Join Us for a Celebration of Women-Owned and Women-Led Businesses
Tess moved to Chicago in 2002 from Baton Rouge as a visual artist, but eventually turned to the music scene for creative expression. In 2011, she co-founded award-winning dance party, Slo ‘Mo, and holds multiple residencies in the city, including the Four Seasons hotel and Soho House. Tess is known for her vibrant energy on stage, mixing old school into contemporary music and all-around dance party magic.
In addition to performing, Tess continues to create visually in her home studio— she consistently honors and serves both her creative spirit and her community in a number of unique ways.
Since founding in 1948, Affy Tapple — the creator of The Original Caramel Apple — has been a Chicago and Midwest tradition. The Caramel Apples they introduced to the marketplace 75 years ago still use the same delicious recipe today, eaten by generations of customers in Chicago and beyond!
Apothic was inspired by Apotheca, a mysterious place where wine was blended and stored in 13th century Europe. Crafted by Winemaker, Debbie Juergenson and her team, they seek to tell a story—of drama, intrigue, or romance—with each Apothic wine. These bold and captivating wines tell a unique and intriguing story with each sip.
Bonafide Provisions was founded by Sharon Brown, a Clinical Nutritionist, and her husband, Reb Brown, a professionally-trained chef, who used food as medicine to transform the health of their son and thousands of Sharon’s nutrition clients across the country. At Bonafide Provisions, we are committed to making all of our products the same way you would in your own kitchen – NO shortcuts, NO funky ingredients, ever. Our award-winning line of cooking broths, bone broths, paleo soups, and wellness cups to-go are made with only the highest quality, certified organic ingredients to deliver delicious, wellness-promoting foods that are as rich in nutrients as they are in flavor.
Since the early 1900’s, the Martinez family settled in the plains of Sinaloa, Mexico. They turned their attention to learn the rich traditions of the Mexican culinary arts, and have created quality salsa recipes and a love of salsa making through generations of experience. The joy of freshly picked tomatoes and vegetables, their smell, color, taste and texture inspired the Martinez family to use these through their world of salsas. Casa Martinez salsas are Authentic and Premium, made with Fresh Vegetables, no canned tomatoes or tomato paste. Our salsas are expertly crafted with fresh and flavorful ingredients to create unique varieties.
Female-owned, Chicago-based company providing a line of great-tasting sauces that are lower in sodium, sugar, carbs and calories than many national brands. Check out the website for delicious, healthy recipes!
Chloe Wines offer the structure and depth of exceptional fruit sourced from the world’s preeminent growing regions to create elegant wines with sophisticated intensity. Made for wine enthusiasts who appreciate all things extraordinary and timeless, the Chloe Wine Collection is crafted to inspire your own memorable occasions.
Cooper Street Granola Bakes are all-naturally delicious and satisfying, packed with calcium, potassium, omega 3, ancient super-food grains that include chia seeds, golden flax seeds, 100% whole grain oats, buckwheat, quinoa, and pumpkin seeds, with real Michigan fruits and other wholesome ingredients. They are also nut-free, dairy-free, soy-free, low sodium and sugar, and low calorie. Guilt-free snacks you’ll feel good about!
Dalmatia uses only first-class fruit, which means it is free from bruising or damage and is equivalent in quality to what one would buy in the produce department. They hand inspect and hand clean every fig. Their fruit is procured from Northern and Eastern Croatia, Serbia, Macedonia, coastal Dalmatia, and other Mediterranean regions.
Celebrity party planner and author, Debi Lilly believes in elegant and easy design ideas for all. She is on a one-woman mission to inspire, educate, and share her twenty years of party planning and stylist tips, tricks and DIY designs to elevate celebrations for any occasion, everywhere, coast to coast. These and more of her stylist secrets are shared in her magazine and book “A Perfect Event” and her floral arrangements are available in Jewel-Osco stores.
Jing founded Fly By Jing in 2018, inspired by the amazing flavors of her hometown Chengdu and its famous fly restaurants— soulful hole-in-the-wall eateries so good they attract diners like flies.
In 2010, GT Universe started as a consultancy, overseeing Jewel-Osco’s Hispanic Heritage and Black History programs. Through the years, we have grown our own activation team who plan and execute price point and ad activity, merchandising plans, social and digital efforts, and of course, impactful events in collaboration with 150 brand ambassadors from Chicago to the East Coast.
