Business incubator program puts more plant-based food into the marketplace

By Evan Dawson,

Megan Mack, Julie Williams

Published February 12, 2025 at 3:46 PM EST

Three people wearing headphones sit at a table in a radio talk studio: a woman at left has long dark hair and is wearing a beige sweater; a man at center has short blonde hair and is wearing glasses, a blue shirt and a navy quilted vest; a man at right has short dark hair and is wearing a light blue quilted sweatshirt and jeans.

1 of 2 — Janessa Steenberg and Ryan Jennings on "Connections"

Janessa Steenberg and Ryan Jennings on "Connections with Evan Dawson" on Wednesday, February 12, 2025

George Yeadon / WXXI News

A smiling man with short grey hair is wearing a black blazer, lavender button-down shirt and plaid bow tie.

2 of 2 — Brad VanAuken.jpeg

Brad VanAuken

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A smiling man with short dark hair wearing a blue button-down shirt and a grey blazer. He is holding a pair of eyeglasses. The word "Connections" appears on the left side of the photo in vertical letters.

With more Americans eating plant-based food, why aren't there more vegan restaurants and food purveyors? The answer to that question is not simple.

One of our guests has launched a business that focuses on healthy food with a strong percentage of plant-based and vegan options — even though he himself is not vegan.

We talk about the evolving food marketplace, and we discuss how an incubator program has helped launch new local businesses.

Our guests:

Ryan Jennings, chef, president, and co-founder of Sweet Pea Plant-Based Kitchen
Janessa Steenberg, founder of Panacheeza
Brad VanAuken, venture coach with RIT Venture Creations