Leigh Cort, founder and president of the Women’s Food Alliance, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, is also honoring her 40-year career in the hospitality industry since 1983.
She accepted her position as the “party director” at New York City’s Trump Tower without knowing how to create huge galas for thousands of guests. Forty years later, she views the journey and the ensuing years brilliantly punctuated with amazing people who came together to be her “ensemble” of professional resources. The small parties became galas and multiple-day retreats.
Today, her gift back to the hospitality industry is the Women’s Food Alliance.
Where did it begin? Film producer and restaurateur Dino De Laurentiis thought Cort could handle the position emanating from his new restaurant — the DDL BISTRO. It was nestled inside the iconic Fifth Avenue building on the ground floor at the base of the famed Trump Tower waterfall. Daily “power lunches” brought international celebrities to the table — and at night the space became one of the most popular paparazzi hangouts in the world. Guests shared sightings of foreign diplomats, business leaders, Hollywood moguls, Broadway celebrities, fashionistas and of course the New York pop culture icons who all partied together.
Working with five floors of connected escalators, Cort positioned bars and staff on each promenade and hired beautiful servers passing hors d’oeuvres to the nightly guests who were honored to receive their invitations. Gloved ladies hardly touched a morsel, but the champagne glasses clinked long into the wee hours of the morning.
Cort’s first party hosted 1,500 guests honoring famed sculptor Erté — the Russian-born French artist celebrating his 90th birthday. Imagine coatracks for 1,500 furs and overcoats with 50 people to organize the arrival of guests. Security was stationed everywhere to watch over the gala, and Cort directed 200 staff members to execute every detail, learning how to find these sources that made each event a success.
Cort’s template for the Women’s Food Alliance began that year when courageous (but very few) women were opening restaurants, bakeries, catering businesses, floral studios, staffing companies and more. They blazed the trail, always caring enough to support, partner and encourage each other. The Roundtable for Women in Foodservice was launched in NYC in 1983 and was devoted to the advancement of women in all segments of the food service industry.
Similarly today, the Women’s Food Alliance is an expansive hospitality organization with members who are in related businesses that include hoteliers, chefs, farmers, event planners, cookbook authors, entertainment and food service, culinary leaders, vintners — even owners of event barns and other distinctive event venues.
For 10 years, WFA has been connecting hard-working, creative women throughout Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia. It’s an organization that is true to its mission to “… cultivate and advance education, collaboration and networking for women in all fields of the hospitality industry.”
Through organic growth without advertising, primarily word-of-mouth from members, the alliance has grown from the original eight members to 150, thriving with more amazing entrepreneurs daily. Month after month, the Women’s Food Alliance comes up with fabulous programs that feature members and their venues — from barns to attractions, restaurants, theaters and beyond. Each event is filled with members’ current successes — and challenges — with helping hands reaching out and positivity being the centerpiece of networking.
This year for its 10th anniversary, the Women’s Food Alliance has plans that continue to stick with the format of prior years — welcoming new members and cherishing the deep relationships that have been flourishing since 2013. There aren’t any monthly dinners or lunches, cocktail mixers or hands-on culinary symposiums that are the same.
Cort loves planning events with one goal of getting the members circulating throughout the region and experiencing businesses that take them out of their own daily comfort zones. They explore bakeries, restaurants, catering services, locally manufactured specialty foods and aquaponic farms; they attend cookbook- and food-judging conferences and especially enjoy an occasional culinary competition. Each member offers something unique, and it’s an exciting journey to get to see and understand what their pride and joy is offering.
The Women’s Food Alliance Leadership Council for 2023 is:
A look into a few of the 2023 events finds the Women’s Food Alliance at Mezza Luna in Neptune Beach for dinner, enjoying an Italian pasta-demo dinner at Amici in St. Augustine Beach, attending a happy hour cocktail party at Ember & Iron in St. Johns, at Coop 303 in Atlantic Beach for lunch and food trivia, and enjoying the Golden Pineapple Gala Award Dinner at the Renaissance World Golf Village.
The red-carpet event will honor two legends from each of the past 10 years who have blazed trails and created food trends, mentored up-and-comers, followed their dreams with new businesses and have kept the fire burning without giving up!
Leigh Cort doesn’t give up either as she shares this legacy through the “community” that she’s built with 40 years of “hospitality in her blood” remembering friendship first!
