Synovia Jones is the founder of Nobe's P.B. Foods and a 2022 cohort member of the SEE-LA Seasoned Accelerator program. Synovia has been a part of the SEE-LA family for many years and was a long-time, beloved food vendor at the Crenshaw Farmers' Market.
Nobe's P.B. Foods caters and sells plant-based foods, including Synovia's unique and tasty vegan crab cakes. Nobe's P.B. Foods strives "to provide locally sourced, sustainable food options that are not only reliably delicious and nutritious, but readily accessible to everyone -- especially those in underserved communities."
Though Synovia entered the Seasoned Accelerator in early spring 2022, she experienced a quick and unexpected success by being selected as the winner of the Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream Pitch Room Competition, held in Los Angeles on March 30. Four Seasoned Accelerator participants and alumni were selected to participate in this event.
Synovia shared that she and her friend let out screams and tears of joy when she was told her business was selected for the $10,000 award. This award will be a tremendous help to Synovia as she increases her business's capacity.
With the award, Synovia will be purchasing a patty press. She currently hand cranks her crab cake patties, which are a customer favorite. As much as she loves making them, it's a lot of work. Currently, she can only produce 72 crab cakes every two hours. Completing a batch, including making the sauce and packaging everything up for retail locations, can take up to four hours. With the patty press, Synovia will be able to produce 2,500 patties in an hour, cutting her production time by more than half and dramatically increasing her capacity to take on wholesale accounts.
Through the SEE-LA accelerator, "I have learned what I will be using to help move my business forward. and I would not have heard about the contest had I not been in the program."
Nobe's P.B. Foods caters and sells plant-based foods, including Synovia's unique and tasty vegan crab cakes. Nobe's P.B. Foods strives "to provide locally sourced, sustainable food options that are not only reliably delicious and nutritious, but readily accessible to everyone -- especially those in underserved communities."
Though Synovia entered the Seasoned Accelerator in early spring 2022, she experienced a quick and unexpected success by being selected as the winner of the Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream Pitch Room Competition, held in Los Angeles on March 30. Four Seasoned Accelerator participants and alumni were selected to participate in this event.
Synovia shared that she and her friend let out screams and tears of joy when she was told her business was selected for the $10,000 award. This award will be a tremendous help to Synovia as she increases her business's capacity.
With the award, Synovia will be purchasing a patty press. She currently hand cranks her crab cake patties, which are a customer favorite. As much as she loves making them, it's a lot of work. Currently, she can only produce 72 crab cakes every two hours. Completing a batch, including making the sauce and packaging everything up for retail locations, can take up to four hours. With the patty press, Synovia will be able to produce 2,500 patties in an hour, cutting her production time by more than half and dramatically increasing her capacity to take on wholesale accounts.
Through the SEE-LA accelerator, "I have learned what I will be using to help move my business forward. and I would not have heard about the contest had I not been in the program."
EWDD INCUBATORS and ACCELERATORS
Through Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding, EWDD administers and supports several incubators and accelerators in the City of Los Angeles including Sustainable Enterprises of Los Angeles (SEE-LA), which supports food entrepreneurs.
SEE-LA's Seasoned Accelerator program was established in 2020 and supports local food and beverage businesses by providing industry-specific mentorship and business development courses. Since its inception, the program has worked with over a dozen small and micro food businesses. The program welcomed its third cohort, in which Synovia participated, in March 2022.
SEE-LA's Seasoned Accelerator program was established in 2020 and supports local food and beverage businesses by providing industry-specific mentorship and business development courses. Since its inception, the program has worked with over a dozen small and micro food businesses. The program welcomed its third cohort, in which Synovia participated, in March 2022.
This story is part of the EWDD UPDATES from the week of April 25, 2022. Read this issue and more.
