Black Sesame Workshop

Black Sesame workshop for CPG food startups

How might we guide food startups to design products that cater to consumers, rather than their own preferences? Furthermore, what would the conventional design thinking process look like when applied to new food development? At Kitchentown, a Consumer-Packaged Goods food startup incubator in San Mateo, CA, we hosted a two-day design thinking bootcamp for aspiring food startups. The theme of the bootcamp was "Reimagining the Future of Sugar." The participating startups were encouraged to engage with real consumers and observe their attitudes toward sugar. They then used these insights to prototype tangible solutions in a commercial kitchen. The bootcamp created a lasting community of startups who continue to exchange resources and support one another. By providing guidance on how to design products that meet consumers' needs and preferences, we aim to equip food startups with the tools to succeed in the ever-changing market.