James Beard Foundation Receives Over $1 Million To Support Female Culinary Entrepreneurs Thanks To Grubhub's "Donate The Change" Program

Funds donated will allow the organization to expand its offerings with app-based portal and new initiative focuses

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May 06, 2019, 10:00 ET

CHICAGO, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The James Beard Foundation today announced that the organization's Women's Leadership Programs has benefitted from over a million dollars contributed by diners of Grubhub, the nation's leading online and mobile food-ordering and delivery marketplace. During the month of March, Grubhub diners - in celebration of Women's History Month and in support of Grubhub's RestaurantHER initiative aimed at advancing women-led restaurants - were encouraged to round up their total bill to the nearest dollar and donate the difference as part of the company's Donate the Change program. All proceeds have been donated to the James Beard Foundation's Women's Leadership Programs, which empower more women to move into leadership and ownership positions across the culinary industry.

"This milestone investment will help us radically transform our initiatives designed to change the face of industry leadership and ownership," said Clare Reichenbach, CEO of the James Beard Foundation. "We applaud Grubhub and all its diners for their remarkable support of our efforts to help more women step into leadership roles and business ownership. We know that when more women are at the helm, there's a shift in culture and increased inclusivity across the industry."

"Supporting a world-renowned industry organization like the James Beard Foundation is something we're incredibly proud of - and one we couldn't have accomplished without our passionate diners," said Jessica Burns, vice president of brand at Grubhub. "We're thrilled to come together with the Foundation to not only help empower more women to become the next generation of culinary leaders, but to also provide them with the tools and resources to make that happen for those in all stages of their careers."

The James Beard Foundation hosts three different Women's Leadership Programs: The Women's Culinary Leadership program, an entry-level skills-based program designed as an accelerated, learning-by-doing mentorship program; Owning It, a multi-city educational seminar for early-stage entrepreneurs; and the Women's Entrepreneurial Leadership program, a five-day intensive training course for established women-owners who want to expand their existing enterprises. With support from Grubhub diners, the Foundation will also expand its offerings to include an app-based portal to help seed the creation of new initiatives focused on mentorship and direct financing.

"Women make up the majority of culinary school graduates, but less than half of restaurant owners," said Katherine Miller, vice president of impact at the James Beard Foundation. "We know that women love the restaurant industry and want to be a part of it. Our work, with the support of Grubhub, will help them access the tools they need to succeed."

The next James Beard Foundation Owning Program will be held in Washington DC on June 3 and 4. The next Women's Entrepreneurial Leadership program will be held October 27 - November 1. Applications for both programs are being accepted through the James Beard Foundation's website.

ABOUT THE JAMES BEARD FOUNDATION
The James Beard Foundation's mission is to promote Good Food for Good™. For more than 30 years, the James Beard Foundation has highlighted the centrality of food culture in our daily lives. Through the James Beard Awards, unique dining experiences at the James Beard House and around the country, scholarships, hands-on learning, and a variety of industry programs that educate and empower leaders in our community, the Foundation has built a platform for chefs and asserted the power of gastronomy to drive behavior, culture, and policy change around food. To that end, the Foundation has also created signature impact-oriented initiatives that include our Women's Leadership Programs aimed at addressing the gender imbalance in the culinary industry; advocacy training through our Chefs Boot Camp for Policy and Change; and the James Beard Foundation Leadership Awards that shine a spotlight on successful change makers. The organization is committed to giving chefs and their colleagues a voice and the tools they need to make the world more sustainable, equitable, and delicious for everyone. For more information, visit jamesbeard.org; subscribe to the digital newsletter Beard Bites; and follow @beardfoundation on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

ABOUT GRUBHUB
Grubhub (NYSE: GRUB) is the nation's leading online and mobile food-ordering and delivery marketplace with the largest and most comprehensive network of restaurant partners, as well as the largest diner base. Dedicated to connecting diners with the food they love from their favorite local restaurants, Grubhub strives to elevate food ordering through innovative restaurant technology, easy-to-use platforms and an improved delivery experience. Grubhub is proud to work with more than 115,000 restaurant partners in over 2,200 U.S. cities and London. The Grubhub portfolio of brands includes Grubhub, Seamless, LevelUp, Tapingo, AllMenus and MenuPages.

SOURCE James Beard Foundation