The Centre for Social Innovation’s Food Constellation is pleased to invite you to participate in our first 'Speed Consulting' event designed to build capacity in what we are calling the Good Food sector. The Speed Consulting series is part of CSI’s Food Constellations Professional Development cluster. 

When? December 1 2011; February 2nd, 2011 and bi-monthly as long as there is interest
What time? 2:00-5:00
Where? CSI Spadina, 215 Spadina Road 
Who’s Hosting? CSI Food Constellation
Fee? $75 CSI members; $100 external. 

What’s in it for consultants?
The good food sector is a growth industry. Witness the sellouts of the Toronto Underground Market, the blossoming of farmers markets across the city and the explosion of unique food innovations like The Depanneur on College Street (http://www.thedepanneur.ca/). 

Modeled on the speed dating idea, CSI Food Constellation Speed Consulting sessions offer consultants two unique opportunities:
(1) to promote their services to eager clients in a vibrant growth sector dedicated to healthy, local and tasty food; 
(2) to learn and discover what clients in the Good Food sector need to order to grow their businesses. 

What’s in it for people working in the Good Food Sector? 
Those who work in the food sector are, with rare exception, brilliant bakers, caterers, researchers, market coordinators or farmers with food expertise but often limited business know-how. This event will provide assistance about where to access help and what kind of help is available/necessary for them to move forward and grow their enterprises within the Good Food Sector.  

Variety is key
Our plan is to aim for a range of consultants so clients have a chance to speak with a variety of specialists and at the same time to plan for a range of clients so consultants can see a representative cross-section of entrepreneurs working in the Good Food sector. 

Nuts and bolts
Each of the bi-monthly events includes ten consultants and ten clients. Each client will have seven minutes with each consultant, to learn about their value offer, how the consultant would charge and what the consultant could offer the client’s business. Seven minutes is not enough time for involved consultation, but it is enough time to get a feel for each other and to discover whether or not there is a match both in terms of what the client is looking for and what the consultants can offer. There will also be time to network after the consultations during a Post-Speed Consulting Reception. 

Eligibility of consultants
We are looking for consultants who have a minimum of two years experience in their field. We are especially interested in participants who are keen to provide services for food related projects or to build on existing clientele in this sector.