Women In Nutraceuticals (WIN), the nonprofit spearheaded by a cohort of global nutraceutical leaders, announced the honorees of its inaugural WIN Awards on Oct. 29 at the WIN Reception held in conjunction with SupplySide West in Las Vegas, NV.

This program is designed to celebrate the contributions and achievements of those who champion gender equity, drive research innovations, excel in mentorship within the nutraceutical sector, and significantly contribute to WIN’s programs. Each award category has been designed to reflect the core mission of WIN: to empower women and foster an inclusive, supportive environment where their talents and contributions can thrive.

“When Women In Nutraceuticals decided to launch an awards program, it was important to elevate those doing great work that supports our vision of achieving economic and social equality in the global nutraceutical industry,” said WIN President Heather Granato. “There were so many fantastic nominees that it was a challenge for our awards committee to do the hard work and come up with the slate. It's a delight to showcase the time and commitment of these extraordinary women, as well as the work being done by NutraIngredients to elevate the dialogue around gender equality to help empower women personally and professionally.”

The award winners are:

WIN Champion Award: Danielle Masterson, editor at  William Reed Business Media Ltd. for NutraWomen Wednesday.

The WIN Champion Award honors a company or organization that has set the gold standard for supporting and championing women in the nutraceuticals industry.

“This award means so much to me as a journalist. And as a woman,” said Masterson. “This recognition tells me that NutraWomen Wednesday has made an impact and that the stories from all these brave and inspiring women matter. NutraWomen Wednesday’s tagline is ‘Celebrating the women behind the wellness’ and that’s been our mission since the show launched on International Women’s Day 2021. In addition to supporting women and promoting gender parity, I joined WIN because I knew it would be an excellent way to find potential guests for NutraWomen Wednesday. The fact that I’m being awarded the WIN Champion Award is a true full circle moment for me, and I couldn’t be more honored.”

WIN Guiding Star Award: Dr. Sybille Buchwald-Werner, managing director at Vital Solutions GmbH

The WIN Guiding Star Award celebrates an extraordinary individual of any gender who has been instrumental in mentoring and elevating women within the nutraceuticals industry.

“Receiving the Guiding Star Award from Women in Nutraceuticals touches me deeply, not just as a recognition of my work, but as a profound affirmation that I am on the right path,” said Buchwald-Werner. “This award symbolizes that my engagement and passion are making a difference, supporting women to become strong, authentic, and respectful leaders, strengthening our nutraceutical industry. WIN has created a space where we can connect, support each other, and build partnerships based on trust and mutual respect. I am incredibly grateful to be part of an organization that nurtures excellence and empowers its members to reach new heights.”

WIN Heroine Award: Gillian Fish, founder and CEO, the 6 AM Agency

The WIN Heroine Award is presented to an individual WIN member of any gender whose volunteer efforts have been especially significant, and materially contributed to advancing WIN’s mission.

“I am deeply humbled to receive the inaugural Women In Nutraceuticals Heroine Award,” said Fish. “It has always been my life’s purpose to unlock human potential and pay it forward however I can – through my business or personal endeavours, just as I was championed and inspired by mentors, including my mothers, from early on in my career. Women In Nutraceuticals presents an exceptional opportunity for all across the supply chain, to lean in to an outstanding cause, individually, and as a collective, to connect and learn from others, to share knowledge for growth, with a common goal of making a tangible impact in the lives of others that will be of real benefit for generations to come.”

WIN Research Pioneer Award: Dr. Susan Kleiner, owner of High Performance Nutrition LLC.

The WIN Research Pioneer Award is presented to an individual of any gender or organization that has made significant contributions to advancing research on nutraceutical products for women or furthering health/nutrition science for women.

“Among the global list of those who have contributed to this category, I am honored to be included among them, let alone be singled out for this award,” said Kleiner. “My accomplishments have always rested on the shoulders of the scientists before me, the teachers who have dedicated their passion and knowledge to elevating their students, and to the colleagues who have partnered with me along the way to create a new and exciting field of nutrition and human performance. Through that study the lack of information for women became glaringly obvious. As a woman myself, a mother of daughters, and a daughter of my mother, with female friends, colleagues and clients, I was motivated to speak up and speak out to create change for the future of healthcare, wellness, and performance for women and girls. This award tells me that the groundswell has taken hold, the need is recognized worldwide, and change is underway. Yet, we have more work to continue the momentum. Thank you to the WIN board for creating this extraordinary award, to those who nominated me, and to all those working together to improve the lives of women and girls.”