is open to food entrepreneurs located anywhere in the Northeast developing value-added products using cow, goat or sheep milk sourced from the 11-state region.
Organized into two phases, the program kicks off with a seven-week virtual course that introduces participating teams to the business model canvas framework and the customer discovery process. The course combines self-directed online learning activities with Zoom-based class meetings and one-on-one instructor check-ins. Synchronous virtual classes feature discussions with subject matter experts representing creative marketing agencies, established retailers and founders of food and beverage startups.
During the program's Kitchen Incubator phase, which follows the entrepreneurship course, participants begin testing product formulations and working toward a prototype in one of Cornell's two food processing facilities, supported by the university's dairy specialists and food technicians. At the same time, participants are paired with business coaches who help them refine their business models and develop pitch decks for a virtual pitch session, the program's culminating event.
Applications for Dairy Runway close Sept. 16, 2026, at 5.m ET. Up to six teams will be selected to participate in the program, which begins with the online entrepreneurship course in October.
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