Today, GT Universe is proudly a woman-owned company, who works with more than 200 brand, broker, distributor and retail partners every year. We also plan an array of large-scale, multifaceted cultural and specialty events like launch parties, summer grilling programs, and even this FAB Women celebration!
Imagery Estate Winery was forged from a thirst for experimentation, dedicated to crafting rare wines from uncommon varietals and character-rich vineyards. We shine the spotlight on interesting varietals that are all too often swallowed up in big blends. Worldly wines like Malbec, Tempranillo, and Lagrein will broaden the horizon of anyone, from aspiring wino to seasoned connoisseur.
Lifeway Foods, a leading force in the natural foods category since 1986, offers various cultured products to fit into each person’s individual healthy lifestyle. Their deliciously tart and tangy Lifeway Kefir, child-focused Lifeway ProBugs, versatile Lifeway Farmer Cheese, and vegan-certified Lifeway Oat are all probiotic powerhouses designed to support the microbiome. In 2002, Lifeway’s CEO and president, Julie Smolyansky became the youngest female CEO of a publicly held firm at the age of 27. Since then, Julie has grown Lifeway’s annual revenues from $12 million in 2002 to over $119 million in 2021. With continued innovation and a fervent passion for health and wellness, Julie continues to guide Lifeway’s upward trajectory as we move into 2023 and beyond.
Lil Bucks, America's buckwheat brand, began with a life-changing acai bowl by the beach in Australia. Blown away by the texture and nutrition of the buckwheat being used as a granola on the bowl, Chicago-native Emily (the founder) became obsessed with this superfood, and is on a mission to share the love of buckwheat with crunch-lovin’, health-conscious Americans! Try their Clusterbucks, grain-free superfood clusters, on your yogurt or enjoy for a protein-packed, gluten free snack!
The Riboli Family has made a commitment to producing the highest quality grapes from estate vineyards in Monterey and Paso Robles. Our vineyards are meticulously farmed to yield grapes with concentrated flavors and aromas, while our winemaking techniques creates unique wines of the highest quality and character. Our wine celebrates Maddalena Riboli’s vision and passion that helped shape both the family and the San Antonio Winery's legacy.
We all deserve better. Better quality. Better ingredients. Better value. That's why our bakers handpick the freshest, natural pantry ingredients and why we freeze our products, locking in all the goodness without any additives or preservatives. We're about good, clean baking for the people, by the people. Because when we eat good, we feel good. When we feel good, we live good. And when we live good, it's all good.
Milo’s was founded as a restaurant in 1946 by Milo and Bea Carlton after Milo returned from serving our country in World War II. Milo’s philosophy was simple: use high quality, natural ingredients, listen to your customers, and never sacrifice taste. This vision still guides us today as we source natural ingredients and never add colors or preservatives.Seventy-five years later, Milo’s is still a family-owned business and also a Certified Women Owned Business with corporate headquarters in Bessemer, Alabama. Milo’s is also a Platinum-Certified Zero Waste Manufacturer devoted to sustainable practices and the stewardship of local communities and the environment.
Moo & Oink is a legendary brand that enjoys a large and loyal following. Why? It’s because of their strong commitment to making the very best meat products and grilling essentials. They've become famous for their Chicago-style full and meaty rib tips, their hot and mild hot links, and their new pork riblets.
Kim Cohen opened Highland Pop in 2012, with a goal to produce superior popcorn made from the finest ingredients. Her hard work and passion resulted in this healthy and flavorful 30-calorie per cup treat. Garlic & pepper flavors soon followed and next came the dessert popcorns, Caramel Crunch, Cheddar Cheese, Birthday Cake, Cinnamon Churro and Cocoa Corn, all delicious and bursting with flavor!
So Good So You is proud to be a women-owned company with a female-controlled board and puts an emphasis on the empowerment of women with every decision we make. So Good So You probiotic juice shots are a convenient and delicious way to get a nutrient-dense boost of superfoods that help you feel so good while also doing good for the planet. A bonus? All of our shots are produced with 100% renewable energy and made with only the best ingredients. Always.
