Food Access And Nutrition Network

What Food Access And Nutrition Network does

Food Access and Nutrition Network (FANN) is a 501(c)(3) statewide nonprofit organization founded in 2021 and headquartered in the Heights neighborhood of Houston, Texas. FANN operates as an educator and network convener for food and nutrition professionals in Texas, claiming coverage of all 254 Texas counties and serving segments including schools (K-12), WIC agencies, public and community health organizations, hospitals and healthcare institutions, government agencies and academic institutions, faith-based organizations, non-profits, and the general public. Its stated mission is to improve food access and nutrition knowledge in moderate to low-income and underserved communities through cross-sector collaboration, food literacy education, and food-as-medicine programming, citing diet-related disease statistics (1 in 3 with diabetes/prediabetes, 3 in 4 overweight/obese, 1 in 2 lifetime cancer risk, 1 in 6 teenagers with fatty liver) as the problem frame.

FANN's core products include the Smart Shopper Program (a food-is-medicine initiative featuring virtual grocery store tours and self-paced online lessons covering produce, bakery, deli, meat, seafood, dairy, eggs, and center aisles), the annual FANN Nutrition Networking Symposium, the Educator Masterclass webinar series, the Food and Nutrition Jobs Board, the Newsroom resource repository, the FANN Internship Training Program, the Speaker Series, in-person Nutrition Education Learning Sessions, and SNAP-Ed-aligned initiatives including Harvesting for Health and Summer Meals Program awareness. The underlying technology is a web-based learning management system with embedded educational video content and a basic job-listing platform; no proprietary AI, APIs, or developer-facing technology is disclosed.

FANN's business model is donation-funded: as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charity, it relies on individual and organizational contributions (accepted via PayPal and mail) and event sponsorships for the annual Nutrition Symposium. All programmatic services are provided free of charge to community professionals and the public. Go-to-market is community-led, leveraging in-person learning sessions in Houston and surrounding counties, virtual webinars, an annual symposium, social media (240 posts cited as 2025 impact), an email newsletter, and formal partnerships with the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (SNAP-Ed), Texas Department of Agriculture (Food and Nutrition Division), Harris County Department of Education, Gulf Coast Community Services Association, and Interfaith Food Bank. No funding rounds, grants, headcount, or revenue figures are publicly disclosed.

Name

Food Access And Nutrition Network

Legal name

Food Access and Nutrition Network

Website

https://fanntx.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Food Access and Nutrition Network (FANN) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2021 and based in Houston, Texas, that delivers free nutrition education, virtual grocery store tours, professional development webinars, a jobs board, and an annual symposium to food and nutrition professionals across all 254 Texas counties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Nutrition Education

NAICS

Community Food Services (62421)

akta.pro primary industry

General Nutrition Coaching (HSADAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Meal Planning & Prep Coaching (Macros, Grocery Guidance) (HSADAFAN), Cardiometabolic Nutrition (Heart Health, Cholesterol, Hypertension) (HSADAFAG)

Keywords

• Community nutrition education
• Food literacy training
• Food as medicine
• SNAP-Ed initiatives
• Nonprofit health programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, FANN relies on donations from individuals and organizations. The organization accepts donations through PayPal and by mail. All donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.
2. Event Sponsorships: The Nutrition Networking Symposium offers multiple sponsorship levels for organizations to support the event and gain visibility among food, nutrition, and health professionals in Texas.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

FANN is a 501(c)(3) statewide nonprofit that delivers free nutrition education programs to a cross-sector network of more than 4,013 professionals and to the general public across all 254 Texas counties. Its core offerings include the Smart Shopper Program (virtual grocery store tours and self-paced food literacy lessons), the annual Nutrition Networking Symposium, the Educator Masterclass webinar series, a Food & Nutrition Jobs Board, a curated Newsroom, the FANN Speaker Series, Nutrition Education Learning Sessions, the FANN Internship Training Program, and SNAP-Ed initiatives such as Harvest for Health and Summer Meals Program awareness.

