The Female Quotient Spotlight celebrates women in the world of business and the media pursuing gender equality. Today, we shine a light on Padma Lakshmi, who will get a solo show on Hulu!

Cookbook author and Top Chef judge Padma Lakshmi sets a fine example for women everywhere as a savvy businesswoman. She works to uplift women and girls everywhere, and she is there to offer the help she felt she needed during her 2006 debut in the cooking world. 

While she is at the top now, the ladder she climbed was steep. Only 21% of all chefs in the United States are women, which leaves little room for female mentorship and even less space for mainstream representation. Padma muses,

"Had I had somebody, a more seasoned woman who was in that career, who I could just go to for information... My life would've been transformed."

I'm sure she's not the only woman who feels this way. Many women with different professions and backgrounds do not have access to female networks and guidance. The Female Quotient's CEO Shelley Zalis weighed in on the importance of visibility, which directly impacts women and girls everywhere. She comments,

"Media defines culture. What you see is what you believe the possibilities are."

Whether they realize it or not, many women can subconsciously rule out opportunities that their male counterparts may take for granted due to the need for representation in their field. With so few women to look up to in the culinary industry, Padma had to work hard to defy this trend.

Look at her now! Padma recently announced her own solo show on Hulu! Now that she has reached for the stars, other women and girls can see more clearly that anything is possible. 

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For more Female Quotient Spotlights, check out thefemalequotient.com. We hope you’re as excited as we are to see what Padma is up to next!