Press

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

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

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Pitch Competition
Saturday, August 23, 2025 | 3pm

At the Cleveland Garlic Festival in Shaker Square

Join LDEI Cleveland at the Cleveland Garlic Festival in Shaker Square on Saturday, August 23 (3:00pm) for its third annual PITCH COMPETITION!

Female entrepreneurs in the food, beverage, or hospitality industries operating in Northeast Ohio (both women-owned start-up businesses and established businesses) were invited to apply. We had 13 amazing women-owned food/beverage/hospitality business applicants, and three finalists have been selected to make their business growth pitches at this year’s competition.

Congratulations to our three finalists:

• Jewels Rossi, Owner, Mangia Dolce
  Mangia Dolce provides experience-driven, creative catering, barista/bartending services from authentic European Market vehicles.
• Jennifer Taggart, Owner, Lake Erie Scoops
  Lake Erie Scoops is located in Gordon Square and offers premium homemade ice cream, non-dairy frozen treats, breakfast cereal sweets, “penny” candy, novelty sodas, and scratch-made baked goods.
• Markisha Parker, Founder and CEO, Parker Farms
  Parker Farms is an urban farming operation in Warren, Ohio specializing in high quality tomato varieties, vegetables, and herbs grown sustainably on small parcels of land.

Come cheer on our finalists Saturday, August 23!
We encourage you to come meet these awesome women and hear their pitches at the main events tent at the Cleveland Garlic Festival at 3pm on Saturday, August 23rd where we’ll be awarding prizes of $1000, $2000, and $3000! You can also meet our finalists at the Shaker Square North Union Farmer’s Market on Saturday, August 16th from 8am-12pm.

Who won the last 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!