ATHENS, Ga. — Georgia Tech and the University of Georgia (UGA) may be rivals on the football field, but when it comes to providing opportunities in the food and beverage industry — Georgia’s largest manufacturing sector — they are decidedly on the same team.
UGA’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES) created the annual Flavor of Georgia event in 2007 to support and showcase food innovation and entrepreneurship throughout the state.
This year, four participants in the Georgia Tech Food and Beverage Accelerator program entered the Flavor of Georgia contest, held in Athens, Georgia. Three were chosen as finalists, and two came away with wins.
Charlette Bell, of Lady Belle, won the Baked Goods category and the Grand Prize for her Gritscuits, French gougères filled with cheese grits. Tim Acevedo, of Viva la V, topped the Miscellaneous category with his vegan chorizo product, Chorisoy.
Evan Summers’ cream cheese spread, Now Schmear This!, was named a Flavor of Georgia finalist, and Chloe Paulk entered the contest with a gluten-free cake mix from her brand Cake It with Chloe.
“We are so proud of everyone who threw their hat into the ring for Flavor of Georgia 2025,” said Aubrey Lenyard, who along with Brandy Nagel, co-leads Georgia Tech’s Food and Beverage programming.
The Georgia Tech Food and Beverage Accelerator, launched in 2024, is a program of Tech’s economic development arm, the Enterprise Innovation Institute. While it is an accelerator with a cohort of companies in its portfolio, Lenyard and Nagel also have the Food and Beverage Bridge program tailored as an entry-level tier for food entrepreneurs who need more time to scale their ideas into full-fledged companies.
The Flavor of Georgia winners connected to the Georgia Tech Food and Beverage Accelerator are all part of its Food and Beverage Bridge program.
“As an accelerator, we work with companies that are on a growth trajectory and looking to scale quickly, connect with our mentors and distribution partners,” Lenyard said. “Most of the companies in our bridge programming are in exploration or growth mode. These are people who’ve got Grandma’s recipe, and they’re just thinking about turning it into a product.”
These companies in the bridge program need help to get up and running initially. Others are in the market and picking up speed, he said. “Our Bridge program founders are really getting prepared to join future accelerator cohorts when they are ready to scale quickly and attract investments,” Lenyard said.
Lenyard is himself a food entrepreneur, and his small-batch AubSauce condiments have twice taken home prizes at Flavor of Georgia. In 2019, the Spicy Peach Barbecue Sauce garnered the People’s Choice Award, and in 2020, the Strawberry Balsamic and Rosemary Sauce won in the Barbecue Sauce category.
Flavor of Georgia finalists are not just evaluated on the strength of their products. “There’s a three-minute pitch, and they have to serve their product to each of the judges,” said Lenyard, who coached the Georgia Tech Food and Beverage Bridge program members on that aspect of the competition.
For Acevedo, Lenyard’s encouragement meant the difference between entering the contest and sitting it out. “I’m not sure I would have even competed in the event if it wasn’t for Aubrey. He helped me put together my speech and gave me the idea for the recipe to prepare for my product,” Acevedo said. “Winning this event showed me that I have a great product, more than what I imagined.”
Bell had previously entered Flavor of Georgia twice, in 2022 and 2023, and the feedback she gained in the process was integral to improving her products. Likewise, she sees the support she’s been receiving from Lenyard and Nagel as a “treasure chest of benefits.”
Said Bell, “Mentorship means everything on the road of entrepreneurship. Without the advice from Aubrey on how to navigate the Flavor of Georgia contest, I would not have had the confidence to pitch in the manner I did.” She expects her newly won accolades to help Gritscuits reach the resources that will propel them to the next level.
Lenyard and Nagel celebrate all the Incubator participants who have introduced their products to a wider audience through Flavor of Georgia. “We are so happy to have them as part of the Georgia Tech Food and Beverage community,” said Nagel. “We hope we can continue to play a part in their successes going forward.”