Powerhouse Black Women in Food Summit ignites audience with cutting-edge trends, stories of courage, more – slideshow

Jamila Robinson ignited the room when she uttered these words to a sold-out audience at Dine Diaspora’s annual Black Women in Food Summit: “You don’t have imposter syndrome. You lack confidence. You are temporarily incompetent. You can build confidence by becoming more competent.”

The newly installed editor-in-chief of legacy food media brands Bon Appétit and Epicurious magazines served as keynote speaker at the industry-driven event in Washington, D.C. that attracted Black women from every level of the global food system. Yours Truly moderated the fireside chat that inspired her to talk so candidly in front of the audience. The hour-long conversation was the main event and the perfect finale for the two-day summit, which also included panel discussions on food activism, mental wellness, raising capital for projects, and innovations and trends in food and beverage production.

Additionally, there was a marketplace featuring more than 20 vendors, interactive sessions and a pitch competition sponsored by New Voices Foundation. Grand prize winner Candy Schibli of Southeastern Roastery took home a $10,000 check for her Maryland-based coffee business.

While most panels focused on the foodservice and hospitality industries, “Flavors of the Future,” moderated by Yours Truly, highlighted the latest happenings in food and beverage development. The expertise and experience on this panel ran deep and proved to be invaluable for attendees, who were predominantly emerging and veteran consumer packaged goods (CPG) developers.

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The panel consisted of Cathy Barnes, a veteran marketer from PIC Agency; Nadia Kemal, an experienced food-tech entrepreneur serving as managing partner at Tamamie Group; food safety and regulatory expert Tia Glave, co-founder of Catalyst LLC; and Adaeze Okoli, chief of staff at Rethink Food, an innovative food rescue organization based in New York.

The conversation ranged from eco-friendly packaging for beverages to whether alternative sweeteners were indeed a good alternative to cane sugar to how to best develop healthier products for Black consumers.

Black Women in Food Summit founders Nina Oduro and Maame Boakye — partners of SupplySide’s Food & Beverage Insider media brand — clearly have a hit on their hands with the Black Women in Food Summit, but it’s more about establishing a safe space for this unique community than anything else.

“This space is made for you,” Boakye said to the audience before a Champagne toast. “This is an opportunity for us to really celebrate ourselves, to nurture our bodies, our minds and our spirits, and to really empower ourselves.”

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The following slideshow offers a glimpse of the summit’s experience over the exciting two days.