Females in Food, a collective for female food and beverage artisans, innovators, business leaders and entrepreneurs across the globe was officially launched yesterday.
Founder Chelsea Ford said over time her vision had become very clear – she wanted to help build the profile of, and in turn shape a better future for, women in the industry.
With over 25 years industry experience, Ford has seen first hand how difficult it can be for women to excel.
“It’s not only that it’s a heavily male dominated industry, it also takes really hard work to be a successful entrepreneur and that can sometimes be a very lonely existence.”
The collective is open to all women in F&B – executives, producers, entrepreneurs, chefs, brewers, stylists, manufacturers, educators or anyone else in between. It offers a place where commercial advice can be shared, further education offered, and professional connections fostered in order to build the profile and buoy women in F&B.
“Imagine connecting a woman currently working out of a home kitchen with a food manufacturer to help increase her capacity while the manufacturer leverages innovation; or providing stylists a forum to network with chefs and cooks; or even connecting a caterer with entrepreneurs developing new innovative artisanal food and beverage products,” Ford said.
“We know that unleashing the power of entrepreneurship can have a dramatic effect on a country’s economy. Females in Food is dedicated to being an unstoppable force that champions women in the food and beverage industry and I have every confidence we will reach our goal of attracting 20,000 people to our collective in the next five years.”
