Press

Spring 2023 | Edible Cleveland, "Legacy of Les Dames"

Feb. 2020 | Currents, "Les Dames d'Escoffier women thrive in the culinary industry"

Support our Grants & Scholarships

LDEI Pitch Competition Winners Announced!
$6000 Awarded

Female entrepreneurs in Northeast Ohio’s food, beverage, and hospitality industries competed on Saturday, August 23 at the Cleveland Garlic Festival for a chance to secure $6,000 in grant funding from the Cleveland Chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier International (LDEI).

Now in its third year, the LDEI Cleveland Pitch Competition spotlighted three outstanding finalists—selected from a pool of 13 applicants across the region—who presented their businesses before a panel of professional judges. Cleveland Dame Lisa Sands of the CLE Foodcast served as emcee for the competition.

Congratulations to our three winners!

• First Place ($3,000): Jewels Rossi, Owner, Mangia Dolce
  An experience-driven catering company offering barista and bartending services from authentic European Market vehicles. Rossi plans to use the grant to invest in a new European-inspired food truck to expand her fleet.
• Second Place ($2,000): Jennifer Taggart, Owner, Lake Erie Scoops
  A Gordon Square-based sweet shop featuring premium homemade ice cream, frozen treats, candy, novelty sodas, and baked goods. Taggart plans to use the grant funding to purchase a new high voltage freezer and generator to be able to better promote her ice creams and cold products on the road.
• Third Place ($1,000): Markisha Parker, Founder and CEO, Parker Farms
  An urban farm in Warren, OH producing high-quality tomatoes, vegetables, and herbs on small parcels of land.

Judges for this year’s competition included: Emma Visnic, Director of Marketing and Communication of the North Union Farmers Market, Dame Tina Chamoun, Founder of Terranean Spices, Spreads & Snacks, and Michele Smolin, Attorney.

“Each year, we are inspired by the innovation and determination of the women entrepreneurs who are shaping the future of food and hospitality in Northeast Ohio,” said Dame Britt-Marie Horrocks, President of the LDEI Cleveland Chapter. “Our Pitch Competition not only provides these hard working women with critical funding to grow their business but also celebrates the entrepreneurial spirit that fuels our community.”

Who won the previous two years? Check them out!

About LDEI: We are a philanthropic organization of women leaders in the food, beverage, and hospitality industries. Our membership is highly diversified (with 2,400 members in 44 chapters across the USA, Canada, UK, Mexico, and Italy) and reflects the fields of contemporary gastronomy and hospitality. We support our communities through grants, scholarships, and mentorship. Prospective members must have at least five years of relevant industry experience to apply to become a Dame.

We welcome donations in any amount to support these efforts! THANK YOU!