Food Works Group
Food Works Group is a women-owned advisory firm headquartered in Washington, DC, that provides food systems consulting — including feasibility studies, strategic planning, infrastructure planning, and grant writing — to nonprofit, for-profit, and government clients nationwide.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersWashington, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Food Works Group does
Food Works Group is a privately held, women-owned advisory firm headquartered in Washington, DC, specializing in consulting services across the U.S. food system. Founded by Wendy Stuart circa 2008, the firm advises nonprofit organizations, for-profit food businesses, and government entities on business planning, feasibility studies, strategic planning, food hub development, shared-use kitchen design, infrastructure planning, food security programs, financial modeling, and grant writing. The firm is led by Wendy Stuart (Founding Partner) and Emily Paul (Partner), supported by a team of approximately nine additional specialists with credentials spanning culinary arts (CIA), economics, sustainable food systems, public health, value chain coordination, data science, and strategic communications. Many team members previously held operational roles at food hubs, food banks, USDA, and large food service operators.
The firm's core deliverable is professional services rather than technology, though it has developed SOFE™ (Stakeholder Outcomes and Facilitation Engine), a proprietary strategic planning and evaluation tool with RACI-like accountability tracking and finance integration. FWG packages its capabilities across four service verticals — Food Systems, Food Business, Food Security, and Food Investments — delivered through project engagements that range from landscape analyses and feasibility studies to multi-stakeholder convenings and USDA grant applications. Notable outcomes include facilitating the Eastern Food Hub Collaborative (15 food hubs, 600+ small family farms), supporting a $90 million USDA Climate-Smart Solutions award for Archer Daniels Midland, and helping secure a $30 million USDA Regional Food Business Center grant covering Hawaii, Alaska, and several U.S. territories.
FWG generates revenue through project-based professional services engagements on a contact/quoted pricing model with no publicly disclosed rates. The firm operates without outside investors, subsidiaries, or a parent company, and is owned and managed by its founding partners. Marketing relies on referrals, professional networks, board service, and a content portfolio of published research and client testimonials. Geographically, FWG serves clients nationwide with concentrations in the Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, Northeast, Southeast, Alaska, Hawaii, and select U.S. island territories.
Food Works Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Food Works Group
- Legal name
- Food Works Group
- Website
- https://foodworksgroup.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Food Works Group is a women-owned advisory firm headquartered in Washington, DC, that provides food systems consulting — including feasibility studies, strategic planning, infrastructure planning, and grant writing — to nonprofit, for-profit, and government clients nationwide.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Food Works Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Food Systems Consulting
- NAICS
- Food Service Contractors (72231)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Food Assistance & Food Banks (BPAGAEAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Food Service & Dining Operations Management (Managed Cafeterias) (EDAEALAG)
Keywords
Where Food Works Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Washington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Food Works Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Advisory and Consulting Services: Food Works Group generates revenue through professional advisory and consulting engagements with nonprofit organizations, for-profit businesses, and government entities. Projects include business planning and development, feasibility studies, strategic planning, program development, operations planning, financial modeling, facilitation and leadership, landscape analyses, infrastructure planning, evaluation and impact analysis, and fundraising/resource identification.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Food Works Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Food Works Group is a women-owned advisory firm that measures, strategizes, and supports progress across regional food systems. It advises nonprofit, for-profit, and government clients on business planning and development, project feasibility and best practices, food hub networking, culinary operations, food production, and regional supply chain infrastructure. Engagements span landscape analyses, feasibility studies, strategic planning, program development, facilitation, fundraising and grant writing, operations planning, financial modeling, evaluation and impact analysis, and infrastructure planning for facilities such as shared-use kitchens and processing hubs.
Product overview
Food Works Group is a women-owned advisory firm offering consulting services across the food system. Their portfolio consists of four service verticals (Food Investments, Food Systems, Food Business, and Food Security) delivered through multiple service types including landscape analysis, feasibility and viability studies, program development, strategic planning, fundraising and resource identification, facilitation and leadership, operations planning, evaluation and impact analysis, infrastructure planning, and financial modeling. The firm serves nonprofit, for-profit, and government clients ranging from city and county governments to agricultural food hubs, hunger-relief organizations, and commercial food accelerator programs.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Food Systems Advisory Services Core advisory service offering for food system clients covering business planning and development, project feasibility and best practices analysis, food hub networking, culinary operations consulting, and food production advisory for organizations across the food system.
