Nearly 400 women are expected to take a deep dive into every aspect of the food business in D.C. on April 25-26 at the third annual Black Women in Food Summit (BWIF) brings renowned chefs, restaurateurs, food writers, food justice advocates, farmers, and food entrepreneurs to steer women toward success in managing the world of food.
Co-founded by Nina Oduro and Maame Boakye, this year’s summit theme is “Limitless: Claiming Space for Abundance.”
“The food system is expansive. When we think about how people consume and experience food, we are looking at it from the ground to the table and beyond,” said Oduro.
Washington D.C.-based Dine Diaspora, the engine behind Black Women in Food Summit, was also co-founded by Oduro and Boakye, and is committed to connecting people and brands to African diaspora food culture. Through their work, the women have intentionally focused on the lack of opportunities for professionals of color, including Black women, to advance food-focused careers.
“We are catalyzers. It is important for us to have a space to nurture ourselves,” said Boakye, expressing the need for the summit. “We need to connect to be inspired.”
Raising excitement for this year’s Black Women in Food Summit, Oduro and Boakye hosted a media preview at Elmina in Northwest, D.C., led by chef, author, and television personality Eric Adjepong.
“Women in food and this initiative that these two ladies have started has had a ripple effect,” said the Ghanaian-American chef, celebrating Oduro and Boakye and the mission of the summit. “Started here in the District, and now it’s felt nationally.”
Adjepong emphasized the importance of women in the food and beverage business.
“It’s an honor to have women in this industry with us,” he said. “From shopping, cooking, writing, collaborating, authoring, and all.”
Rave Reviews About Black Women in Food
When visiting the website for this year’s Black Women in Food Summit, women who attended last year’s event sing the praises about what they gained from being in a space of learning and unity.
“These events are great in community spaces because it allows us to talk just about food, to enjoy food in a communal space,” says Elle Simone Scott, executive editor of America’s Test Kitchen.
Jamila Robinson, editor in chief for Bon Appétit and Epicurious, emphasized that the summit offers a moment to come together to find ways to address challenges.
“At the Black Women in Food Summit, it is very important to talk about the funding challenges and meet the people who can help,” Robinson said. “There are Black women in all aspects of the culinary industry.”
This year’s summit sponsors include Pepsico, ezCater, New Voices Foundation, Open Table, Rethink Food, ISS Guckenheimer, Niman Ranch, and Women Advancing Nutrition Dietetics, and Agriculture, who are helping advance the work and efforts of women in the food industry and beyond.
“The reason we are having a two-day summit and why we continue to make this bigger is because women have come back and asked for it,” said Oduro. “What a space to draw connection and to pour into ourselves.