Did you hear? Empire Company and our family of brands, including Safeway, has officially partnered with District Ventures to meaningfully invest in Canadian entrepreneurs.
Led by renowned entrepreneur and investor, Arlene Dickinson, District Ventures is Canada’s leading ecosystem focused on bringing capital, marketing, programming and commercialization to companies in the food, beverage and health CPG industries. District Ventures is headquartered in Calgary with an office and commercial kitchen located in Toronto.
Through this one-of-a-kind partnership, Canadian food entrepreneurs in the District Ventures Accelerator program will receive valuable support from Empire, including coaching from Local Development Managers and opportunities to bring their products to our shelves within a region or across Canada. This new partnership is a natural extension of our long-standing commitment to being the national grocer that Canadian families can count on for local food and well-being products that they have come to know and love.
“This exciting new partnership is enormous for entrepreneurs and companies in the food, beverage and health industries,” said Arlene Dickinson, CEO of District Ventures. “Since 2015, we have been committed to supporting early stage companies in these spaces. Empire’s sponsorship highlights the importance of this work and reinforces the fact that we need to support companies that both feed and nourish our communities and assist them in achieving their fullest potential.”
“Empire has a rich history of meaningfully investing in local growers and suppliers across Canada,” said Jana Sobey, Vice President of Merchandising, Thrifty Foods, Community and Field for Sobeys Inc. “Supporting local is at the heart of everything we do, and we are incredibly proud to stand side-by-side with District Ventures as we continue to nurture the countless innovative food entrepreneurs in communities large and small right across our country.”
Stay tuned to Safeway Talks for more exciting updates as our new partnership progresses – and don’t forget to check out the assortment of local Alberta products in your nearest Safeway store!