- Food Investments Consulting Advisory services focused on investment strategy and food system financing, including due diligence on food-system-focused CDFIs and impact investing case studies such as the Bainum Family Foundation's investment in 4P Foods.
- Food Systems Projects Regional food system transformation consulting including network facilitation, governance policy development, and asset mapping for resilient regional food systems, exemplified by facilitating the Eastern Food Hub Collaborative and co-facilitating USDA Regional Food Business Centers.
- Food Business Consulting Advisory services for food businesses including market assessment, wholesale program growth strategy, cooperative food processing facility planning, and financial modeling, with engagements such as supporting 4P Foods' regional food port assessment and CommonWealth Kitchen's co-manufacturing expansion.
- Food Security Programs Advisory services addressing food security including agency partner network evaluation, food security assessments, and emergency food operations strengthening, demonstrated through work with Feeding San Diego, God's Pantry, and other hunger-relief organizations.
- Landscape Analysis Research and analysis services examining food system landscapes, stakeholder needs, and market opportunities to inform client decision-making.
- Feasibility and Viability Studies Assessment of project viability including facility feasibility studies, business model analysis, market sizing, and needs assessments for clients such as ORIS, DC Office of Planning, Ketchikan Agricultural Producers Association, and Berkshire Agricultural Ventures.
- Program Development Design and development of food-related programs including food business incubators, workforce development, food recovery programs, and procurement playbooks for nonprofit and government clients.
- Strategic Planning Long-term planning services including strategic plan development, organizational planning, and network strategic planning. FWG's SOFE™ (Stakeholder Outcomes and Facilitation Engine) tool is applied here to support strategy integration, accountability, and progress tracking.
- Fundraising and Resource Identification Grant writing, fundraising strategy, and resource identification services, including the leadership role FWG played in drafting the $90 million USDA Climate-Smart Solutions proposal for ADM and the $30 million USDA Regional Food Business Center grant for Hawai'i Good Food Alliance.
- Facilitation and Leadership Stakeholder facilitation services including multi-day convenings, working group facilitation, and collaborative process design, exemplified by co-facilitating a 3-day food systems summit and convening 20+ high-level stakeholders to establish the Eastern Food Hub Collaborative.
- Operations Planning Operational planning services including facility operations design, distribution logistics, and procurement process documentation for shared-use kitchens, food hubs, and processing facilities.
- Evaluation and Impact Analysis Program evaluation and impact assessment services including agency partner network assessment and outcome measurement frameworks, applied to clients such as Feeding San Diego and God's Pantry (using the SOFE™ tool).
- Infrastructure Planning Food facility planning including shared-use kitchen design, processing facility design, and co-packing facility planning, as demonstrated in projects for Hatchery, Berkshire Agricultural Ventures, Tubman, and the Hatchery food-grade co-packing facility.
- Financial Modeling Financial analysis and modeling including pro forma development, budget frameworks, and financial sustainability planning for food businesses and hubs.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 2 million meals distributed through Minnesota Central Kitchen program
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Food Works Group
Customer profileNamed customers15 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Food Works Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Food Works Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
25 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Anchors in Resilient Communities (ARC)coreARC partnered with FWG and SupplyChange to develop a business plan framework and operating structure for the Yolo Food Hub Network in Northern California.
- SupplyChangecoreSupplyChange partnered with FWG and ARC on the Yolo Food Hub Network project to develop a co-location model for three food businesses.
- DCN Strategies LLCcoreDCN Strategies partnered with FWG to help Tubman determine wider community-serving operations for their East Metro commercial kitchen space and create a repository of fundraising opportunities.
- Involve MNminorCommitted operating partner in Tubman commercial kitchen partnership alongside 4Access Partners and FoodOps.
