International Women's Month; Women Who Are Changing the Food Industry

Since the beginning of time, women have played the essential roles of feeding and nurturing our communities, but there are a few special ones who have changed the game.

In honor of Women's History Month, we're showcasing some of the chefs, creators, and businesswomen making waves in the food industry.

Silvia Carluccio | Owner + Founder IMPASTIAMO

We’d be totally remiss if we didn’t first mention our founder, Silvia. This powerhouse of a woman founded IMPASTIAMO as a reaction to the global pandemic, and has been working tirelessly to cultivate the relationship that we have with food and cooking, ever since.

Thanks to Silvia’s hard work, we’ve been able to raise money for some amazing nonprofits like No Us Without You, various California Food Banks, and Feed the Music–a series of cooking classes hosted by musicians in support of the music industry. “As soon as the pandemic hit, I realized that while the food industry was going to be impacted the most, people needed to eat, connect with one another, and chefs still had a need to share their art and cook for people while making money.

My main goal was to use technology as a way to continue bringing people together and allow people to express themselves and forget about Covid for a couple hours. IMPASTIAMO was born as a way to connect people and help professionals continue earning money.”

Read more about Silvia here!

Alexis Brown & Ariel Neal | Founders Causing a Stir

It was at a luncheon two years ago that Alexis Brown and Ariel Neal found their way of giving back. Angered by the lack of diversity in the bartending industry, the two women came together and created Causing a Stir , an organization that aims to "uplift and empower underrepresented and underserved individuals in the hospitality industry," Neal said.

Since its inception in 2016, thousands of women looking to build successful careers in the food and beverage industry have utilized their amazing resources. Read more here.

Elisabeth Atangana | Regional Platform of African Peasant Organizations

Chair of the Regional Platform of African Peasant Organizations and a farmer by profession, Atangana is a lifelong champion for rural rights and women’s empowerment in agriculture. Atangana served as President of the Pan-African Farmers Organization from 2010 to 2012, where she worked to create training opportunities throughout the food and farming sector.

In 2012, Atangana was appointed as Special Ambassador for Cooperatives to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization.

Alice Waters | “Inventor of California Cuisine”

Alice Waters is affectionately known as the inventor of California Cuisine. Like many famous female chefs, she had a love for French cooking techniques but also a passion for fresh, local produce and naturally-sourced ingredients.

She opened her restaurant, called Chez Panisse, in Berkeley in 1971 and made a unique statement by offering a set five-course, fixed-price menu. The meal was made only from the freshest seasonal and local products that she sourced from a community of farmers and ranchers who provided her with naturally grown, mostly organic foods.

Alice was an inspirational female chef who stayed true to her values of sustainability by incorporating organic and healthy foods into a structured restaurant environment. She led the way for a fresh approach to cooking and launched a trend for organic and locally produced ingredients that has now become mainstream around the world. She’s also known for her organic food project called the Edible Schoolyard Project, a food education program that teaches kids about how to grow, cook with, and enjoy healthy, organic foods all while serving the community.

Gabriela Cámara | Owner + Founder Cala

A female chef hailing from Mexico City, Cámara opened Cala in San Francisco. She filled 70% of the staff openings with former convicts, proving that if you treat your employees well, and pay them above minimum wage, the high turnover rates of restaurant staff will almost disappear.

In addition to creating sustainable work opportunities, Gabriela is dedicated to creating a cultural exchange through food that she serves. And last month, the Mexican government named Ms. Cámara to a new Council of Cultural Diplomacy, composed of people who bring global prestige to Mexican culture.

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