Overview
The Food Business Finance Advisor supports food and farm businesses by enhancing their financial decision-making, preparing them for growth, and facilitating access to appropriate capital. This role involves client-facing consulting, finance-focused training delivery, and collaboration with partners across the food business ecosystem.
This position is suited for professionals with applied experience in food or farm businesses, finance, lending, consulting, or impact investing who are comfortable working directly with entrepreneurs and financial information. The role offers an opportunity to grow influence as a trusted advisor and emerging thought leader in food business finance.
The advisor works with food brands, value-added farms, processors, and food systems enterprises across Wisconsin and beyond, supporting businesses at various growth stages. Responsibilities include coaching, training, and contributing to the development of content, tools, and programs that promote a finance-forward approach to business sustainability and capital access.
This position reports to the Director of the Food Finance Institute and contributes to advancing the organization's strategic goals.
Responsibilities
Food Business Finance Coaching and Consulting
- Provide expert consulting for food businesses across the value chain, including food brands, value-added farms, and food system enterprises (e.g., food hubs, integrated community projects).
- Support businesses in understanding their financial position, growth options, and capital needs.
- Assist clients in preparing financial projections, proformas, and materials for financing discussions.
- Help businesses assess and structure potential capital stacks aligned with their business model, growth plans, and values.
- Coach entrepreneurs on capital readiness, lender and investor expectations, and financial decision-making related to growth.
- Track and support data collection and reporting to inform learning and impact measurement.
Food Business and Financial Content and Training
- Deliver finance-focused training to a diverse range of scaling food and farm businesses through workshops, cohort-based programs, and other learning formats.
- Develop and refine curriculum, tools, and resources related to food business finance.
- Support program design, evaluation, and continuous improvement to enhance participant experience and outcomes.
- Contribute ideas and insights to broader program and training strategy aimed at creating financially viable businesses.
- Manage and contribute to program design, process improvements, and positive client experience.
Program and Partnership Development
- Build and maintain relationships with food business service providers and ecosystem partners, including lenders, consultants, extension staff, and economic development organizations.
- Identify opportunities for new programming, partnerships, sponsorships, or contracted work in coordination with leadership.
- Generate awareness and referrals for the organization and its Office of Business and Entrepreneurship.
- Support fundraising efforts by generating revenue through contracted work or programming ideas and recruiting program sponsors for cash and in-kind support.
- Participate in cross-program collaboration and organizational initiatives as needed.
Other Duties
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Location
Madison, Wisconsin, and surrounding areas.