By Tracy Morin
In July 2026, PMQ held its first webinar in conjunction with Women in Pizza—and what a response we got! Pizza Women On the Rise: Claiming Your Space in the Pizza Community attracted an enthusiastic live audience and is now continuing to educate industry insiders via replay (register for immediate access to the on-demand version here).
Co-hosted by me, Tracy Morin (associate editor of PMQ Pizza), and Alexandra “Azie” Mortati, founder of Women in Pizza and VP of marketing at Orlando Foods, the event boasted a powerhouse panel: Giorgia Caporuscio, master pizzaiola and owner of Don Antonio; Erica Bell, lead pizzaiola and general manager at Double Zero Pie & Pub; and Audrey Kelly, owner and pizzaiola of Audrey Jane’s Pizza Garage. Together, they shared the challenges they’ve faced, their top advice for women—and anyone—who wants to ascend the industry’s ranks, and why women make natural leaders in the pizza community.
Here are five takeaways from just the first few minutes of our hourlong session—you’ll find much more on the replay!
Pizza is a pathway to creativity—and community—even for beginners. Panelist Erica Bell: “My background’s a little bit different….I didn’t grow up wanting to be a chef….I just wanted to be around community and people. And this community opened my creative brain up. Women in Pizza was a huge introduction to me making bonds with certain folks, and it elevated everything I am today, very quickly. I’ve only been in pizza for less than five years, and it’s my whole entire life, and I have no plan on slowing down whatsoever.”
Knowledge is power. Bell: “I live in Vegas, so you can imagine how oversaturated restaurants and bars are here and how competitive this market is. Being a female, an LGBTQ female, and being in these big kitchens with old-school dudes that are maybe a little bit rough, it can be very uncomfortable. The thing that is most powerful in that environment is just being knowledgeable and making sure you know what you’re talking about—or listening and trying to connect….For me, it’s challenging. It’s always gonna be challenging. I think the biggest superpower you can have is arming yourself with knowledge, always staying true to who you are, and being empathetic and understanding, but also having a backbone…especially in a kitchen environment or a team environment, where you’re trying to push people and lift people up….you have to be mentally strong to just push through….The more you learn, the better you are—not only in your restaurant, but as a mentor, as a leader for your team.”
Women still face unique challenges in pizzeria ownership. Panelist Audrey Kelly: “I was really lucky: I had really great people teaching me, supporting me, and I have an incredible family that’s always supporting my ideas. There’s always those people that will walk in and be like, ‘Well, who’s in charge? Who’s the boss here?’ And maybe they don’t want to think that it’s a female. I think that, until something drastically changes, that’s always gonna be the case.
“But my biggest obstacle, I would say, has been motherhood—and my greatest joy and the best thing I’ve ever experienced. But it changed me. It’s been extremely hard. I don’t think I realized how hard it would be. I always was one of those people that thought I could do everything. I thought, ‘I can have kids. I can have a business. I can keep expanding. Nothing’s gonna stop me.’ But it wasn’t like that at all….After kids, a lot of people might have confidence issues, but for me, it was [about confidence with] my identity. I just didn’t see myself the same way in a work capacity. Since I wasn’t in my shop all the time, I didn’t really view myself as a pizzaiola or a leader anymore. And it’s taken a while to rebuild that….I think it’s the most amazing thing I’ve ever done, but it’s taken a really long time to reassert myself and find my way and my place in the industry, even in my own restaurant again.”
Balance comes only from experience. Panelist Giorgia Caporuscio: “You need to have balance. [A male pizzaiolo once told me], ‘At one point, you need to slow down your career, because you’re gonna have kids.’ And I said, ‘Oh, no, it’s not gonna be like that.’ All my awards, the majority happened when I had both kids….My husband helped me a lot, so [I thought], this is gonna help me to navigate my personal and professional life. But no—this is something that no one can teach you. You can [learn how to] make pizza, how to run a business. But no one teaches you how to balance.”
Don’t hold yourself back. Co-moderator Alexandra Mortati: “Don’t be afraid to fail or to stumble. I think sometimes we [women] let our fear hold us back from doing things that we’re passionate about, or that we have a strong conviction about. There’s this idea that if you mess up, or you make a mistake, that means that you’re not good enough, or you’re doing it wrong, but that’s how you learn….You’re growing when you feel like you can’t go on anymore; that’s actually the moment where you’re growing the most. You’re facing your discomfort, and you’re pushing through it, and you come out the other side. So I think anytime you want to try something new, or you want to start doing something, or making something your own, it’s all uncomfortable, because it’s all new. Not letting your fear hold you back, but instead pushing through that, is the best gift you can give yourself, and you’ll only be amazed at what you’re capable of, and it’ll really show your resilience. Then, if you do make a mistake, or you do mess up, or you do fall down, it’s okay. You learn from it, and hopefully the next time you won’t make that same mistake, and then you’ll be able to progress forward, or you’ll be able to share that with somebody else and help prevent them from doing it. I think sometimes we’re our own worst enemies in pursuing the thing that we really care about.”
See the rest of the webinar by registering here. Quotes have been lightly edited for clarity.
Tracy Morin is PMQ’s associate editor.