Product overview

Food Access and Nutrition Network (FANN) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of community nutrition education programs and services targeting professionals and the public in Texas. The core offerings include the Smart Shopper Program (a food is medicine initiative with virtual grocery store tours and self-paced lessons), the annual FANN Nutrition Networking Symposium (conference), the Educator Masterclass (professional development webinars), the Food & Nutrition Jobs Board (job listings service), Newsroom (resource repository), FANN Internship Training Program (student education), FANN Speaker Series (virtual expert sessions), Nutrition Education Learning Sessions (in-person classes), and SNAP-Ed initiatives including Harvest for Health and Summer Meals Program awareness. These programs are designed to improve food access and nutrition knowledge in moderate to low-income and underserved communities across Texas.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Smart Shopper Program Free food is medicine initiative providing virtual grocery store tours and self-paced online nutrition and food literacy lessons covering grocery store sections, food labels, processed foods, and healthy eating on a budget, targeted at low-to-moderate-income individuals in Texas.
• FANN Nutrition Networking Symposium Annual in-person conference at the Harris County Department of Education Conference Center in Houston bringing together leaders and stakeholders in food, nutrition, and health for learning sessions, networking, and vendor showcases.
• Educator Masterclass Free professional development webinar series for food and nutrition educators covering diet-related disease costs, nutrition education program development, food prescriptions, SNAP history, and community food demonstrations.
• Food & Nutrition Jobs Board Free online service connecting food and nutrition professionals to job opportunities across all 254 Texas counties in schools, community health centers, nonprofits, government agencies, hospitals, and faith-based organizations.
• Newsroom Free repository of news stories, funding opportunities, food safety alerts, research articles, and data related to food and nutrition for community agencies and professionals.
• FANN Speaker Series Free one-hour virtual webinar sessions featuring professionals and experts sharing knowledge on food is medicine programs, healthy food access, community nutrition education, and federal nutrition assistance programs.
• Nutrition Education Learning Sessions Free in-person interactive nutrition learning sessions hosted at community sites in Houston and surrounding counties with small classes of up to 20 participants covering Smart Shopper Program and SNAP-Ed initiatives.
• FANN Internship Training Program Student training program educating future leaders in community food and nutrition through experiences in program development, community outreach education, and diverse public sector areas.
• Harvest for Health SNAP-Ed initiative under partnership with Texas HHSC celebrating fresh foods, healthy eating, gardening, and community wellness through harvest-themed experiences and interactive nutrition education across Texas.
• Summer Meals Program Awareness Community outreach and education initiative run in partnership with the Texas Department of Agriculture informing organizations and families about the federal Summer Meals program that provides free, nutritious meals to children 18 and under during summer breaks.

Quantifiable outcome

• 465 professionals from 189 Texas counties attended FANN educational or networking events (2025 impact)
• +2 more outcomes

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Gulf Coast Community Services Association, Inc. (GCCSA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Collaboration on Healthy Texan Day events where FANN participates alongside GCCSA to provide nutrition education activities, healthy food demonstrations, and community resources at GCCSA's Houston location.
• Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) SNAP-Ed ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Partnership with HHSC's SNAP-Ed Program for educational initiatives including Harvesting for Health, a statewide initiative celebrating fresh foods, healthy eating, gardening, and community wellness through harvest-themed experiences across Texas.
• Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) Food and Nutrition DivisioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Partnership with TDA's Food and Nutrition Division for Summer Meals program awareness and participation. TDA specialists provide informational sessions on the Summer Meals program for community organizations.
• Harris County Department of EducationcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2026Host venue partner for the annual FANN Nutrition Networking Symposium. The symposium is held at the Harris County Department of Education Conference Center in Houston, Texas.
• Interfaith Food Bank - The Food Basket (Brazoria County)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Collaboration on community nutrition education events including healthy cooking demonstrations during Healthy Texan Week. FANN partners with The Food Basket to host interactive events focused on nutrition education using frozen fruits and vegetables, providing recipe ideas and healthy eating tips to community members in Brazoria County.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Houston Food Bank: Houston Food Bank is a regional food assistance nonprofit also headquartered in Houston that addresses food insecurity through direct distribution and nutrition programs — comparable to FANN in regional scope and food access mission, but with a larger distribution-oriented operating model.
• Feeding Texas: Feeding Texas is the statewide food bank association serving all 254 Texas counties — a natural Texas-wide peer to FANN with overlapping community nutrition and federal nutrition program (SNAP, Summer Meals) focus areas.

Direct peers

• FoodCorps: FoodCorps is a national nonprofit that places trained leaders in schools to teach food and nutrition education, with a similar mission of improving food access and literacy in underserved communities — directly comparable to FANN's school-segment nutrition education programming.
• Wholesome Wave: Wholesome Wave is a nonprofit focused on nutrition incentive programs (double-up produce benefits) and food as medicine initiatives — directly comparable to FANN's food-as-medicine and federal nutrition incentive programming, though operating nationally.
• Cooking Matters: Cooking Matters (a program of Share Our Strength) provides hands-on nutrition and cooking education to low-income families — directly comparable to FANN's Smart Shopper Program in targeting grocery literacy and healthy eating on a budget for underserved populations.
• Fair Food Network: Fair Food Network operates the Double Up Food Bucks nutrition incentive program and food access initiatives — directly comparable to FANN's food-as-medicine and federal nutrition assistance focus, particularly around SNAP-aligned programming.
• The Food Trust: The Food Trust is a Philadelphia-based nonprofit working on food access, nutrition education, and food-as-medicine programming — directly comparable to FANN's community nutrition education model, with similar school-based and SNAP-Ed-aligned interventions.

Others

• Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is the largest U.S. professional organization for nutrition practitioners — a peer ecosystem participant to FANN that serves overlapping professional audiences (Registered Dietitians, nutrition educators) addressed by FANN's Masterclass and Symposium.

Broad incumbents

• Share Our Strength / No Kid Hungry: Share Our Strength is a large national nonprofit running the No Kid Hungry campaign and Cooking Matters program — directly comparable to FANN in mission (ending childhood hunger through education) but at national scale with significantly larger resources.
• USDA SNAP-Ed: USDA SNAP-Ed is the federal nutrition education and obesity prevention program administered through state agencies — a key funding and policy incumbent that FANN partners with and whose programming priorities shape FANN's curriculum and service offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/food-access-and-nutrition-network

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Food Access And Nutrition Network