- 4Access PartnersminorCommitted operating partner in Tubman commercial kitchen partnership.
- FoodOpsminorCommitted operating partner in Tubman commercial kitchen partnership.
- CommonWealth KitchencoreFWG was contracted by CommonWealth Kitchen to physically and financially model an expansion of their co-manufacturing operations with the goal of increasing production capacity.
- Oregon Community Food Systems Network (OCFSN)coreFWG engaged with OCFSN to build a supportive peer community for food hub programs staff through the Food Hub Working Group, convening program staff for facilitated conversations and skill-building sessions.
- NASDA Foundation (National Association of State Departments of Agriculture)coreNASDA Foundation leads the Northeast Regional Food Business Center, one of 12 newly created USDA Regional Food Business Centers. FWG was engaged to facilitate project kickoff convening of more than 30 project partners to develop an equitable, collaborative structure for the Center. FWG continues to support NE RFBC in executing its $30 million award.
- Ketchikan Agricultural Producers AssociationcoreFWG convened food system actors representing remote, rural areas and island communities to spearhead a successful $30 million USDA grant. KAPA was identified as a key project partner alongside partners in Alaska, U.S. Virgin Islands via Virgin Islands Good Food Coalition.
- Virgin Islands Good Food CoalitionminorKey project partner in Island and Remote Areas Regional Food Business Center initiative alongside Hawai'i Good Food Alliance.
- McKinley Research GroupcoreMcKinley Research Group worked with SEC and FWG to analyze needs of community stakeholders and prospective tenants for the mariculture processing facility in Craig, Alaska.
- Harrison Institute for Public Law at Georgetown UniversitycorePartnered with FWG and Redstone Global Center to investigate procurement practices across DC government agencies for values-based food and meal sourcing.
- LOCUS Impact InvestingcoreLOCUS partnered with FWG to prepare a case study of the Bainum Family Foundation's investment in 4P Foods, investigating how programs related investment could open doors for more private capital investment in mission-based food businesses.
- La CocinacoreEmpower North End partnered with FWG, and FWG advised on curriculum structure while connecting Empower with La Cocina (San Francisco-based food business incubator) to create personalized courses for the North End's community of Hispanic makers.
- CLUTCHcoreCLUTCH partnered with FWG to investigate the range of shared kitchen models implemented across Minnesota, taking a regional approach with special attention to areas outside the Twin Cities.
- Value Chain Cluster Initiative (VC2)coreVC2 commissioned FWG to support their efforts to redevelop downtown Elkins, WV to include a shared-use commercial kitchen for emerging food business users.
- Industrial Council of Northwest ChicagocorePartnership with Industrial Council of Northwest Chicago, Allies for Community Business, and IFF Community Development CDFI to conduct feasibility study and craft business plan for Hatchery food-grade co-packing facility.
- Allies for Community BusinesscorePartnered with FWG on Hatchery co-packing facility feasibility study and business plan development.
- IFF Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI)coreIFF CDFI partnered on Hatchery co-packing facility feasibility and business plan alongside FWG, Industrial Council of Northwest Chicago, and Allies for Community Business.
- La Cocina (San Francisco, CA)coreLa Cocina provided expertise to adapt their incubator coursework for the New Brunswick community as part of NBT's food business incubator program planning.
- Ketchikan Agricultural Producers Association (KAPA)coreKAPA engaged FWG to size and characterize the market and determine the best business model for their food hub in Ketchikan, Alaska. FWG continues to support KAPA with financial planning, business planning, site selection, and grant writing.
- CureatecoreFood Works Group partnered with Cureate and DC Office of Planning to develop a plan for a centralized processing facility in Washington, DC.
- Local Food HubcoreFWG joined forces with Local Food Hub to establish the Eastern Food Hub Collaborative, co-facilitating a gathering of 20 high-level stakeholders representing 14 food hubs.
