Valeria Piccini, the chef and owner of the two-Michelin star Tuscany restaurant Caino recently launched an initiative called "Parola di Shef" -- a feminist play on the phrase "parola di chef" or "chef talks" -- to highlight the efforts and accomplishments of women in the restaurant industry. "We always talk about male chefs, but us women need to make some noise... We make the same sacrifices and do the same job as men," Piccini says.

The Women's Hospitality Initiative is a new Las Vegas-based nonprofit organization that aims to help mentor women with ambitions of moving up in the hospitality industry. Women comprise more than half of culinary school graduates but fewer than 7% have risen to ownership or executive chef roles.

Chef Tonya Holland founded Brown Sugar Kitchen in Oakland, Calif., to serve an elevated take on soul food that blends her African American heritage with her classic French culinary training. In this interview, Holland talks about carving out a niche for her cuisine and the challenges she had to overcome in order to succeed.

Research articles written by men are more likely to use positive adjectives that earn them more citations, according to a study by the British Medical Journal. The same happens in emails, cover letters and resumes, so women should try to sound less humble and talk up their accomplishments, writes Kathryn Crawford Saxer.

Companies need to promote more women of color into leadership roles, and doing so requires acknowledging the problem and matching women with sponsors, among other steps, write Pooja Jain-Link and Julia Taylor Kennedy of the Center for Talent Innovation and Trudy Bourgeois of The Center for Workforce Excellence. "Make sure that inclusion is a core value of the organization -- not just something you do to 'check a box,'" they write.

The Culinary Ladies Collective is organizing the upcoming "Femmestival" in Madison, Wis., with the hopes of empowering entrepreneurs who belong to gender minority groups by providing a space for them to exhibit their artistic or culinary creations. "You have to be uncomfortable to be able to take the steps to be a progressive, inclusive, diverse community that embraces how we're growing," says organizer Francesca Hong of the possibility that the event might make some people uncomfortable.

Talent Rewire is running workshops it calls "innovation labs" to teach restaurant owners and operators adress labor shortages by prioritizing diversity in their hiring process and opening up to the idea of employing racial minorities, people with disabilities and ex-convicts. The non-profit offers pre- and post-hire training to help food industry professionals think more inclusively and accommodate the needs of their staff.

Derailleur Brew Works in Osaka, Japan, came into being with the goal of providing employment for many local laborers who struggled to find work because of physical or mental disabilities. The brewery, which has won several awards for its beers, offers training, employment and flexible work schedules to help those who have fallen on hard times rebuild their lives in the city.

Coca-Cola has donated $1 million to the Girls Who Invest program, a nonprofit that helps young women enter investment management careers. This funding will create 40 scholarships for the program, which is offered at the University of Pennsylvania, University of Notre Dame and UCLA Anderson School of Management.

African and European scientists participating in the One Planet Fellowship initiative launched by African Women in Agricultural Research and Development will receive gender-focused training aimed at supporting small farms in Africa as they attempt to adapt to a changing climate. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimates that women account for half of African farmers, but are less able to adapt to the changing weather and climate because they have fewer rights, less mobility and limited access to resources compared to their male counterparts.

The people we surround ourselves with dramatically impact all aspects of our life and work. The more you connect with colleagues and mentors who share your commitment to career development, the more likely you are to rise -- and enjoy the process. Here's how to network intentionally to create meaningful connections and not just wear out your handshake.