Rochester, NY – Agency 29 is thrilled to announce that two of our clients, Seen Nutrition and Finger Foods Farm, earned major recognition at the 2025 Grow-NY business competition. The teams collectively secured over $500,000 in prize funding for their groundbreaking work in food and agriculture innovation.
Seen Nutrition claimed a $500,000 prize as one of two second-place winners in the prestigious competition. The company’s innovative approach to personalized nutrition technology is reshaping how consumers understand and optimize their health, and we couldn’t be prouder to support their mission.
“The Grow-NY competition is an incredible program. Watching Seen Nutrition take the stage and earn this recognition makes us proud to work with organizations that are making a big impact in food and agriculture in Upstate New York,” said Agency 29 Founder + CEO Maureen Ballatori. “Seen is doing transformative work in personalized nutrition, and this $500,000 prize will accelerate their ability to bring these insights to consumers who need them most. We’re honored to be part of their journey.”
“This investment from Grow-NY validates our mission to support women’s bone health by innovating food-first supplements,” said Jennifer Han, PharmD. “The $500,000 prize will be instrumental in scaling Seen Nutrition to reach more women navigating menopause with food-first solutions for bone health,” said Adrienne Bitar, PhD.
Adding to our celebration, Finger Foods Farm captured the $10,000 Audience Choice Award, winning the hearts and votes of competition attendees. This recognition is particularly meaningful because it demonstrates that their commitment to sustainable agriculture and local food systems resonates deeply with real people, not just judges and investors.
“Seeing Finger Foods Farm connect with the audience so authentically reinforces why we love working in this space,” added Maureen. “The Audience Choice Award shows that they’re building a movement that people want to be part of.”
“Receiving the Audience Choice Award is incredibly meaningful to us – it came straight from our community,” said Sarah Carden Cookfair, CEO and Co-Founder of Finger Foods Farm. “What we said resonated. People are genuinely excited at the opportunity to enjoy this region’s bounty year-round – and our soup is make that possible. This recognition energizes us as we continue expanding access to our line of frozen soups.”
Agency 29 has been proud to support both companies as they’ve refined their messaging to compete on one of the biggest stages in the food and agriculture sector. 2025 marks the sixth time Agency 29 clients have brought home awards from the Grow-Ny competition. The success our clients realize at Grow-NY reflects their innovative solutions and their authentic commitment to transforming our food and agriculture systems.
The Grow-NY competition, now in its seventh year, continues to serve as a catalyst for food and agriculture innovation in New York. This year’s competition attracted 270 applicants from 41 countries, with finalists pitching their ventures for a share of $3 million in total prize money.
Both Seen Nutrition and Finger Foods Farm join an impressive cohort of winners, including grand prize winner Brekland ($1 million), fellow $500,000 winner Mothership Materials, and $250,000 prize recipients Living Ink Technologies, Trebe Biotech, Whipnotic, and ZILA BioWorks.
About Seen Nutrition
Seen Nutrition is a food tech startup in the menopause market, initially focused on bone health, with a patented dietary calcium chew made with dairy produced in Central New York. Learn more at seennutrition.com.
About Finger Foods Farm
Finger Foods Farm produces a line of vertically-integrated, health-forward frozen soups, made with local ingredients, processed at regional businesses, and branded to celebrate New York’s bounty. Learn more at fingerfoodsfarm.com.
About Grow-NY
Grow-NY is a business competition focused on growing an enduring food and agriculture innovation cluster in the Grow-NY region. Funded by Empire State Development, the competition attracts innovative, high-growth food and agtech startups from across the globe and engages them in the region’s rapidly-growing startup ecosystem. Learn more at grow-ny.com.
About Agency 29
Agency 29 is a strategy-led creative partner for brands in the food, beverage, and agricultural industries. Through our work, we strive to spark growth through compelling branding and marketing to create a lasting impact. Learn more at agency29.com.