2024 Fall Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership Cohort Application
The James Beard Foundation’s Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership (WEL) program is an advanced educational, training, and networking program for women in the hospitality industry. Targeted to owners or co-owners of one or more food or beverage businesses with a brick-and-mortar location in the United States, the curriculum will address advanced business and finance concepts while also providing gender-specific training and leadership development.
To qualify for WEL, you must be:
- 21 years of age or older
- A woman or nonbinary individual
- A current owner or co-owner of one or more food or beverage businesses with a brick-and-mortar location in the United States
- Have a minimum of $1M in annual revenue (from one or multiple businesses)
- Prepared to partake in an intensive entrepreneurial management program that also provides training and leadership development
- Committed to mandatory attendance to each session
- Committed to active engagement with cohort
- Committed to filling out mandatory follow-up surveys immediately upon completion of the program, then 1 year, 3 years, and 5 years post-program, as well as yearly check-ins
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Thank you for your interest in applying to the WEL program. This application should take no longer than one (1) hour to complete. To help you prepare: you will need up to two (2) professional references and one mandatory letter of recommendation. We also ask for revenue and net profit numbers for 2024, 2023 and 2022, and total number of full-time and part-time staff. We may request to see a copy of your P&Ls for verification.
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The program will be held virtually every Monday from 2 to 4 P.M. ET starting September 16th, 2024 and concluding on December 9th, 2024. Class will not take place on October 14th and November 25th.
Please only apply if you are able to commit to all the dates listed. Your certificate of completion and participation in future WEL events is contingent upon attending every class session. We recommend blocking the course dates on your calendar when you submit your application to ensure that you can attend if selected.
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The application for the 2024 Fall WEL Cohort closes on June 7th at 11:59 P.M. PT.
A maximum of 20 applicants will be selected for each cohort. A committee consisting of industry leaders, WEL alumnae, and James Beard Foundation staff will review all applications. All applicants will be notified by August 1st.
ONCE YOU HAVE COMPLETED THE APPLICATION, PLEASE REVIEW YOUR ACCOUNT AND CONFIRM THAT YOUR APPLICATION IS LABELED AS “SUBMITTED” – IF IT SAYS “COMPLETED” YOU HAVE NOT SUBMITTED ANYTHING AND WE WILL NOT CONSIDER YOUR APPLICATION.
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If you have any questions, please reach out to womensleadership@jamesbeard.org.
2024 Fall Women's Entrepreneurial Leadership Cohort Application
2024 Fall Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership Cohort Application
The James Beard Foundation’s Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership (WEL) program is an advanced educational, training, and networking program for women in the hospitality industry. Targeted to owners or co-owners of one or more food or beverage businesses with a brick-and-mortar location in the United States, the curriculum will address advanced business and finance concepts while also providing gender-specific training and leadership development.
To qualify for WEL, you must be:
- 21 years of age or older
- A woman or nonbinary individual
- A current owner or co-owner of one or more food or beverage businesses with a brick-and-mortar location in the United States
- Have a minimum of $1M in annual revenue (from one or multiple businesses)
- Prepared to partake in an intensive entrepreneurial management program that also provides training and leadership development
- Committed to mandatory attendance to each session
- Committed to active engagement with cohort
- Committed to filling out mandatory follow-up surveys immediately upon completion of the program, then 1 year, 3 years, and 5 years post-program, as well as yearly check-ins
---
Thank you for your interest in applying to the WEL program. This application should take no longer than one (1) hour to complete. To help you prepare: you will need up to two (2) professional references and one mandatory letter of recommendation. We also ask for revenue and net profit numbers for 2024, 2023 and 2022, and total number of full-time and part-time staff. We may request to see a copy of your P&Ls for verification.
---
The program will be held virtually every Monday from 2 to 4 P.M. ET starting September 16th, 2024 and concluding on December 9th, 2024. Class will not take place on October 14th and November 25th.
Please only apply if you are able to commit to all the dates listed. Your certificate of completion and participation in future WEL events is contingent upon attending every class session. We recommend blocking the course dates on your calendar when you submit your application to ensure that you can attend if selected.
---
The application for the 2024 Fall WEL Cohort closes on June 7th at 11:59 P.M. PT.
A maximum of 20 applicants will be selected for each cohort. A committee consisting of industry leaders, WEL alumnae, and James Beard Foundation staff will review all applications. All applicants will be notified by August 1st.
ONCE YOU HAVE COMPLETED THE APPLICATION, PLEASE REVIEW YOUR ACCOUNT AND CONFIRM THAT YOUR APPLICATION IS LABELED AS “SUBMITTED” – IF IT SAYS “COMPLETED” YOU HAVE NOT SUBMITTED ANYTHING AND WE WILL NOT CONSIDER YOUR APPLICATION.
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If you have any questions, please reach out to womensleadership@jamesbeard.org.