Food Product Innovation Scholarship 2026
We are delighted to share that applications are now open for the 2026 LDEI Legacy Awards, supported by The Julia Child Foundation for Gastronomy and the Culinary Arts. Our Portland Chapter was selected to host this exciting five day experience for one lucky scholarship recipient • Food Product Innovation: From Concept-to-Shelf Experience.
The Legacy Awards offer six extraordinary, immersive, career-advancing experiences designed to accelerate leadership, expand networks, and deepen professional skills across food, beverage, hospitality, agriculture, and related fields. These one-of-a-kind programs reflect the strength, diversity, and generosity of our global community — and the power of women learning from women.
Awardees will take part in a five-day immersive experience (June–October 2026), working alongside accomplished LDEI members in areas including:
•Food Product Innovation: From Concept-to-Shelf Experience. (Portland) - APPLICATION HERE
Vertically Integrated Farming: From Pasture to Plate Experience (Atlanta)
Roots & Revenue: The Big Island Agriculture Experience (Hawai‘i)
Harvesting Knowledge: A Sustainable Food Experience (London/Ireland)
Application Details
Deadline: March 31, 2026
Eligibility: Women residing in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, the UK, or Italy
Experience Required: Minimum of four years in food, beverage, hospitality, agriculture, or related fields
Limit: Applicants may apply to two award categories, but can win only one. Each application must be submitted separately and must include a separate and unique essay for each application.
Notification: May 1, 2026
For full details and the application form, click here.
These awards embody Julia Child’s enduring commitment to learning, mentorship, and excellence — and LDEI’s mission to lift, connect, and champion women across the global food system.
We sincerely hope these opportunities reach women from as many backgrounds, communities, and career stages as possible and look forward to receiving your application in Portland! LDEP Portland Chapter
Recent Fancy Food Show Mentorship Scholarships
The Les Dames d’Escoffier International (LDEI) Portland chapter is excited to support and mentor one woman-owned food/beverage business at the Fancy Food Show per year. In partnership with the Food Innovation Center, Les Dames Portland will provide one culinary professional with funds to use toward a booth in the incubator village, as well as professional mentorship to help prepare for the trade show opportunity including packaging design, marketing/PR, sales sheet review, pitch coaching, etc.
Scholarship applicants must identify as a woman-owned business, have worked with or have a scheduled appointment with the OSU Food Innovation Center (we assist with this once the application is submitted there) and be ready for wholesale orders by the trade show date.
We believe that historical bad behavior in the food and wine industry disproportionally hurts the most marginalized people in society, including women of color, women from working class backgrounds, and LGBTQ people. We believe that these communities must be centered in the work we do to lift-up women in our food community. Hence, we strongly encourage applications from people with these identities or who are members of marginalized communities to apply. If you would like translation assistance for this application email sarahspicymarshall@gmail.com and we will connect you with a volunteer.
Our 2024 Recipient
Francine Voit of Pistakio
Fran, co-owner of Pistakio, is a pistachio fanatic who honed her culinary skills during a year at an Italian cooking school. In her last year of college, she launched Pistakio at the local farmers market under the motto “pistachios reimagined” and was thrilled by the eager response to her nutty spreads. Today, together with Nico who was raised in Italy, she’s on a mission to make pistachios just a spoon away from your favorite meals.
Our 2023 Recipient
Lee Hedgmon of The Barreled Bee
The Barreled Bee pairs honey varietals with local distilleries used sprits barrels and ages them. The resulting honey is then packaging or incorporated into food and beverage products. The Barreled Bee offers classes on honey tasting and consulting with local breweries, distilleries, and wineries on using honey in products.
The Barreled Bee brings all the goodness of barrel-aging to honey and our honey products. Our goals are to support local economies by sourcing raw materials and through collaborations with small businesses and organizations that support women, people of color, LGBTIA people.
Our 2022 Recipient
Lisa Tran of Tan Tan
Tan Tan means New Beginnings in Vietnamese. Emerging from successful restaurants built by Vietnamese refugees, proud immigrants and fearless women, Tan Tan Foods is dedicated to introducing and inviting others on our flavor journey.
Tan Tan Foods is honored to introduce the very first Vegan-Certified and Gluten-Free authentic Vietnamese sauces to the market. Having had the opportunity to develop these flavors over more than two decades in the restaurants, Tan Tan Foods proudly presents the first Vietnamese Hoisin Sauce on the market as well as Vietnamese Peanut Sauce, Mom’s Hot Chili Sauce and a truly vegan “Fish” Sauce!
Just as food is an important way to learn about cultures, Tan Tan Foods has used the opportunity to share authentic Vietnamese flavors to the Portland and Metro areas in hopes of building stronger communities. We have worked with other small and local vendors to create demo events where we are able to showcase their products alongside our sauces as well as having the opportunity to mentor many emerging companies. Tan Tan Foods has also worked with organizations such as IRCO (Immigrant Refugee Community Organization), My People’s Market, Brian Grant Foundation, Built Oregon, APANO (Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon) and many others to support our belief that we really are stronger when we work together.
