Gender equity was front-and-center at Natural Products Expo West this year, and the nonprofit organization Women in Nutraceuticals (WIN) was a key driving force.
 
WIN was honored by the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) at its annual member meeting, held at Expo West, with the 2024 Diversity & Inclusion Award.
 
“The organization is igniting a movement to build support for women across the nutraceutical supply chain to help increase the percentage of women holding leadership roles, funding for female-led businesses, and women’s participation in research,” AHPA said in a statement. “AHPA is a proud partner of WIN and supporter of the organization’s efforts to advance women in the industry.”
 
“The WIN leadership is honored and grateful to AHPA for this recognition of our role in advancing diversity and inclusion in the nutraceuticals industry,” said Heather Granato, WIN president, who accepted the award. “It’s notable that AHPA itself has a diverse staff, including several women in high leadership positions. Being recognized by AHPA is particularly meaningful because of how much thought and discussion go into their selections.” 
 
WIN also celebrated recent achievements at the second annual Gender Equity in Nutraceuticals networking event at Expo West, which had over 300 attendees.
 
“The power, importance, and influence of women were front and center at Expo West this year, and this was particularly evident during the Gender Equity in Nutraceuticals networking event,” said Carlotta Mast, SVP and market leader for Informa Markets’ New Hope business. “We are thrilled to support Women In Nutraceuticals and the community through this event and our annual sponsorship as part of Informa’s efforts to strengthen the future of health and wellness.”
Multiple education sessions at the show focused on women’s health and inclusive leadership. Opportunities in Women’s Health focused on how the industry is responding to women’s unique health needs, and WIN member Karen Hecht was among the panelists.

“The panel discussion explored women’s health perspectives from CPG brands, entrepreneurs, consumers, and scientific research. Uniting these viewpoints is crucial for advancing women’s health and wellness into a bright future. The dynamic energy on and off the stage was palpable, inspiring us all and igniting a call to action,” said Karen Hecht, WIN member.