LODI, Calif., July 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As part of the Women's Pizza Month celebration in March, Corto Olive Co., Stanislaus tomatoes, Pizza University, and Christy Alia, founder and host of Women's Pizza Month, joined hands to award scholarships to five aspiring home pizzaiolas. Today, the winners, who were selected by Alia and a panel of industry judges based on their ambition and inspiration, quality of craft, and support of women in the pizza industry, were revealed. Each winner was awarded a multi-day intensive Master Pizza Seminar at Pizza University in Baltimore, MD.

About the winners:

• Lorena Asidao-Spence hails from the Atlanta area where she owns a pizza popup/catering business and manages an Italian bakery specializing in Roman-style pinsas. What’s Next? As part of the Atlanta food community, Lorena is looking to open a permanent location where she can introduce different ingredients that showcase her culture. IG: @pizza.kusina
• Natalie deSabato of Queens owns pizza pop-up Traze, which has received national attention in the New York Times. As a picky child, her Grandma Rose's pan pizzas were one of the only homemade foods she would eat. What’s Next? Natalie loves to get creative with pizza toppings, motivating her to continue to learn and experiment. IG: @trazenyc
• Alexa Grecco of Staten Island lends her talent as a pizzaiola to numerous local pop-up pizzerias. What’s Next? Alexa dreams of creating her own permanent location where people leave "with a full stomach and a full heart." IG: @followyourtummy
• Angelique Rickhoff of Battle Creek, MI left her corporate job of 20 years to work with a local brewery on a brand-new pizza offering. "There is something calming about the process. The careful balance of sauce, toppings, and cheese brings order to the universe.”​​ What’s Next? Rickhoff looks forward to cultivating more sophisticated flavor profiles and combinations so that she can continue to bring outstanding pizza to her community.
• Diana Lee Zadlo is a food stylist, photographer and recipe developer based in Nashville. After attending Pizza Expo as part-owner of a vegan food brand, Diana fell in love with pizza and pizza people. What’s Next? She is working on adding pizza store owner to her portfolio. IG: @zadlozadlozadlo
  

"We had such great candidates for the pizza scholarship, and I'm excited about the future of these women and the pizza industry with more women participating. These deserving winners are trailblazers, and it's an honor to support their dreams and help pave the way for more women to thrive in the world of pizza,” said Christy Alia, Founder of Women's Pizza Month.

Also in March and in conjunction with the scholarship, Corto and Stanislaus introduced a limited-edition “For the Love of Pizza” kit, which sold out within weeks. The kit gave home pizza makers, for the first time, access to many of the same ingredients—and techniques—professional pizza makers rely on. The entire campaign was spearheaded by a team of talented women at Corto and Stanislaus and was brought to life in partnership with women-owned agencies, including Flock (graphic design), Dadascope Communications (PR) and Good Things Done Right (social content).

"Corto Olive Co. and Stanislaus launched the ‘For the Love of Pizza’ campaign in March to celebrate pioneering pizzaiolas and their commitment to the best ingredients,” said Amy Hsiao, Corto Olive Co.’s head of marketing. “We can’t wait to see what these fellow change-makers accomplish as they continue to elevate the craft of pizza in their communities and beyond.”

To join the waitlist for the sold-out “For the Love of Pizza” kit, go to http://Corto-olive.com/pizza-kit. Learn more about why top women pizza pros rely on Corto and Stanislaus ingredients here.

ABOUT CORTO OLIVE CO.
Rooted in its Italian heritage, inspired by innovation, and committed to its values of transparency and quality, Corto has been producing the highest quality, freshest, 100% California olive oil since 2005. Made from beautifully fresh olives grown in California groves, the oil is expertly blended by Corto's Master Miller to achieve a stunningly bright flavor profile that professional chefs have relied on for over a decade to enhance their favorite dishes. Corto currently offers consumers two award-winning oil varieties to fit every type of cooking: TRULY^® 100% Extra Virgin Olive Oil and La Padella^® Sauté Oil, a blend of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, rice bran, avocado, and grapeseed oils crafted specifically for high-performance sautéing. Additionally, every fall, Corto offers its limited-edition Agrumato-Method oil, which has garnered multiple top awards, including the EVO IOOC, the London IOCC International, the Olive Oil Japan, and Self Pantry olive oil competitions.

ABOUT STANISLAUS FOOD PRODUCTS
For more than 80 years, our family-owned company has set the restaurant industry gold standard for fresh-packing consistently superior Italian-style tomatoes and sauces specifically for North America’s finest Italian restaurants and pizzerias.

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

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Contact: Corto PR
Molly Antos
T: (847) 848-2090
corto-pr@dadascope.com