Georgia Tech Food and Beverage Accelerator (GT.FBA)
A Unit of the Enterprise Innovation Institute
2026 Cohort Member Companies
Boarding Pass Coffee
Meet Murilo Farias Santos, of Boarding Pass Coffee, in Alpharetta, Georgia.
Specialty roaster Boarding Pass Coffee takes its inspiration from travel, culture, and the coffee farm in Brazil owned by Murilo’s family. Said Murilo, “I always hoped that one day I could help create more value for the coffee,” which had previously been sold only as a commodity.
Enrolling in Georgia Tech’s MBA program spurred him to verticalize the entire process, from farm to cup.
Now, with assistance from the Georgia Tech Food and Beverage Accelerator, he hopes to learn the retail and wholesale strategies that will allow Boarding Pass to gain bigger accounts and distributors, so the company can “introduce our products to more people through our story.”
El Ponce
Meet Rosa Thurnher, of El Ponce, in Atlanta, Georgia.
When the COVID-19 pandemic forced many restaurants to rethink their business models, Rosa Thurnher made a quick decision for her own establishment, El Ponce.
She began packaging the restaurant’s sauces, condiments, frozen tamales and aguas frescas so customers could enjoy El Ponce’s fare at home. “What started as a necessity revealed an opportunity for our guests to connect with our food beyond the restaurant,” she said.
By participating in the Georgia Tech Food and Beverage Accelerator, Rosa aims not only to scale from a restaurant-based product line to a sustainable consumer packaged goods company, but also to “create an employee-owned company that provides meaningful career pathways and opportunities for generational wealth creation.”
EZE
Meet Ed Bauer, of EZE Top Shelf Mixers, in Sandy Springs, Georgia.
EZE Top Shelf Mixers are crafted using simple, natural ingredients, with no preservatives or alcohol. EZE’s three mixers — Classic Margarita, Hibiscus, and Jalapeño — were intentionally formulated to have a “not too sweet” flavor profile.
“Selling and sampling at farmers markets are like a continuous focus group with intimate interactions between your product and potential customers,” said Ed. “When you see similar facial expressions and comments, it validates that you have a product that makes customers happy.”
G Ann's
Meet Tiffany Ellis, of G Ann’s Cold Pressed, in Decatur, Georgia.
G Ann’s Cold Pressed handcrafts raw, cold-pressed juices. “Juicing became a way of life for my family when we started to invest in our wellness,” said Tiffany, who added that while working in a large warehouse during the COVID pandemic, she shared juices daily with her coworkers, and “before you knew it, they were asking to purchase them!”
As a cohort member of the Georgia Tech Food and Beverage Accelerator, she is eager to learn from program mentors and connect with other food and beverage founders.
Go Juicy
Meet Nadia Fountain, of Go Juicy, in Decatur, Georgia.
Go Juicy makes a range of organic products, from cold-pressed juices to wellness shots and plant-based protein drinks to herbal teas. The company’s most innovative offering is Sorbita, a frozen fruit-and-vegetable treat halfway between a sorbet and a granita.
“There is a gap in the frozen treat aisle,” Nadia said, explaining that while many existing offerings taste good, few of them match that taste with nutrition. That’s where Sorbita is different. “Our functional frozen fruit-and-vegetable treat [is] designed to make wellness enjoyable and accessible.”
By working with the Georgia Tech Food and Beverage Accelerator, she continued, “We hope to gain the knowledge, mentorship, and industry connections needed to scale Sorbita from a local product to a retail-ready brand.”
Lady Belle
Meet Charlette Bell, of Lady Belle, in Duluth, Georgia.
Charlette Bell creates French-inspired baked goods, including her signature Gritscuits® — cheese puffs filled with Southern-style cheese grits.
For Charlette, the “aha” moment arrived when Gritscuits® were introduced at the 2021 Stone Mountain Yellow Daisy Festival. “We sold out of all volume on the first day of the four-day festival,” she said. “We had to request Friday off just to have something for Saturday and Sunday. It was then that we knew we had a product people wanted to come back for!”
With assistance from the Georgia Tech Food and Beverage Accelerator, Charlette hopes to gain more clarity for Lady Belle’s next stage.
Purpose Protein
Meet James Wofford, of Purpose Protein, in Roswell.
Purpose Protein creates plant-based products, including protein bars, veggie burgers, and chia pudding.
James described his inspiration for the products: “As I have focused on my own personal wellness, one of the keys has been leaning into a more plant-based diet. The positive effects on my own health have been noticeable, and creating these tasty plant-based products has become a passion as I see the benefits for myself and others.”
Now, he aims to bring plant-based eating to more people of all ages so they can enjoy the same sustainable health benefits he has experienced.
Sumthin About Spice
Meet Sharan Aulakh, of Sumthin About Spice, in Stone Mountain, Georgia.
Sumthin About Spice was created to bring layered flavor and clean ingredients to everyday cooking through small-batch seasoning blends.
Sharan comes from a Punjabi background, “where spices are central to cooking, gathering, and caring for people.” Her professional background in the healthcare field increased her awareness of product ingredient labels and how misleading they can be: “The average person should not need advanced science training to understand what they are eating.”
Through the Georgia Tech Food and Beverage Accelerator, she hopes to gain the tools to transform Sumthin About Spice’s local traction into a stronger retail presence, while scaling the brand responsibly.
Tati's Bread
Meet Thays Urdaneta, of Tati’s Bread, in Atlanta, Georgia.
Thays began her entrepreneurial journey after living with gluten sensibility for more than 15 years and struggling to find bread that would taste like a traditional French baguette.
So, she set out to make one herself. “I became passionate about creating a product that was both healthy and delicious,” said Thays. The result was Tati’s Bread: a gluten-, soy-, and nut-free vegan baguette sold frozen so customers can enjoy freshly baked bread at home.
Through the Georgia Tech Food and Beverage Accelerator, she is exploring production efficiency, distribution, marketing, and retail opportunities — all while connecting with experts and fellow founders.
