The James Beard Foundation has announced the 20 fellows participating in its 2018 Women's Entrepreneurial Leadership (WEL) program, taking place September 23-28 at Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts. The WEL program is part of the Foundation's broader Women's Leadership Programs and aims to support female food industry entrepreneurs and restaurant owners in order to grow their careers and scale their business.
Joanna Kirkendall, co-owner and co-founder of Pleasantry and 1215 Wine Bar & Coffee Lab, will represent both Cincinnati and Ohio in the second year of the WEL program.
Upon hearing the news, Kirkendall says "I was hopeful to earn a place in this program because, to me, it represents an incredible opportunity to learn from the wisdom of others. We have big dreams for our businesses, and this will be a chance to get new perspectives, feedback, and new ideas from some of the most successful people in this industry. I can't wait to get started."
Kirkendall and business partner and co-owner, David Souder, have announced plans for an un-named chicken restaurant on the way soon.
Visit
here for a complete list of the James Beard Foundation 2018 WEL fellows.
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