Women belong in the kitchen

WHAT’S ON DECK

• Tell Me More: Just 6% of Michelin stars go to female chefs

• Troublemaker Spotlight: Mara Roszak, Founder & CEO at RŌZ Hair

• Dear FQ: Help! I’ve got the public speaking jitters

• Poll the Pack: The ROI of employee connection

TELL ME MORE

The culinary world has long been male-dominated. Meet the female chefs changing the narrative.

This year, Chizuko Kimura made history as the first female sushi chef to earn a Michelin Star, a rare and remarkable feat in a field dominated by men.⁠ But her breakthrough highlights the glaring inequality at the heart of the culinary world.

Worldwide, women cook twice as much as men. Despite this fact, professional kitchens, especially high-end restaurants, remain overwhelmingly male-dominated. Systemic barriers have kept women out of professional kitchens for generations, and those who make it often face a hostile work environment or sexual harassment.

• In the UK, 70 female chefs recently signed an open letter calling upon the restaurant industry to recognize both blatant and insidious forms of sexism. 

• Only 6% of 2000+ Michelin-starred restaurants are led by women.

• France has the most Michelin-starred restaurants of any country in the world. With 52 chefs celebrating their first star last year, only six women were among them. 

In her speech at the 2024 ceremony, The Michelin Guide’s International Director Gwendal Poullennec said, “Where are the women? Too few women are leading kitchens, despite the fact that more and more of them are working in kitchens.”

Traditionally, women have been the primary cooks in households across cultures. In fact, women cook more meals than men in every country worldwide, with the exception of Italy. Yet, when cooking becomes professional and prestigious, the narrative changes. The sushi world is particularly exclusionary, with persistent myths claiming women's hands are "too warm" to handle raw fish, despite research showing the opposite is true. 

Before earning her Michelin star, Chizuko worked as a tour guide for Japanese tourists and had no formal culinary training. With guidance from her late husband, himself a skilled sushi chef, she committed to mastering the craft, and achieved in just five years what traditionally takes a decade. Her story is one of reinvention, resilience, and redefining the rules. 

Dominique Crenn was the first female head chef of a U.S. restaurant to receive the highest honor of three Michelin stars. Having grown up in the male-dominated French culinary scene, Dominique was inspired by her father, a politician advocating for those who didn’t have a voice. Now she’s in a similar position, and it’s clear she understands the significance of the moment. "I've said in the past the star doesn't define me," Dominique says. "What defines me is what I do with it." 

Another chef making history is Adejoké “Joké” Bakare. Her path to a historic groundbreaking achievement started out as a hobby. Originally, Joké came to the UK to study microbiology, and started intimate supper clubs on the side. These supper clubs gradually evolved into something much larger: A restaurant with a Michelin Star. As the first Black female chef in the UK to earn a Michelin Star, Joké is acutely aware that the culinary world needs to change. “It did feel rather odd at the ceremony that 90% of the room was white middle-aged men. But the passion I see among young women in the industry is such that I’m confident things will change,” she says. 

So how can we create a culinary future filled with more chefs like Chizuko, Dominique, and Joké? It starts with systemic change in the culinary world. Michelin and other industry awards hold major influence in shaping who rises in the world of fine dining. With that kind of platform, they have a real responsibility to lead the way toward a more equitable and sustainable hospitality industry, where women are known for culinary excellence and capable of the highest honors. 

TROUBLEMAKER SPOTLIGHT

Mara Roszak, Founder & CEO at RŌZ Hair

Not one to sit still, Mara Roszak knew that after 20 years of styling A-listers like Emma Stone, Olivia Wilde, and Zoe Saldana, there was a hole in the market. The industry's top styling products were overly complicated and too heavy for her signature fuss-free aesthetic. So she did what any true entrepreneur would do. She threw out the rulebook and created her own brand. In 2021, Mara launched RŌZ, a nature-inspired line of clean, easy-to-use essentials, with year-over-year triple-digit sales increases at retail and salons.

FQ: What’s the worst career advice you’ve gotten?

The idea that you need to know everything or have a full business plan before you start is not great advice for everyone.

I had a lot of insecurity about not knowing how to start a business because I had never been on the operating side. I had an idea for a brand, and I had a strong, unique perspective and a big dream. But I didn’t have experience beyond knowing product like the back of my hand.

