Food science graduate Taylor Bauldwin was one of five awardees to receive the Alumni Promise Award at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Alumni Awards Banquet earlier this semester.
The Alumni Promise Award honors alumni who have demonstrated distinctive achievements early in their careers. Bauldwin said, “To be highlighted by a university you poured so much into during your days on campus is a humbling experience. It fills me with appreciation and excitement about the future!”
Upon graduating, Bauldwin began to make his mark in the food and beverage space by working with several of the industry’s major players and stakeholders. He developed a passion for supporting Black and minority food and beverage entrepreneurs. In 2022, Bauldwin started Rooted Ventures—an investment firm that funds companies using technology to improve the food industry.
In collaboration with BeNimble and Sixty8 Capital, Bauldwin helped create and currently serves as program director for the Melon Kitchen accelerator program in Indianapolis, Indiana, which supports under-resourced founders in food and beverage industries. The program is in its second cohort and is estimated to have an economic impact of approximately $5 million. This opportunity allows him to mentor cohort members and provide grants to support their businesses.
Other community impacts include Bauldwin’s membership on the Indy Food Council where he contributed to political decisions to ensure an equitable food ecosystem. Now, he serves on the board of South Side Market, working to open a new grocery store on the Southside of Chicago. As a “food futurist,” Bauldwin advocates for more equitable food ecosystems and a new food economy.
Such accomplishments so early in his career would not have been possible without the education he received at UT Knoxville. “The university and the Herbert College of Agriculture started the passion for the industry that has stayed with me throughout my career. I was able to not only build and learn in my major, but touch on adjacent verticals as well, and this was priceless,” said Bauldwin.
His advice to current Herbert students: “Lean in.” He elaborated, “Connect the dots of two seemingly unrelated subjects, people, or hobbies, and don’t be afraid to see where it leads.”
