One of the city's favored non-alcoholic beverage makers has landed an honor designed to nurture entrepreneurs.
Shelley Elkovich, founder of the Portland nonalcoholic cocktail brand For Bitter For Worse, procured a spot in the Stacy’s Rise/PepsiCo grant. The program was founded by Stacy Madison, who founded Stacy's Pita Chips.
Elkovich said she'll take lessons gleaned from the program to help raise money. For Bitter For Worse makes high-end pre-made alcohol-free beverages inspired by cocktails.
Elkovich is one of 14 members of the program's 2023 cohort, selected from an applicant pool of 9,000. In the four-month program, she'll get one-on-one executive mentoring, biweekly seminars and peer-to-peer support.
“It’s an amazing opportunity that I want more women founders to know about,” Elkovich said in an email. "Each week I meet with two Pepsi executives, women who are donating their time to help me grow my brand. With their guidance, I'm gaining market insights, preparing for an upcoming seed round and creating a food service distribution strategy.”
Along with the education component, the Stacy's Rise program has provided $1 million in total grants to its participants.
