In just a few short weeks from now, the WFF will convene in Dallas to celebrate its 35th anniversary with about 3,000 attendees expected and more than 75 partners supporting the organization. As the famous feminist-themed 1960s advertising slogan read, “You’ve Come A Long Way, Baby.” Indeed, the WFF’s timeline from a conversation in Chicago to now is remarkable. The board of directors was created in 1992. In 1998, WFF held its first Executive Women’s Summit. For the 25th anniversary celebration, Maya Angelou was the keynote speaker, while former First Lady Michelle Obama was the keynote speaker in 2018.
In 2017, the WFF began incorporating more data to drive its programming, convening 32 food companies to partner with McKinsey & Company and LeanIn.org to provide insights on women’s progress within the industry. The study determined it will take at least 100 years to reach gender parity in the c-suite at the current pace of change. In other words, “you’ve come a long way, baby, but there’s still so far to go.”