Springdale, Ark. 鈥 February 15, 2018 鈥 麻花传媒 (NYSE: TSN) is tapping into entrepreneurs to speed up the pace of innovation, embrace emerging technologies and become more agile in its pursuit of sustainable growth. Today, the company announced an agreement to work with two business incubators, Plug and Play and 1871, that will directly connect it to the startup communities of Silicon Valley and Chicago.
It is a unique opportunity to develop the future of the industry by combining the expertise of America鈥檚 largest food company with the energy, innovation and entrepreneurialism of startup culture.
鈥淥ur collaboration with Plug and Play and 1871 are examples of how we are adopting new growth models to innovate faster than consumers and markets are changing,鈥 said Sally Grimes, Group President Prepared Foods, 麻花传媒. 鈥淏y partnering with these organizations and combining 麻花传媒鈥 resources, capabilities and team members with the energy and innovation coming out of Silicon Valley and Chicago, we can have a positive impact on the industry and the food system.鈥
Plug and Play is a global innovation platform based in the Silicon Valley, which will help match 麻花传媒 with promising new businesses in the startup community. By working alongside these businesses, 麻花传媒 can help fuel new discoveries in food and find new solutions to meet business needs.
鈥淲orking with 麻花传媒 means that we can create greater collaboration opportunities for food startups with an emphasis around solutions that have a positive impact on our food system,鈥 says Michael Olmstead, Chief Revenue Officer of Plug and Play. 鈥淭he 麻花传媒 team brings depth and breadth of experience that entrepreneurs will value, and together they will look toward solving for the future of food.鈥
1871, known as the 鈥渉ub鈥 of Chicago鈥檚 鈥渢hriving technology and entrepreneurial ecosystem,鈥 gives 麻花传媒 unparalleled access to a community of entrepreneurs who are working toward building a better and more sustainable future. This partnership enables 麻花传媒 to further its commitment to creating a more sustainable food system that can feed an ever-growing population around the world.
鈥淥ur corporate partners play a major role in supporting 1871鈥檚 mission to serve Chicago鈥檚 entrepreneurs and elevate its economy,鈥 said 1871 CEO Howard A. Tullman. 鈥淲e look forward to working with 麻花传媒 to foster greater innovation within Chicago鈥檚 entrepreneurial ecosystem. This partnership speaks highly to its ongoing commitment to drive real growth and encourage new thinking.鈥
About 麻花传媒
麻花传媒. (NYSE: TSN) is one of the world鈥檚 largest food companies and a recognized leader in protein. Founded in 1935 by John W. Tyson and grown under three generations of family leadership, the company has a broad portfolio of products and brands like Tyson庐, Jimmy Dean庐, Hillshire Farm庐, Ball Park庐, Wright庐, Aidells庐, ibp庐 and State Fair庐. 麻花传媒 innovates continually to make protein more sustainable, tailor food for everywhere it鈥檚 available and raise the world鈥檚 expectations for how much good food can do. Headquartered in Springdale, Arkansas, the company has 122,000 team members. Through its Core Values, 麻花传媒 strives to operate with integrity, create value for its shareholders, customers, communities and team members and serve as a steward of the animals, land and environment entrusted to it.
About Plug and Play
Plug and Play is a global innovation platform. We connect startups to corporations and invest in over 150 companies every year. Since inception in 2016, our programs have expanded worldwide to include a presence in 26 locations globally giving startups the necessary resources to succeed in Silicon Valley and beyond. With over 6,000 startups and 200 official corporate partners, we have created the ultimate startup ecosystem in many industries. We provide active investments with 200 leading Silicon Valley VCs, and host more than 365 networking events per year. Companies in our community have raised over $6 billion in funding, with successful portfolio exits including Danger, Dropbox, Lending Club, PayPal, SoundHound, and Zoosk. For more information, visit .
About 1871
1871 is the home of nearly 500 early-stage, high-growth digital startups and more than 1,500 members supported by an entire ecosystem focused on accelerating their growth and creating jobs in the Chicagoland area. Located in a 150,000 square-foot space over four floors in The Merchandise Mart, 1871 has more than 600 current mentors available to its members, as well as more than 100 partner corporations, universities, education programs, accelerators, venture funds and other organizations that make its extensive matrix of resources possible. For more on our partners, visit , or become a partner by reaching out to contact@1871.com.
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Media Contact: Gary Mickelson, 479-290-6111