12/02/2024
“If you look at who still holds the majority of executive chef jobs and top management positions, it’s not a very diverse picture,” says Joanne Canady-Brown, Founder, Head Baker, The Gingered Peach, Owner, Melba Ice Creamery, Rojo's Roastery. “And there’s often pushback when you talk about DEI, which makes no sense in an industry like ours that desperately needs labor. As leaders, we need to take more time, look harder and challenge what we think makes a great employee. And we should revisit that constantly because our industry, employees and customers are changing fast. There are people out there who may not fit the stereotype of employees traditionally filling certain roles, but who have the skills and the drive to fill them if given a chance. It’s on us to open our eyes and make the correlations.”
Sponsored by The Vollrath Company, L.L.C.
Following her heart and her passion for baking, Joanne Canady-Brown left a corporate project management position in 2008, joined Panera Bread later that ye