Georgia Center of Innovation: Supporting Businesses of Any Size

An entire grocery aisle stocked with products. — **In this small general store, grocery shelves are stocked with locally made, locally grown, products.** Credit: Georgia Center of Innovation

Image of four sauce bottles that say “Crack Sauce” with the Georgia Grown label on them. — **A small business product made with Georgia Grown ingredients.** *Credit: Georgia Center of Innovation*

Three translucent bottles of sauce that say “Stripling’s General Store’ with Georgia peach chipotle and salmon flavors. — **Stripling’s General Store is a local business that sells small business products. This sauce is an example of its own products.** *Credit:* *Georgia Center of Innovation*

Image of a translucent jar filled with pickled cabbage with a label that says “Doux South Chow Chow” — **Doux South’s “Chow Chow” pickled cabbage is a classic Georgia product.** *Credit: Georgia Center of Innovation*

A close-up of Doux South’s pickled cabbage Chow Chow label showing the Georgia Grown label and its ingredients. — **The product highlights the Georgia Grown label, along with simple ingredients.** *Credit: Georgia Center of Innovation*

Two translucent jars of peanut butter labeled with “Georgia Grinder’s All Natural Peanut Butter. — **Georgia Grinder’s peanut butter is a hand-crafted Georgia product made with natural ingredients.** *Credit: Georgia Center of Innovation*

Rows of Georgia Grinder’s peanut butter on a grocery shelf. — **Georgia Grinder’s peanut butter has a variety of flavors and textures available for purchase.** *Credit: Georgia Center of Innovation*

Image of a stand-up pouch with a translucent window showing sugared pecans. The bag says “Goodson Pecans, Gourmet Meme’s Sugar Pecans and Georgia Grown.” — **A Georgia Grown pecan product, one of Georgia’s largest agricultural product.** *Credit: Georgia Center of Innovation*

Two bags of Goodson Pecans, one that is praline flavored and the other is sugared. — **Two varieties of Goodson’s Georgia Grown pecans.** *Credit: Georgia Center of Innovation*

Two rows of translucent jars of Wisham Jellies on a grocery shelf. — **Wisham Jellies are another Georgia Grown product handmade by a local business.** *Credit: Georgia Center of Innovation*

Image of a box package that says Southern Straws Cheese Straws with a Georgia Grown embellishment. — **Aside from niche grocery products, even snacks like Southern Straw’s cheese straws are a Georgia Grown product.** *Credit: Georgia Center of Innovation*

In this podcast Chris Chammoun takes us through everything that Agricultural Technology (AgTech) and the Center of Innovation has to offer local and international businesses alike.

Chris Chammoun is the director of Agricultural Technology (AgTech) at the Center of Innovation, a division of the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD). In this role Chammoun supports Georgia-based AgTech companies, assist in recruiting AgTech companies to Georgia, and helps foster the innovation ecosystem throughout the Georgia agricultural industry.

His economist perspective of the food industry in Georgia gives a macro overview of how powerful supporting small business and local farmers is in the process of reuniting generations of people. Newer generations that come from farming families who left the farm to pursue higher education, bring innovative ideas to the table to develop a self-sufficient, thriving, local business.

We all remember our grandmother’s specialty sauce, dip, recipe or dessert, right? Chammoun explains how those culturally impactful and nostalgic recipes can create a niche market for a product impactful enough to become a household name.

It’s clear that the Georgia Center of Innovation is a vital asset to the local food industry, and it’s clear that Chammoun is passionate about agricultural development, food production and creating a healthy economy.