- Eastern Food Hub Collaborative (EFC)coreFWG helped establish EFC and provided guidance and support to develop foundational agreement, standards, equity statement, and shared goals. EFC is a network of 15 food hubs from Maine to South Carolina representing 600+ small family farms.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Food Works Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Wholesome Wave: Wholesome Wave is a nonprofit that works on food access programs, produce prescription, and doubling SNAP incentives at farmers markets. Comparable to FWG in food access and equity-focused program advisory but operates programs directly rather than advising clients.
- The Food Trust: The Food Trust is a Philadelphia-based nonprofit focused on food access, nutrition education, and healthy food retail. Comparable to FWG in food access and equity-oriented consulting/program work, though The Food Trust operates direct programs alongside consulting.
- ReFED: ReFED is a nonprofit focused on reducing U.S. food waste through data, analysis, and solution incubation across the supply chain. Comparable to FWG in food systems consulting, data-driven analysis, and stakeholder convening, but specialized in food waste rather than the broader regional food systems scope.
Broad incumbents
- Husch Blackwell Strategies: Husch Blackwell Strategies is a government affairs and public policy consulting firm with an active food and agriculture practice advising federal and state clients. Comparable to FWG in food/ag policy advisory but operating as a broader incumbent with much larger scale and policy lobbying capabilities.
- SCS Global Services: SCS Global Services is a global certification, auditing, and consulting firm covering food safety, sustainability, and supply chain integrity. Comparable to FWG in food systems sustainability advisory but operating as a much larger incumbent with technology-enabled service delivery.
Others
- Food Tank: Food Tank is a food systems research and media organization producing reports, summits, and an online community. Comparable to FWG in food systems thought leadership and convening but operates as media/advocacy rather than a paid advisory firm.
Direct peers
- Ecotrust: Ecotrust is a Pacific Northwest nonprofit that combines consulting, research, and program delivery around regional food systems, fisheries, and forestry. Comparable to FWG in regional food systems transformation, equity focus, and cross-sector advisory work.
- Karp Strategies: Karp Strategies is a New York-based food systems and equity consulting firm offering strategy, facilitation, and research services to philanthropic, nonprofit, and government clients. Highly comparable to FWG in focus on regional food systems, equity framing, and project-based advisory model.
- New Venture Advisors: New Venture Advisors is a consulting firm that works with food cooperatives, food hubs, and food entrepreneurs on business planning, feasibility, and launch. Closely comparable to FWG in food hub business planning, cooperative development, and food business incubation advisory services.
Regional players
- Common Market: Common Market is a Mid-Atlantic food hub distributor connecting regional farms to institutions. Comparable to FWG in food hub operational and ecosystem advisory, though Common Market primarily operates distribution rather than advising other hubs.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Food Works Group social profiles
Digital presenceFood Works Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Food Works Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Food Works Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Food Works Group M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Food Works Group
What does Food Works Group do?
Food Works Group is a women-owned advisory firm that measures, strategizes, and supports progress across regional food systems. It advises nonprofit, for-profit, and government clients on business planning and development, project feasibility and best practices, food hub networking, culinary operations, food production, and regional supply chain infrastructure. Engagements span landscape analyses, feasibility studies, strategic planning, program development, facilitation, fundraising and grant writing, operations planning, financial modeling, evaluation and impact analysis, and infrastructure planning for facilities such as shared-use kitchens and processing hubs.
Is Food Works Group a public or private company?
Food Works Group is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Food Works Group founded?
Food Works Group was founded in 2008. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Food Works Group based?
Food Works Group is headquartered in Washington, United States, in the North America region.
How does Food Works Group make money?
One revenue line is on record: advisory and Consulting Services.
Who are Food Works Group's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Wholesome Wave, The Food Trust and ReFED. Broad incumbents are Husch Blackwell Strategies and SCS Global Services. Food Tank is listed as an others. Direct peers are Ecotrust, Karp Strategies and New Venture Advisors. Common Market is listed as a regional player.
Does Food Works Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for Food Works Group.
What industry is Food Works Group in?
Food Works Group's product category is Food Systems Consulting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAEAA, Food Assistance & Food Banks, with a secondary code of EDAEALAG, Food Service & Dining Operations Management (Managed Cafeterias). Its NAICS code is 72231 and its SIC code is 8742.