THIS PROJECT BUILDS THE CAPACITY OF SOCIALLY-DISADVANTAGED FOOD SYSTEM ENTREPRENEURS TO UTILIZE COLLECTIVE ENTREPRENEURIAL STRATEGIES (CESS) TO FOUND AND SCALE-UP SMALL- AND MEDIUM-SIZED ENTERPRISES (SMES) IN U.S. FOOD SYSTEMS. IT IS ANINTEGRATED PROJECTOF RESEARCH AND OUTREACH ACTIVITIES WITH MINORITY, MARGINALIZED, AND SOCIALLY DISADVANTAGED (MMSD) FOOD SYSTEM ENTREPRENEURS. THE PROJECT IS NAMEDCOLLECTIVE ENTREPRENEURSHIP RESEARCH AND EDUCATION FOR SOCIALLY-DISADVANTAGED SMALL- AND MEDIUM-ENTERPRISES,OR "CERES" FOR SHORT.ACTIVITIES FOCUS ON WOMEN AND/OR RACIAL AND ETHNIC MINORITIES SEEKING TO FOUND NEW OR SCALE-UP EXISTING FOOD SYSTEM VENTURES.COLLECTIVE ENTREPRENEURIAL STRATEGIES ARE A MEANS TO ACHIEVE SCALE FOR INDIVIDUAL VENTURES WITH COMMON STRATEGIES AND PRODUCTS IN LOCAL AND REGIONAL FOOD SYSTEMS. THEY INCLUDE FOOD HUBS, PRODUCER ORGANIZATIONS, VENTURE INCUBATORS, SHARED KITCHENS, AGROTOURISM TRAILS, AND JOINT MARKETING ARRANGEMENTS ROOTED IN ENTREPRENEURIAL NETWORKS. GIVEN HISTORICAL BARRIERS, MMSD ENTREPRENEURIAL NETWORKS AND THEIR APPROACH TO CESS DIFFER; EMERGING RESEARCH FROM THE PROJECT TEAM SHOWS THAT MMSD-OWNED SMES RELY ON COLLECTIVES DIFFERENTLY THAN SOCIALLY ADVANTAGED COUNTERPARTS AND ACCOUNT FOR A SMALL PROPORTION OF FOOD HUB SUPPLIERS. THERE IS LITTLE DOCUMENTATION OF THE NETWORK STRUCTURES AND COOPERATIVE STRATEGIES FOR MMSD-OWNED FOOD SYSTEM VENTURES. LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT THEIR LEARNING NEEDS TO IMPROVE THEIR CAPACITY TO ENGAGE IN CESS.CERES CONDUCTS PARTICIPATORY RESEARCH WITH MMSD ENTREPRENEURIAL STAKEHOLDERS IN MISSOURI TO IDENTIFY LEARNING PRIORITIES.BASED ON THIS NEEDS ASSESSMENT, CURRICULUM IS DEVELOPED AND IMPLEMENTED IN A PILOT TRAINING PROGRAM FOR MMSD ENTREPRENEURS. CERES CONDUCTS EVALUATION RESEARCH TO VALIDATE CURRICULUM EFFECTIVENESS AND PERFORM FOUNDATIONAL SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ON ENTREPRENEURIAL NETWORK FORMATION AND CES IMPACTS ON MMSD FOOD SYSTEM ENTREPRENEURS.