Nathan (Nate) Atkinson, President and General Counsel of Village Juice & Kitchen (VJK) headquartered in North Carolina, shared some exciting news with Frontrunners Innovate recently. Village Juice & Kitchen, in partnership with Aramark, the Chris Paul Foundation, and the United Negro College Fund, (plus others) have launched The ELETE Experience, an extraordinary student mentorship-to-internship program in food services. VJK provides nutritious raw juices and clean food options, so it seemed a natural fit to bring the students into the entire operation on college campuses and collaborate with them to promote entrepreneurship in the industry. The details include connections for internships and paid stipends for work done. With a pilot already operating at Winston-Salem State University in North Carolina, the program is off and running with endorsements from the leadership. The current plan includes expanding (with the assistance of the UNCF) into the HBCU network of colleges. Nate shares the information with us and welcomes institutions that could be interested in the program to connect.
Click to Access The Elete Experience Launch Announcement
Nate Atkinson’s Short Bio:
Nate Atkinson spent two decades as an attorney, handling high-stakes litigation before pivoting to entrepreneurship in 2018. With his wife and his roommate from college, Nate founded Village Juice & Kitchen, a successful food and beverage company known for its fresh, delicious, and nutritious meals. Nate’s knowledge and experience are reflected in the breadth of organizations he has formed and supported, including early-stage ventures, acting as general counsel to a niche marketing organization focused on the overlap of music and customer UX, sitting on the board of a social-emotional-learning (S.E.L.) company with curriculum designed for Black students, co-founding a burger brand for stadiums and music events, and leading his eponymous law firm. Nate mentors young entrepreneurs and is a highly regarded problem-solver in the world of food insecurity and justice.
Beyond his business pursuits, Nate has dedicated over twenty years to environmental, food access, and social justice causes. He served on his local environmental protection agency’s board, was the president of H.O.P.E. of Winston-Salem, Inc., and has consulted with other nonprofits to improve community health, education, and food access. Nate’s impactful work includes delivering a TEDx talk on how businesses can drive societal change, and he remains a sought-after speaker on entrepreneurship and ethical business practices at universities such as Wake Forest University.
Nate’s Contact:
Village Juice & Kitchen Site: https://www.villagejuicecompany.com/story
The ELETE Experience Site: https://www.theelete.com/about
Nate on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanatkinson/
The ELETE Experience on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-elete-experience-inc/
Village Juice & Kitchen on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/villagejuicecompany
