Women's Foodservice Forum Makes Culture Playbook Used By The World's Most Admired Companies Available To Its 8,000+ Members At Every Level

Women's Foodservice Forum enlists Culture Partners to bring members the accountability framework that connects how daily behavior can drive real business results

DALLAS, Aug. 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- For 37 years, the Women's Foodservice Forum (WFF) has built an insider perspective within the foodservice industry, close enough to know what leaders at every level actually need to grow. Today, WFF announces a partnership with Culture Partners, the consultancy behind The Oz Principle and the 2026 USA Today bestseller Surrender to Lead. This collaboration unlocks access that too often existed only at the top of the organizational chart and brings one of the most proven culture and accountability methodologies in the business directly to WFF's 8,000-plus members.

The partnership launches this fall with Lead from Who You Are, WFF's Leadership Development Workshop series. Held across six cities at some of the most respected host companies in the industry, these one-day sessions are curated by WFF for the unique challenges of foodservice leaders and built around Culture Partners' frameworks. The curriculum helps leaders identify untapped strengths, address the limiting beliefs that hold them back, and instead will help them lean into their unique strengths, unlocking new behaviors that produce sustainable results.

"At brands like Chili's, Red Lobster and Denny's, I saw firsthand that culture is not separate from business results," said Kelli Valade, President and CEO, Women's Foodservice Forum. "Culture Partners thinks the way we think, and their tools have a track record. What we're making available to our members through this partnership is the kind of development that actually changes how leaders show up every day, and Lead from Who You Are workshops are only the beginning."

"No matter your title, you're already shaping the way things get done around you. The question is whether you're doing it on purpose," said Dr. Jessica Kriegel, Chief Strategy Officer, Culture Partners. "This partnership is about giving leaders in foodservice the tools to lead that shift intentionally, every day. I've had the pleasure of working with Kelli in her various roles in the industry and this moment is incredibly special because it expands our shared commitment to developing leaders beyond a single company and across an entire industry. That's an opportunity with the potential for lasting impact."

Culture Partners brings nearly four decades of research and methodology built around one core idea: culture is not just the writing on the walls, but created by the way people think and act. Its proven frameworks have helped organizations connect purpose, strategy, and culture in ways that show up to drive results.

This is the first of what WFF and Culture Partners plan as a year-round development partnership. Register here to join the Leadership Development Workshops, Lead from Who You Are.

About Women's Foodservice Forum
Women's Foodservice Forum (WFF) is the nonprofit association dedicated to advancing leadership across every segment of the restaurant and foodservice industry. For 37 years, WFF has been inside this industry, connecting more than 8,000 members and 70-plus corporate partners with the leadership development, research, and relationships that move careers and organizations forward. WFF is grounded in a straightforward conviction: the industry performs better when it invests in the leaders running it at every level. For more information, visit wff.org.

About Culture Partners

Culture Partners is the leader in Change Activation, helping organizations achieve extraordinary results by creating clarity, alignment, and accountability across their purpose, strategy, and culture. Powered by 37 years of research, world-class IP, and award-winning expertise, we equip leaders with a practical framework to align people, processes, and priorities and activate a culture of ownership. Millions of individuals in thousands of organizations worldwide rely on us to unlock human potential, accelerate performance, and empower people at every level to drive business-critical results. Learn more at CulturePartners.com.

SOURCE Women’s Foodservice Forum (WFF)