The FMI Foundation’s inaugural Midwinter Scholarships provided students with firsthand experience and industry connections, preparing them to become the next generation of food industry leaders.
By: Haley Pierce, Manager, FMI Foundation
In the current employment landscape, the worker’s journey—from recruitment to succession planning—remains a critical frontier. While tactical duties like performance reviews and screenings are essential, an innovative HR team must shift its candidate recruitment tactics to adapt to the evolving candidate landscape.
To help bridge this gap, the FMI Foundation, with support from program sponsors Brookshire Grocery Company, the Hershey Company, Meijer, Inc., and the Kroger Co., launched the Midwinter Scholarship Program, specifically designed to provide the next generation of tech-savvy, innovation-forward leaders with a taste of the food industry. By addressing Gen Z students directly, the program ensures a robust pipeline to fill critical roles in sales, marketing, merchandising, procurement, supply chain management, and so many more.
The 2026 Inaugural Cohort
In January 2026, the FMI Foundation partnered with five premier institutions—California Polytechnic State University, Michigan State University, Saint Joseph’s University, Southern Methodist University, and Western Michigan University—to bring high-achieving undergraduate and graduate students to the Midwinter Executive Conference in Chula Vista, CA. This experiential learning opportunity allowed students to:
- Shadow industry veterans and attend high-level SEEs/B2B meetings;
- Engage in key networking activities and shadowing potential industry mentors; and
- Participate in education sessions and keynote addresses, FMItech, and more, bridging academic theory with real-world industry magic.
These future leaders experienced a record-breaking event firsthand (welcoming 1,732 attendees!), returning to their campuses with professional alignment that’s more grounded, inspired, and reinforced by contacts within the industry.
Shape the Future in 2027
We are now recruiting for our 2027 Scholarship Program cohort. Do you want to see your alma mater represented among the next five schools? Help us cultivate the future of the food industry by nominating a college or university or donating to the program directly. Contact us at Foundation@fmi.org to learn more!
Contact the FMI Foundation Team
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