New Students and New Ventures in the Pillsbury Institute

One of the newest start-ups to come out of the Pillsbury Institute for Hospitality Entrepreneurship this academic year is The Ithaca Hummus Company, which was founded this semester by Chris Kirby ’15. Kirby, who transferred to the school this spring, recognized the high demand in the Ithaca market for locally prepared products and decided to capitalize on that demand with a healthy alternative to traditional snack foods.

“When I arrived at Cornell, one of the first stops I made on campus was the Pillsbury Institute for Hospitality Entrepreneurship. I do most of my work right in the Pillsbury Institute because of the tremendous support I’ve received there. Within five minutes of my first entrepreneur-in-residence meeting with Liz Ngonzi ’98, I was connected with her SHA classmate, Bob Langkammerer, regional executive chef for Wegmans. The Pillsbury Institute is an invaluable resource for any student at Cornell interested in starting their own business.”

To learn more about Chris Kirby or The Ithaca Hummus Company, you can contact him at chris@ithacahummus.com or visit the website – www.ithacahummus.com.