Women Entrepreneurs Conference 2024

May 17, 2024

The Women Entrepreneurs Conference is focused on helping women entrepreneurs grow their business by providing information on access to capital, revenue growth opportunities, financial management, networking and connecting, and inspiration by learning from successful women business owners.

Denise Woodard, Founder & CEO
Partake Foods

Denise is the Founder and CEO of Partake Foods, a natural food company that was inspired by her daughter’s experience with food allergies. Launched in 2017, Partake’s first product — delicious, better for you, allergy-friendly cookies — can now be found in more than 14,000 retailers including Target, Kroger, and Whole Foods Market. Partake's offerings have since expanded to include graham crackers, vanilla wafers and pancake & waffle mixes.

Denise is the first Black woman to raise more than $1 Million publicly for a CPG food startup. To date, the company has raised over $25M from investors including HER, Rihanna, CircleUp Growth Partners, FF2032 and Marcy Venture Partners. Partake was named #151 on the Inc 5000 list in 2023.

Robynne Maii, Chef & Owner
Fête

Born and raised in Honolulu, Robynne Maii is the chef and owner of award-winning restaurant Fête in Honolulu’s Chinatown. A proud alumna of Punahou and ‘Iolani School, Robynne pursued modern dance and English at Middlebury College before obtaining culinary and pastry arts degrees at Kapi‘olani Community College. She began her culinary adventure at Kaimuki’s 3660 on the Rise, cooking under Chef Russell Siu and Padovani’s Bistro and Wine Bar, in Waikīkī where she transitioned to full-time pastry cook under Chef Pierre Padovani before leaving to New York for graduate school.

After earning her master’s degree in food studies from New York University, Chef Robynne went on to work at Union Pacific and the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York. Robynne has also worked for Gourmet Magazine, Kitchen Arts & Letters Bookstore and played an integral role in developing and teaching the culinary program at The Art Institute of New York City and CUNY’s Kingsborough Community College. She was named the 2022 James Beard Award Foundation Best Chef for the Northwest and Pacific Region on her first nomination. Robynne is the first Hawai‘i-born recipient to win this award in 19 years and is the first Native Hawaiian woman to win a James Beard Foundation award.