A panel of five women entrepreneurs – Rohini Dey - Vermilion Chicago, LTW Founder; Charleen Badman - FnB Restaurant; Angela Barnes - Nobody's Darling; Maria Loi - Loi Food Products, Loi Estiatorio; and Deborah VanTrece - VanTrece Hospitality Group - took the stage during one of the 2022 National Restaurant Association Show’s most powerful sessions to share their experiences as leaders, business owners and members of the groundbreaking Let’s Talk Womxn movement. Their discussion included several candid insights on women’s unique constraints in today’s foodservice world and touched on a number of potential avenues for women to increase their power in the industry. Here are a few highlights:

Collaboration is key

Angela Barnes, co-owner of Nobody’s Darling, believes that there is power in collaboration, and that women can help each other advance by “being a united front.” Chef Deborah VanTrece adds that being able to have conversations with other women about “all of the issues that we have as women in a male-dominated industry” is not only affirming but productive, as women can bounce ideas off of each other and find new ways to help one another.

The journey to parity will be a difficult one.

According to restauranter and Let’s Talk Womxn founder, Rohini Dey, it will take a lot more than just “women entrepreneurs boosting each other” to achieve true parity. Though she thinks it’s important for women to help each other “scale their businesses,” she also advocates for changes to government policy and changes in the restaurant “industry and environment” so that a true level playing field can be achieved.

Let’s Talk Womxn needs your support!

Let’s Talk Womxn needs your help to continue to grow their movement. Rohini Dey advises anyone interested in supporting women entrepreneurs in the foodservice industry to make a commitment to eat at women-owned and operated restaurants, come to Let’s Talk Womxn events and continue to get the word out about their movement both on social media and by word of mouth.

To learn more, visit https://letstalkwomxn.com