80% of food buying decisions are made by women globally, yet representation at senior-level leadership positions across the food and beverage industry is less than 20%.

This is the jarring statistic I read in 2019 as I sat reflecting on my career and how to navigate to the next level. As an experienced professional in the F&B industry, I knew too well the everyday realities that were preventing women in our industry from advancing. These everyday realities are the papercuts that minimize visibility, drive insecurities, and create organizational inefficiencies across retention and parity.

I started to envision an industry where women had access to the resources to empower their careers. I imagined a network that would easily connect women with female-friendly organizations and a world where women didn’t have to choose between motherhood and career advancement. Inspired by the courageous women around me, motivated by the fearless women who came before me, and fueled by the need to give the women in our industry a voice, The Females in Food Community was born.