Tomorrow's Culinary Entrepreneurs

NEW YORK, Oct. 1, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- International Culinary Center (www.internationalculinarycenter.com), the global leader in culinary education, has announced it will expand its Culinary Entrepreneurship program through collaboration with Babson College, the #1 institution for entrepreneurship education as ranked by U.S. News & World Report. Thirty years since its founding, ICC now has more than 15,000 graduates hailing from 84 countries. From Brooklyn to Beijing, the next generation of culinary entrepreneurs across the globe learns the tools for success at ICC.

"Seventy percent of ICC students tell us they'd like to open their own business," said President and CEO Dorothy Cann Hamilton, named Entrepreneur of the Year by the International Association of Culinary Professionals in 2013. "Our alliance with Babson feeds the entrepreneurial drive of the school by adding top-level professionals to our already impressive roster of industry experts."

ICC's Culinary Entrepreneurship program is a unique 90-hour course on the nuts-and-bolts of everything from developing a concept to formulating a business plan to pitching investors. Classes are led by highly respected hospitality leaders in the industry, including instructors from Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration, Union Square Hospitality Group, 'wichcraft, Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Dinner Lab and more. Topics include management and leadership, economics, technology, menu creation, kitchen design, marketing, law and operations. The course has been expanded from its Restaurant Management origins to reflect the ever-growing number of entrepreneurial food and wine business opportunities.

Notable alumni of the program include restaurateur Fabian von Hauske, co-owner and executive pastry chef of Contra, one of NYC's hottest new restaurants; Francine Stephens, owner of the beloved Franny's in Brooklyn; Rob Anderson and Loic Rossignon, owners of The Canteen, named one of the "Best Cape Cod Restaurants" by The Boston Globe in 2014; and Michael Chernow, co-owner of The Meatball Shop, now with six locations throughout New York City. "The program at ICC taught me how to write a direct roadmap for my business, which I strictly followed and several years later, opened up a successful business," explained Chernow.

Candida Brush, Chair of the Entrepreneur Division of Babson College, will join these key players to share her expertise, helping students to start--and scale--their businesses.

"We are delighted to collaborate with the International Culinary Center on the design and delivery of its flagship Culinary Entrepreneurship Program," said Dr. Elaine J. Eisenman, Dean of Babson Executive and Enterprise Education. "The shared entrepreneurial spirit and values that embody both institutions made this relationship a natural fit. Between ICC's acclaimed culinary curriculum and Babson's leading approach to entrepreneurship education, participants will leave the program with great recipes for creating social and economic value through their culinary ventures."

ICC has also partnered with Food-X, the first international business accelerator program focused on launching food-related ventures. Food-X will be part of the panel at the Culinary Entrepreneurship final presentations when students present their business plans.

About International Culinary Center:
Founded as The French Culinary Institute in 1984, the International Culinary Center (ICC) is the global expert in professional culinary and wine education, with programs in New York, California and Italy. The renowned six-month Total Immersion program has produced such talents as Bobby Flay, David Chang, Dan Barber, Hooni Kim, Christina Tosi and 15,000 more under the guidance of deans including Jacques Pepin, Jacques Torres and Jose Andres. Awarded the International Association of Culinary Professionals' "Culinary School of Excellence" for its career programs—the industry's top honor—since 2010, ICC provides students with the credentials, confidence and connections to chart a successful career anywhere in the world. In Fall 2013, the White House announced that ICC, along with the James Beard Foundation, will imagine and build the USA Pavilion at the World EXPO in Milan in 2015.

About Babson Executive Education:
Babson Executive Education is one of the world's top executive education providers, as recognized by our clients as well as Financial Times and Bloomberg Businessweek. We are a dynamic learning laboratory, where clients, faculty, staff, and partners work together to address real-world business challenges and create and capitalize on opportunities for our clients. With roots in Entrepreneurial Thought and Action®, we develop the leaders that companies need most: those who can create opportunities, envision and navigate change, accommodate ambiguity, surmount complexity, and motivate teams in a common purpose to grow organizations and create economic and social value. Our leadership development solutions include customized and open enrollment programs, blended learning, published thought leadership, and more. We are a division of Babson College, the #1 institution for entrepreneurship education. For more information about Babson Executive Education, visit www.babson.edu/bee or contact us at 781-239-4354 or [email protected].

For inquiries, please contact Chloe Mata Crane ([email protected]) or Meredith Sidman ([email protected]).

SOURCE International Culinary Center