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Women in Foodservice

Articles covering women in foodservice and the restaurant industry's progress toward achieving gender equality

How can the restaurant industry reach gender parity?

Alicia Kelso, Executive Editor

March 1, 2024

 

In just a few short weeks from now, the WFF will convene in Dallas to celebrate its 35th anniversary with about 3,000 attendees expected and more than 75 partners supporting the organization. As the famous feminist-themed 1960s advertising slogan read, “You’ve Come A Long Way, Baby.” Indeed, the WFF’s timeline from a conversation in Chicago to now is remarkable. The board of directors was created in 1992. In 1998, WFF held its first Executive Women’s Summit. For the 25th anniversary celebration, Maya Angelou was the keynote speaker, while former First Lady Michelle Obama was the keynote speaker in 2018.

In 2017, the WFF began incorporating more data to drive its programming, convening 32 food companies to partner with McKinsey & Company and LeanIn.org to provide insights on women’s progress within the industry. The study determined it will take at least 100 years to reach gender parity in the c-suite at the current pace of change. In other words, “you’ve come a long way, baby, but there’s still so far to go.”

About the Author

Alicia Kelso

Executive Editor, Nation's Restaurant News

Alicia Kelso is the executive editor of Nation's Restaurant News. She began covering the restaurant industry in 2010 for QSRweb.com, FastCasual.com and PizzaMarketplace.com. When her son was born, she left the industry to pursue a role in higher education, but swiftly returned after realizing how much she missed the space. In filling that void, Alicia added a contributor role at Restaurant Dive and a senior contributor role at Forbes.
Her work has appeared in publications around the world, including Forbes Asia, NPR, Bloomberg, The Seattle Times, Crain's Chicago, Good Morning America and Franchise Asia Magazine.
Alicia holds a degree in journalism from Bowling Green State University, where she competed on the women's swim team. In addition to cheering for the BGSU Falcons, Alicia is a rabid Michigan fan and will talk about college football with anyone willing to engage. She lives in Louisville, Kentucky, with her wife and son.

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