Statements
Mission
Les Dames Nashville is a local chapter of an international network of women leaders in food, fine beverage, hospitality and farming who are passionate about supporting women in those fields. Through our events, we raise money to fund our career advancement grants and culinary scholarships, while furthering education and appreciation of our industry throughout our community.
Our membership reflects a diversity of professionals, and includes chefs, restaurateurs, caterers, farmers, food retailers, event planners, cookbook authors, food journalists and historians, winemakers and wine industry professionals, brewers, cheese mongers, food publicists, culinary educators and hospitality executives.
Core Aspects to our Mission:
Share Knowledge. Support Members. Provide Leadership. Mentor Women in their Professions.
Coordinate educational opportunities.
Host philanthropic events for the larger community.
Background
In the early 1970s, New York food journalist Carol Brock set about to create the first organization for professional culinary women, in response to the all-male Les Amis d'Escoffier. She wanted to raise the image and presence of women in food, wine, and hospitality - industries largely dominated by men. And more than that: she wanted the group to focus on philanthropy, raising funds to educate and mentor women in these fields.
In 1976, 50 women became Les Dames d'Escoffier New York. In a short time, the organization grew and flourished, becoming the esteemed Les Dames D'Escoffier International, of which there are now 45 chapters.
The Nashville chapter was the 30th, and founded in 2014.
Les Dames d'Escoffier International (LDEI) is a worldwide philanthropic organization of professional women leaders in the fields of food, fine beverage and hospitality. The invitation-only membership, composed of over 2,400 women in chapters across the US, Canada, France, the United Kingdom and Mexico, is highly diversified and reflects the multifaceted fields of contemporary gastronomy and hospitality. For more information, visit www.ldei.org
Impact
Since 2017, we have supported women in the hospitality, tourism, culinary, fine beverage, and farming professions in Middle Tennessee in the form of grants and scholarships, now totaling more than $80,000.
IMPACTS for 2024: We have strengthened our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion by forming IDEA: (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Access) a member committee devoted to making Les Dames Nashville more open. We created our IDEA Framework to guide our members, highlighting 13 inclusive behaviors to model.
IMPACTS for 2023: We led a second DEI symposium as a follow-up to our successful one of last year. Held on Monday evenings in early Spring at Yay Yay's on historic Jefferson Street, this 3-evening series of presentations and mini-workshops delved deeper into ways to make our hospitality industry more diverse, equitable and inclusive. The series raised $15,000 in funds for our scholarship and career advancement grant programs.
We held a Culinary Bazaar as a fundraiser at the University School of Nashville. Attendees could purchase new and used kitchen equipment, and service ware, products from area women makers
In 2022, we led a powerful symposium, "Desegregating Nashville's Food Scene: An Anti-Racism Brunch and Dialogue. This was funded in part by a grant from The Women's Fund of CFMT. Through 3 separate presentations-mini workshops, we addressed Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging in the hospitality industry. We also launched the Tallu Schuyler Quinn Legacy of Hope award, in honor of Dame Tallu, founder of The Nashville Food Project, who passed in February 2022. This will go to a woman doing work in sustainability and food justice.
In 2021, we broadened our outreach to women to impacted by the pandemic with a series of five free online presentations under the title, "Sustain and Flourish in Adversity." Led by our membership, and funded in part by a grant from The Women's Fund of CFMT, we reached scores of women with valuable information on topics: Redefining and Refining Hospitality; Launching Your Food Business; Best Social Media Practices for Hospitality; The Future of Farming.
2020 has been a year of great challenge: a tornado followed by pandemic has caused upheaval and suffering throughout the community. We are Dames In Action: Post tornado, we partnered with Second Harvest Food Bank and organized Buffet Hot Lunch for 1000 in North Nashville, assembled 1000 box lunches for those hard hit in Cookeville TN, and organized, prepared and delivered over 300 hot meals to the Red Cross Disaster Relief Center. We added Disaster Relief Grants, and gave away over $8000 to women whose businesses were damaged. Cassie Groves of Groves Family Dairy in Portland TN and Sophia Vaughn of Silver Sands Soul Food in Nashville were two recipients. We continued our Career Advancement Grant program, and granted our first culinary scholarship of $2000 to a young woman attending Nashville State Community College's culinary program. Despite adversities, we were able to give away the most funds in one year--$20,000--we have to date.
2019 was busy and productive. We held our 3rd Tour de Farm fundraiser, netting $23,000. We gave away $10,000 in our grant programs. We completed the year by hosting Les Dames d'Escoffier International's annual conference, "Rhythm and Roots." We showcased the food, culture, history and hospitality of our city, with emphasis on women. Over 350 women leaders from around the country attended this 3-day conference.
Needs
- Support for Career Advancement Grants and Culinary Scholarships - We help further the education and careers of women in food, farming, fine beverage and hospitality through annual grants and scholarships.
- Donations/Partnerships for Educational Events - A pillar of our mission is to offer educational opportunities to our community to foster an appreciation of our industries. We organize, facilitate and execute public events throughout the year, such as our DEI Symposium, Tour de Farm and Taste and Learn programs.
- Support for Women Entrepreneurs - Les Dames D'Escoffier Nashville exists to lift up women entrepreneurs in our community. We do this in myriad ways, including mentorship, education, fundraising, scholarships and grants. We tirelessly work to better our industry and the women who are vital to its success.
We are seeking strategic partnerships and collaborative efforts to achieve these goals
Board Chair Statement
Women are powerful; women get good things done. Within our young organization are some of the most dynamic women of food, fine beverage, hospitality and farming in the Middle Tennessee area, and we are all dedicated to service: in education and mentorship, scholarship and philanthropy. In a time when these industries are going through great change, we have the power to lead, to educate, to uplift and make a difference.
Service Categories |
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| Primary Category: | Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Foundations - Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Foundations NEC |
| Secondary Category: | Community Improvement, Capacity Building - Business and Industry |
| Tertiary Category: | Food, Agriculture & Nutrition - Professional Societies & Associations |
Areas Served
While we are primarily focused on serving women in food, fine beverage and hospitality within Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County, our sphere of influence extends throughout Middle Tennessee, due to its strong agriculture. We vigorously support women in farming, and this is reflected in our membership and our programming.
| TN - Davidson |
