Anyone who thinks the hospitality industry is past its Covid woes is 100% wrong. I constantly hear from fellow restaurant owners about how business has slowed down, how they can’t get the access to capital they need to keep going, how they don’t know how much longer they can continue like this, or how, after managing to stay afloat, they now need to sell or walk away from the businesses they built. Nine friends had to shutter their businesses due to Covid. Three more are about to close down, and another five are trying to find buyers. I know what the numbers are like across the industry in LA; we’re going to keep losing more of our restaurants, bars, and other hospitality businesses. We built @regardingherfood to empower women in our industry. It’s no surprise that this network has come together, again and again, in extraordinary ways. Even though we can’t save all businesses, we are doing what we can to empower the ones who are ready to grow. I’m excited about the @regardingherfood Academy! We want to help ten LA women-identifying F&B business owners with a cash grant of $20,000 to help them grow their businesses along with knowledge, expertise, and resources to help them get through this critical and challenging time. We originally thought the Academy would be limited to small, independent businesses in operation for one to three years, but we realized that this capital infusion and educational program are so vital for growth no matter how long a business has been open. As long as your business is at least 50% women-owned and has revenues between $250k and $1 million, you can apply. Tag your favorite woman-owned businesses so they know about the Academy and can apply if they’re eligible, and encourage them to join RE:Her! This extraordinary network of women will change our industry by uplifting, empowering, and supporting women entrepreneurs.