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join 8th annual innovation program with growth-stage and early-stage tracks designed to accelerate revenue growth, retail expansion, investment readiness and AI-enabled business transformation

TRACY, Calif., Oct. 1, 2026 -The California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB), in partnership with VentureFuel, today announced the 15 companies selected to participate in the 8th Annual Real California Milk (RCM) Excelerator. Since 2021, alumni of the award-winning program have generated nearly $60 million in brand sales

is Executive Director of the California Dairy Innovation Center, which brings together producers, processors and educators around a common set of innovation and productivity goals. She contributes this column exclusively for Cheese Market News®.

Creating a Pathway to The Needs of Tomorrow’s Consumers

At the California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB) and the California Dairy Innovation Center (CDIC), with support from Dairy Management Inc. (DMI), we work closely with universities

Chris Eastwood

The most effective cheese merchandising programs today aren’t built around products. They’re built around occasions.

For years, specialty cheese departments were largely organized by type, brand, or country of origin, said Chris Eastwood, business development manager, US retail, for the California Milk Advisory Board.

While those fundamentals still matter, leading retailers are increasingly merchandising around how consumers actually shop: enter-taining, grilling, brunch, holiday gatherings, and everyday