AUSTIN, TX — Whole Foods Market opened applications for its 2025 Local and Emerging Accelerator Program (LEAP), which provides tailored educational opportunities and direct financial support to innovative, local and emerging brands.
“Whole Foods Market is seeking 10 passionate and creative founders of innovative brands to join our fourth LEAP Early Growth cohort,” said Alyssa Vescio, senior VP of center store, sourcing and product development at Whole Foods Market. “Encouraging emerging brands and giving them the necessary tools to reach success through this program creates a dynamic platform for innovation and enriches the shopping experience for customers who are just as passionate about taste and discovery as we are.”
The Early Growth cohort will undergo a 12-week educational curriculum that, upon completion, would allow participants to be considered for placement on Whole Foods Market shelves in their home city or area.
Participants will also be considered for a $25,000 equity investment from a donor-advised fund managed by the Austin Community Foundation, with proceeds benefiting the Whole Foods Market Foundation.
In 2023, Whole Foods Market introduced On the Verge, a second LEAP cohort, to deepen opportunities and foster growth with local emerging suppliers already on the grocer’s shelves.
Participants for the 2025 On the Verge cohort have been selected, which includes Nufs, a better-for-you cracker producer.
Evergreen, a producer of frozen waffles with added nutritional benefits, participated in the 2024 On the Verge cohort and launched nationally at Whole Foods stores in January 2025.
“The LEAP program has been one of the most formative experiences of my Evergreen journey,” said Emily Groden, founder of Evergreen. “I would recommend it to every brand that is interested in doing business with Whole Foods Market. The LEAP team works tirelessly to design a curriculum that delivers the maximum benefit to emerging brands, and it shows. From candid conversations with Whole Foods Market leadership, to introductions to best-in-the-biz service providers, to tips and tricks from more established suppliers, I spent every session scribbling down invaluable insights that I’ve referenced time and time again since our graduation.”
For more information or to apply for the program, visit the Whole Foods Market website.
