To support Toronto’s growing but under-served food entrepreneurship sector, Chris led the development and launch of Food Starter—Ontario’s first dedicated food business incubator.

Responding to industry barriers such as high production costs, limited access to food-grade space, and complex regulatory requirements, Food Starter offered early-stage companies a 20,000 sq. ft. facility equipped with shared commercial-grade equipment. The incubator specialized in baking, hot and cold fill, and culturally diverse food products, and provided wraparound training, mentorship, and commercialization support to help food entrepreneurs scale their businesses.

Chris secured public and private funding for the initiative, oversaw facility construction, established the not-for-profit operating model and board of directors, and led the team through launch and early operations.

Chris' role in the project included securing funding, managing the construction of the facility, developing a not-for-profit and board of directors, hiring staff and overseeing the launch of the facility and its programming.