WIA Awards
Categories, Criteria & FAQ

About the Judging Process

All six WIA Leadership Award categories are evaluated by an independent judging panel representative of the disciplines noted in the six award categories. Judges score nominations against defined criteria for each category. Nominees who do not meet the minimum scoring threshold are not named as winners.

What Judges Look For

Across all six categories, nominations that score highest share the same qualities:

Specific, quantifiable outcomes. Numbers, scope, and documented results are more useful to judges than broad statements of leadership quality. 'Led a portfolio restructuring that reduced operational costs by 18%' is more useful than 'a proven strategic thinker.'

Impact beyond the nominee's immediate team or organization.

Recent examples. Judges are evaluating what the nominee has done, not a career retrospective.

Clear alignment with the criteria for the specific category. A general leadership narrative without category-specific evidence is a weak nomination.

Criteria by Leadership Category

Recognizes women currently serving in C-suite or equivalent executive roles with a minimum of five years of executive leadership experience in agriculture or agribusiness. Also open to current Demeter Award nominees.

Judged on:

Strategic impact: Significant initiative, decision, or transformation led in the past three years — scope, decisions, and measurable outcomes.

Industry influence: Contribution to the broader agriculture sector beyond the nominee's organization — advocacy, policy, board service, thought leadership, or mentorship at scale.

Talent development: Track record of building, developing, or elevating people within her organization or the industry.

Recognizes women under 40 at the time of submission, in any functional role or sector within agriculture and agribusiness. No minimum years of experience required.

Judged on:

Defining achievement: Most significant professional accomplishment to date — what was taken on, what obstacles were navigated, and what changed.

Trajectory: Leadership evolution over the past two to three years and vision for the next five.

Community contribution: Evidence of giving back to peers, organizational culture, students, or underrepresented groups. At least one specific example required.

Recognizes women actively directing, influencing, or innovating capital allocation across agriculture and food systems — in venture capital, private equity, institutional investment, agricultural lending, or impact investing.

Judged on:

Investment thesis and outcomes: Strategy as it relates to agriculture, priorities, and documented returns, portfolio results, or sector impact.

Deal or program significance: One or two specific investments, funds, or financial initiatives of notable sector importance, with outcomes described.

Expanding access or innovation: Contribution to equity, access, or financial innovation within agriculture and food systems.

Recognizes women currently active in an advisory or consulting capacity serving agriculture or food sector clients. Open to independent practitioners and firm-based advisors at any scale.

Judged on:

Client impact: Most significant engagement — the challenge, the approach, and what changed for the client.

Domain authority: Expertise recognized within the industry through thought leadership, speaking, publication, advisory board service, or other indicators.

Sustained transformation: Evidence that the nominee's clients are measurably stronger after the engagement than before.

Recognizes women currently serving in HR executive, organizational development, workforce strategy, or people operations roles within agriculture and agribusiness. Also open to current Demeter Award nominees.

Judged on:

Workforce strategy: Most significant talent initiative led — the need, the approach, and the measurable outcomes.

Culture and employee experience: How the nominee has shaped the environment people work in, with evidence of impact.

Talent pipeline: Programs, partnerships, or initiatives focused on attracting, developing, or retaining talent for agriculture specifically.

Recognizes women currently in a role that directly involves technology leadership, innovation, product development, data strategy, or digital transformation within agriculture or food systems. Also open to current Demeter Award nominees.

Judged on:

Initiative and outcome: Most significant technology or digital innovation led — the problem, the approach, and what it produced.

Real-world adoption: Evidence that innovation took hold at scale — among farmers, organizations, or supply chain partners.

Technology vision: Where the nominee sees agriculture's most important technology challenges in the next five years and her intended role.

FAQ

What is the difference between Demeter Award of Excellence and the Leadership Awards?

The Demeter Award recognizes cumulative career achievement — a body of work that has shaped agriculture over time. Three recipients are named per year. The Leadership Awards recognize the most consequential work being done in a specific professional discipline right now. Six categories. Independent judging. Neither is a subset of the other.

Is there a cost to submit a nomination?

No. There is no fee to submit a nomination for any WIA award. Fees are associated with Summit attendance, tickets, and sponsorship packages.

When are nominations open?

WIA Leadership Awards nominations are open until August 1, 2026. Demeter nominations for 2026 are closed.

Who is eligible to be nominated?

WIA Leadership Awards are open to women working in agriculture, agribusiness, and adjacent food and fiber industries in roles that correspond to the award categories. Eligibility requirements vary by category — see the criteria section above for full details.

Can someone nominate themself?

Yes. Self-nominations are accepted for the WIA Leadership Awards. All entry prompts are written to accommodate a first-person response.

Can a Demeter Award nominee also be nominated for a Leadership Award?

Yes. Three Leadership Award categories explicitly welcome current Demeter nominees: Executive Leadership, Talent & Workforce Leadership, and Innovation & AI Leadership. One cannot be a recipient of both a Demeter Award and a Leadership Award in the same year.

Can one person be nominated in multiple categories?

Submitters may nominate an individual for as many categories as they deem fit, however, they must submit a separate nomination for each category submission, and each nomination much be unique to the specific category.

What is required to submit a nomination?

WIA Leadership Award nominations consist of written responses to three entry prompts specific to the relevant category. Prompts ask for specific examples of achievement, leadership, and sector contribution.

What makes a strong nomination?

Judges are looking for full and complete descriptions that address the specific criteria for the category, along with measurable outcomes and quantifiable results. A description of 'significant cost savings' is far less useful than 'reduced operational costs by 18% over two years.' Be specific and concise.

Will the nominee be notified that they have been nominated?

No, but they will be notified if they are deemed a finalist so that they can make plans to attend the 2026 WIA Summit where the winners will be announced.

How are Leadership Award winners selected?

Nominations are scored by an independent judging panel representative of the disciplines noted in the six award categories. Each nomination is evaluated against the specific criteria for its category. Nominees who do not meet the minimum scoring threshold are not named as winners.

Can sponsors influence the judging process?

No. The WIA Leadership Awards judging panel operates independently. Sponsors receive recognition and visibility; they do not participate in the evaluation or selection of winners.

What is the nomination deadline?

The Demeter Award nominations closed on June 22, 2026. WIA Leadership Award nominations close August 1, 2026.

When will winners be notified?

The recipients of the Demeter Awards will be notified on July 27. The finalists of the Leadership Awards will be notified on August 17 to allow time to plan to attend the 2026 WIA Summit, where the winners will be announced.

When are winners announced publicly?

Winners of the Leadership Awards will be publicly announced on September 24, 2026, the third day of the WIA Summit in New Orleans. The recipients of the Demeter Award will be publicly announced in a press release on August 20.

Do Leadership Award winners need to attend the WIA Summit?

Yes. Recipients must be available to attend the 2026 WIA Summit, September 22–24 in New Orleans, to receive their award.

Is the Awards Recognition Session open to all conference attendees?

Yes. The WIA Awards Recognition Session on September 24, Day 3 of the WIA Summit, is open to all conference participants. Premium seating is reserved for Demeter Award recipients and their guests, Leadership Award winners and their guests, and sponsors.

Nominate Now

WIA Awards Categories, Criteria & FAQ

About the Judging Process

What Judges Look For

Criteria by Leadership Category

FAQ

WIA Awards
Categories, Criteria & FAQ