I had been doing hair for nearly 18 years by the time I started RŌZ, but I still didn't know anything about brand building. I'm really glad that didn't stop me from trying, because I learned so much just by doing it.

What’s the best piece of non-obvious career advice you’ve gotten?

Trust your gut. It sounds woo-woo, because trusting your intuition is not something our culture promotes enough. I think our intuition, our gut, tells us so much. My gut has guided me into making some of the best decisions so far.

What was a “heartbeat moment” for you in your career?

It was meeting my now COO, Alyssa Ferenz, because she's been such an incredible gift. I went and visited her and her family, and I had this moment of, “This is the person I want to go on this journey with.” Bringing her on as an operating partner in the business has been a huge, incredible step in my journey. It’s something I had wanted for a long time and I leaned into the decision by being open and receptive.

Who is one person you’d love to give flowers to from your career that influenced your journey?

I would say Susan Biegacz. I was close to launching RŌZ when I had heard amazing things about Susan, so I reached out and said, “Hey, can we set up a call to talk about the brand that I'm launching?” She was one of the first people to say “Yes, of course,” and we signed on right then and there to work together.

Susan inspires me because she has built so much of her career through identifying good people and building long-lasting relationships. You always remember those first conversations when everything seems impossible and overwhelming. For me, entering a world that I knew very little about, and having her say, “Yes, I'll take you on. Yes, I'll help guide you through this process,” means so much.

Where have you caused trouble?

Early in my career, I was up for a big opportunity working as a brand ambassador. I had gone through all these interviews, which was a big deal because the brand had never had a woman represent them before. I was going to be the first female and the youngest, too. 

For the final interview, I took a red-eye flight… and totally bombed the meeting. I wasn't on my A-game, and I knew it. They said I didn't get the job. But I wanted it. So I stayed close to their team and said, “If there's ever another opportunity, can you keep me in mind?”

Months later, when another opportunity came up, I knew I had to do it my way. I said, “Let me do what I do best. Let me do the interviewer’s hair while we talk.” I have clients sitting in my chair while I’m talking to them all the time. So I did her hair, talked all about the brand, and why I was the right person for it. I got the job.

I was there for four years. I learned so much, and it was incredible. And I did it by trusting what made me different.

Want to nominate a “Troublemaker” you admire? You can do so here.

DEAR FQ

Your burning career questions answered

Shelley Zalis of The Female Quotient weighs in:

First, let’s normalize the fact that everyone gets nervous. Even the most confident speakers get the jitters before they go on stage. My personal trick? Say the first few words of your speech to someone right before you walk on stage. Get the “shaky voice” out backstage, not on the mic.

Now here comes the truth: Lived experience is your best answer to getting better at public speaking. 

No one knows your stories like you do; that’s your power. Don’t memorize, internalize. Speak from what you know because real stories resonate with real people, and that’s exactly who’s listening to you. This makes you relatable, memorable, and confident. You don’t need to be the loudest voice in the room. You just need to be the realest one.

And remember, if you were asked to speak it’s because someone believes you belong there. Now it’s your turn to believe it too. Own the mic. You’ve got this.

P.S. Got a burning career question? Serve it up here to Dear FQ to score advice from a powerhouse leader in our network.

POLL THE PACK

Why a connected team matters more than ever

Workplace connection isn't just about grabbing coffee with colleagues or making small talk by the water cooler, it fosters stronger teamwork and drives real business results. The numbers paint a picture of missed opportunities across organizations.

The fact that 43% of workers feel only "somewhat connected" signals significant room for improvement, and a missed opportunity for employee productivity, psychological safety, and retention. Having a friend at work is key to employee engagement and job success. When people feel genuinely connected to their colleagues, they're more likely to collaborate effectively, contribute innovative ideas, and stick around longer.

Almost half of workers in the U.S. say their employers aren't investing enough in employee connection. When employees don't feel connected, they disengage, and that impacts everyone.

What can leaders do? Start by understanding who's being left out and find ways to reengage employees who don’t have strong connections in the office. Reward managers not just for hitting targets, but for how well they build inclusive team cultures where everyone feels they belong.

Connection is the foundation for collaboration, innovation, and the kind of workplace culture where people actually want to show up.

To not taking “no” for an answer.

Xo,

The FQ

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