On 24th May 2022, Target started its 8-week virtual programming for the third cohort of its Forward Founders Accelerator Program. That afternoon, it announced that 30 brands including POKS Spices had been selected out of 1800 brands for that cohort, with 14 of the 30 brands in the food and beverage category.
The Target Forward Founders Program is an "accelerator program for early-stage CPG companies looking to better understand retail. It’s designed to help historically under-resourced founders be the next wave of wealth-building companies." Target's desire is that through this 8-week virtual program, emerging brands are "connected to industry-disrupting founders, Target team members and other cohort members while gaining access to leading retail knowledge and resources.