– Unprecedented program enters its third year of innovating capital deployment –

Toronto, Ontario and Birmingham Alabama – 01 March 2016 – The Kirchner‎ Food Fellowship is pleased to announce that it has opened the application process for the 2016-2017 program. The Kirchner Food Fellowship believes it is vital for the next generation of leaders to understand, get involved and aid in funding young entrepreneurial businesses which positively impact global food security. A Fellowship may be held by any student currently enrolled at a university in North America. The Kirchner Food Fellows will be selected by late June with the program commencing in August 2016.

The 2015-2016 Kirchner Food Fellows are currently evaluating a number of different businesses as they look to make the programs forth investment soon. Current portfolio companies include, Lucky Iron Fish™, a safe, effective, easy-to-use solution for iron deficiency, Green Zebra Grocery, a healthy and socially responsible convenience store chain and Kuli Kuli, a socially responsible company that sells products made with moringa.

“The Kirchner Food Fellowship and its training has equipped me with the proper tools needed to source entrepreneurial ventures, proceed with a due diligence process and evaluate teams and ideas that may have a positive impact on our food systems,” stated, Eamonn McGuinty, 2016 Kirchner Food Fellow and MSc student at the College of Business and Economics at University of Guelph. “Most importantly, this team effort and interdisciplinary approach to investing has prepared me for the future and given me the confidence to pursue a variety of different careers in the food and agriculture space”

“While the amount of “smart” impact investment capital is increasing rapidly, global access to that capital is not. For that to change, low-cost, high-impact investment models and talent are needed to push money and business resources out to areas where they are needed most,” added Blair Kirchner, Director Kirchner Food Fellowship. “Developing and testing such solutions are the core mission of the Kirchner Food Fellowship. So far we have been very impressed with the quality of talent we have recruited and the results of the program. We are excited to begin the recruitment of our third Cohort,”

For more information or to apply for the program visit our website.

Kirchner Food Fellowship
The Kirchner Food Fellowship believes it is vital for the next generation of leaders to understand, get involved and aid in funding young entrepreneurial businesses which positively impact global food security. The Kirchner Food Fellowship is an initiative of Kirchner Group (a leading North American merchant bank) to innovate capital deployment by improving the assembly of investment teams, applying a problem-based learning and solutions model along with a unique process and domain approach that focuses on providing both sector and operational support to investee companies. The goal is to shorten deployment time frames and increase the likelihood of investment success. The Fellows have full discretion over their investment fund during this unprecedented learning experience. A Fellowship may be held by any student currently enrolled at a university in North America. www.fundthefood.com
Steve Dauphin
Director
Kirchner Food Fellowship
205.602.9845
sdauphin@fundthefood.com

Kirchner Group
The Kirchner Group believes that every business, and every portfolio of businesses, can be made more valuable and that none need to become valueless, regardless of the circumstances. Kirchner Group’s proprietary platform is built on the premise that pairing deep domain expertise with process experts provides superior results. Kirchner Group has provided traditional merchant banking services since 1985 and offers advisory, operational and transactional support to companies as well as asset management services for institutional investors. The group’s clients and partners range from promising entrepreneurs to Fortune 500 companies and their investors. Kirchner Group also manages assets for some of the largest insurance companies, commercial banks and institutional investors in the world.
Kirchner Group’s Agriculture and Food team has more than 95 years of collective experience as operators, transaction experts and investors in the sector. Kirchner Group founded its agricultural social impact arm, Food Security Group, in 2011. www.kirchnergroup.com

Blair Kirchner
Managing Director
Kirchner Group
902.817.2405
bgkirchner@fundthefood.com