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This innovative new award will recognize and celebrate standout women from a diverse range of career paths within the Canadian food landscape. From chefs and restaurateurs to franchisees, food retailers and other food entrepreneurs, all are welcome to submit a nomination.

Only 7 per cent of 91Ô­´´â€™s food industry was made up of women-owned restaurants and enterprises in 2020.

The origin story behind the new award

WXN (Women’s Executive Network) is a one-of-a-kind community shaping the future of leadership across North America. They bring together thousands of bold women, allies, and corporate members in a rich and diverse ecosystem of professional development, networking, thought leadership, belonging, and celebration that propels professional women to rise and lead. This includes the 91Ô­´´â€™s Most Powerful: Top 100 Awards, the Canadian Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Summit and Awards, and the Master Coach Xcelerator Program.

As a new category of the WXN 91Ô­´´â€™s Most Powerful: Top 100 Awards, the SkipTheDishes Food Industry Award offers a much-needed platform to recognize women across 91Ô­´´â€™s food industry. While women are an integral part of this industry, noted a decline in women-owned businesses since 2018 — with women-owned restaurants and enterprises accounting for only 7 per cent (!) of 91Ô­´´â€™s food industry in 2020.

This award is a response to that startling statistic, and it represents both Skip and WXN’s continued commitment to championing trailblazing women in leadership roles. It also serves as a challenge from Skip and WXN to other organizations to accelerate their goals of achieving gender parity.

Why recognition is a game changer

Despite the strides that women have made in the Canadian food industry, it’s never been an equal playing field: Women entrepreneurs, particularly in food, faced a disproportionate burden of the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact.

Beyond that, funding and capital can be especially challenging for women entrepreneurs to access. Women often experience discrimination when attempting to access credit; women-owned businesses are among the least capitalized; and because women tend to own smaller businesses with fewer employees, they can find it more difficult to qualify for loans.

The SkipTheDishes Food Industry Award is a celebration of what the women have accomplished against these odds. Plus, representation matters, and showcasing stories of women who have made lemonade out of lemons (literally and figuratively!) and who are challenging the status quo is key to inspiring other women entrepreneurs to bet on themselves, too.

Nominations for the WXN SkipTheDishes Food Industry Award are open until May 14th.

How you can nominate someone (or yourself!)

From now until May 14, you can submit a nomination for the SkipTheDishes Food Industry Award at .

Contenders will be judged on their career accomplishments, strategic vision and leadership, their influence and impact on their community, and their proven ability to act as a changemaker and role model in the Canadian food industry. This list of criteria aims to encourage a wide-ranging, diverse group of women nominees — a true reflection of what makes 91Ô­´´â€™s food scene great.

We can’t think of a better way to celebrate International Women’s Day than by nominating a standout woman in the Canadian food industry – whether it’s you or someone you know. While the act of submitting a nomination may seem small, it’s a simple gesture that can help build a better, more gender-equitable future.

Applications are now open through the WXN Awards portal. For more information, visit .

This content was created by The Kit; SkipTheDishes funded and approved it.