April 15th 2024.
Black Women In Food, an organization that was born from the Dine Diaspora community back in 2017, is gearing up for an exciting event - the 7th Annual Black Women in Food Awards and the 2nd Annual Black Women In Food Summit. Set to take place on April 26-27 in Washington D.C., this is an event that shouldn't be missed. As the nominees for the awards were announced in March, the winners were honored on April 4. However, the organizers wanted to give the 31 honorees the opportunity to be celebrated in person by their peers.
Forbes recently reported on this event, shining a spotlight on the talented and driven black women in the food industry who are making their mark and leaving a lasting impact. As co-founder Nina Oduro puts it, this event is all about "celebrating the girls working towards their goals, pushing through the challenges, and making a difference through food and beyond." Join us in congratulating this year's 2024 honorees for the @dinediaspora Black Women in Food Awards. You can check out the full list of winners here: https://t.co/VJYF5ydTCv pic.twitter.com/pELMXdlldO
Nina Oduro, the co-founder of Dine Diaspora and Black Women in Food, spoke to Forbes about her excitement for the upcoming summit and the opportunities it presents for attendees. According to Oduro, the summit is not just a place to network and learn, but also a place where black women in the food industry can come together, forge connections, and brainstorm solutions to overcome obstacles. She also mentioned the introduction of new components this year aimed at addressing systemic issues such as access to capital and market entry challenges faced by these women. The marketplace will showcase their food businesses, while the pitch competition, courtesy of the New Voices Foundation, offers a chance to access much-needed capital for expansion.
The pitch competition is only open to summit attendees and involves pitching ideas directly to a panel of industry experts. The winner of the first prize will receive $10,000, while the second prize winner will be awarded $5,000. As Oduro explains, the BWIF Awards are an opportunity for black women to receive recognition in an industry that often overlooks them. She believes that these awards not only celebrate their remarkable achievements but also amplify their contributions - something that is not often afforded to them.
In an interview with Food and Beverage Insider in 2023, Oduro and her business partner, Maame Boakye, shared their vision to recognize and spotlight the often-invisible workers in the food industry. They believe that the industry is filled with racism and sexism, and by centering black women's contributions, they are fighting against narratives that seek to diminish their impact. As they put it, "Black women around the world need to see their efforts recognized and amplified as they continue to shape the way food is experienced at all levels of society."
The summit will take place at the Eaton Hotel in D.C. and will be hosted by Chef Vicky V, a Houston-based chef, consultant, influencer, and media producer. The keynote speaker at the event will be Jamila Robinson, the Editor-in-Chief of Bon Appetit and Epicurious. Robinson's journey in the food industry aligns perfectly with the mission of Black Women in Food. In her keynote address at the 50 Best Recovery Summit in 2020, she spoke about the impact of restaurants on society and how they touch upon various aspects such as the economy, labor, social justice, politics, immigration, and more. She also emphasized the need for re-examining investments and partnerships to promote equity and inclusion, especially for women and people of color.
As we continue to think about building up communities and neighborhoods, Robinson encourages investors to consider supporting and investing in chefs and women of color. She believes that by bringing in new restaurants and diverse voices, we can create a more equitable and inclusive food industry. As she puts it, "Food is the art form that we all participate in, and that means it's a building block. We can use it to build equity into these systems." Let's join hands and support the incredible black women in the food industry and celebrate their contributions at the Black Women in Food Summit. Don't miss out on this amazing event! https://t.co/7x5KU9dV3L https://t.co/Xo5UGcjIWr
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