Sweet Loren’s, Inc. is a clean food company that is redefining what it means to be delicious, better-for-you, and convenient. Sweet Loren's offers irresistible cookie dough made from simple, non-GMO, gluten free, dairy free, plant-based ingredients, and nut-free ingredients. All products are safe-to-eat raw, with place & bake packaging as well and tubs of creamy edible cookie dough.
Over 20 years ago, Sue & her late husband Greg White started Whitehaven Winery after arriving in the Marlborough Sounds. Today the winery is headed by Sue White where she has made Whitehaven a global award winning brand. Every bottle of Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc carries the anchor insignia, which is a mark of Whitehaven’s exceptional quality from an extraordinary region.
To celebrate and hear the stories of the amazing women-owned and women-led companies in the food and beverage industry, the FAB Women Event series was created for Jewel-Osco! For our 3rd annual celebration, we hosted in-store events that featured product showcases from our women-owned businesses, raffles, and a check donation to the Network on Executive Women! We also held a virtual FAB discussion panel that included fun recipes and featured the business owners behind some great women-owned and women-led brands!
Shoppers were greeted with a Welcome Table full of freebies like coffee mugs, sunglasses, coasters, pens, reusable totes and more! Plus, it previewed all the women-owned brands featured throughout the event!
FAB Women “Slim Kim” posed with her display and a shopper who purchased her gourmet popcorn!
Shoppers took a sip of women-owned wine, and toasted to their success!
There were so many samples, goodies and freebies!
DJ Tess, the official DJ for the Chicago Fire Football Club, was there setting the tone and created a lively environment throughout the event.
In celebration of FAB women and International Women's day, Welcome Table handed out roses to all the lovely ladies at the event!
After battling cancer in her early twenties, Loren Brill Castle began experimenting with different ingredients, to create a natural, safe-to-eat raw, cookie dough!
As the last couple years have been challenging, Lidia travels throughout big and small cities in America to share the inspiring stories of resilient Americans who have overcome extraordinary odds in their lives, found purpose in serving their communities, and turned their loss into inspiring accomplishments.
Simek’s, the women-owned quality frozen food products company, boosts social responsibility in 2021 by donating 1.2 million meals through its collaboration with Feeding America® and remove more than 17,509 pounds of ocean-bound plastic from the environment since the launch of the partnership with RePurpose Global.
After being in San Diego, a hub for hard kombucha and craft beer, Bridget Connelly had the idea to start Luna Bay Booch - first woman-founded-and-led hard kombucha brand on the market!
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, owner of restaurant Mason Dixie Biscuit Co., Ayeshah Abuelhiga had to make the wrenching decision to close her resaurant's doors. In a twist, her second business that makes frozen biscuits and other frozen baked goods, has experienced significant growth during the pandemic.
"So Good So You is built to ensure health, wellness, and organic for all,” said Rita Katona, founder and chief brand & innovation officer of the Minneapolis-based company.
Enlisting in the military and traveling the world motivated Charboy's founder Pamela Jones to open her own restaurant—and eventually launch a line of sauces.
Meet Lifeway Kefir’s President and CEO, Julie Smolyansky, to find out more about the family-run business and how it is making a difference by giving back to healthcare workers, food banks and more throughout the nation
In just four years in business, Simple Mills has catapulted to success with the #1 best-selling natural baking mix, #1 best-selling natural cracker, and #2 best-selling natural cookie in the market.
Progressive Grocer is thrilled to kick off the 2024 grocery industry contest season with a call for entries for Top Women in Grocery (TWIG), the most prestigious and celebrated awards program in food retail.
Subriana Pierce, One of the Founders of Navigator Sales and Marketing and leader in the food industry, has announced the launch of Navigator Lighthouse and the Navigator Lighthouse Foundation, a unique organizational expansion with a mission to increase representation of minority founders in the Food Retail Industry.
Co-Founder and President Tracy Galindo started GT Universe as a consultancy, overseeing Jewel-Osco’s Hispanic Heritage and Black History programs. Through the years, this women-owned company has become a go-to for launching new products and getting re-discovered by audiences.
Jewel-Osco awarded a $2,000 Charitable Contribution to NextUp. Their mission is to transform the face of business by advancing women in the workplace, amplifying their voices and influencing the workplace with a laser-focus on overcoming gender-based challenges. Get inspired and engaged at nextupisnow.org
