Incubator Success: Union Kitchen: Industry Night, June 22, 2023

Many of you may remember the recession of 2008 — I do! — it was a heavy crush for a lot of people. Maybe one of the few silver linings that came out of it was people looking at what they did for a living and saying — Screw it! — I am going to do what I love. Makers, craft artisans — whatever you want to call it — these people had passion projects that they wanted to bring to fruition — enter Union Kitchen in 2012. The DC area’s first business incubator, now an accelerator and an investment fund with area markets and…  and…  and… So many shifts, pivots, and swivels over the last 10 years. I am so excited to catch up with CEO & Founder of Union Kitchen Cullen Gilchrist and he brought with him two “graduates”  —  Margarita Womack, Founder and CEO of Latin Goodness Foods aka MasPanadas & Samy Kobrosly, the Founder of the very yummy Snacklins — both of whom are now living the dream. Let’s get into it on the next Industry Night with Nycci Nellis.

"Collaborating with Union Kitchen, we found the perfect partner who guided us in design and the comprehensive process. Every detail contributes to our success." -Margarita Womack

"We were completely obsessed with finding problems because they led us to the solutions we wanted to build."- Cullen Gilchrist

"Launching in Walmart doesn't guarantee discovery for small brands. Stores like Whole Foods or Mom's Organic are where customers actively seek out new and exciting products." -Samy Kobrosly


Listen to the full episode here.

Watch the full episode here.


Our Guests:

Samy Kobrosly
-Snacklins Instagram

Margarita Womack
-MasPanadas Instagram
-Latin Goodness Instagram

Cullen Gilchrist
-Union Kitchen Instagram
-Union Kitchen Facebook
-Union Kitchen Twitter