Warren-based food incubator Hope & Main was the site of the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation's Supply RI networking event Aug. 9.
The event is the result of a Raimondo administration initiative that looks to create relationships between large, in-state employers and smaller local businesses.
40 local suppliers attended, where guests participated in a tabletop trade show, networking, and addresses from the Rhode Island Director of Food Strategy Sue AnderBois and Secretary of Commerce Stefan Pryor.
Additionally, the program has 12 "anchor" sponsors, such as Roger Williams University, RISD, Citizens Bank, Brown University and more.
“This program is designed to position small and local businesses for success in forging vendor relationships with the larger institutions and corporations of our state,” Pryor said. “One of our focuses is strengthening the Supply RI ecosystem within Rhode Island's important and vibrant food sector. It's estimated that, if anchor institutions shifted just two percent of their contracts to small businesses based in Rhode Island, it could add more than $50 million to the state's economy each year and create hundreds of new jobs."
