The power of sponsorship: Investing in people the same way we invest in brands
The power of sponsorship: Investing in people the same way we invest in brands
In my new role leading business development and member engagement, sponsorship is a topic that comes up in almost every conversation. Companies sponsor programs, events, research and initiatives to align their brand with work that matters to the industry. Sponsorship is a way to show up visibly and invest in the ideas and efforts that will move the produce and floral sectors forward.
But sponsorship is not just for brands.
Before stepping into this role, I led IFPA’s talent and education initiatives. In that work, I spent a lot of time thinking about how careers develop, how leaders grow and how opportunity really moves through organizations. One of the most powerful career accelerators I’ve seen, both professionally and personally, is sponsorship. Mentorship is familiar territory. Many of us have had mentors who offered advice, shared lessons and helped us think through career decisions. Sponsorship, however, is different.
I’ve experienced this personally. At two key moments in my career, when opportunities for advancement were in front of me, my first instinct was to question whether I was truly ready. In both cases, it was the encouragement and advocacy of leaders who believed in my potential that made the difference. Their sponsorship didn’t just give me the confidence to pursue those opportunities; it also helped place me in the right rooms and conversations to be considered in the first place. Without that advocacy, I’m not sure I would have taken those steps.
A sponsor is someone who uses their own credibility and influence to advocate for another person’s advancement. They recommend someone for a promotion, suggest their name when a leadership opportunity arises or speak up for them when they’re not in the room. In many ways, they open doors that might otherwise remain closed.
A study from the Harvard Kennedy School examined how sponsorship affects people’s willingness to enter competitive environments or situations like applying for leadership roles or putting themselves forward for advancement. The findings were striking: sponsorship significantly increased women’s likelihood of entering competition and pursuing opportunities they might otherwise decline.
In other words, sponsorship doesn’t just help someone succeed once they are in the room.
It helps them step into the room in the first place.
This is especially important for women in the workplace. Despite progress across many industries, women still face structural gaps in leadership pipelines. Research consistently shows that women are less likely than men to have senior leaders actively advocating for them in promotion discussions or recommending them for stretch assignments.
When sponsorship does occur, however, the impact can be transformative. In part, this transformation is personal: like how a team member’s confidence grows when someone credible signals that they belong in a role.
If confidence alone were enough, however, the gender gap would be much easier to close. Opportunities often move through informal networks of influence, and in these networks, advocacy matters.
Here’s the interesting part: our industry already understands sponsorship very well, just in a different context. Companies sponsor initiatives because they believe in what those initiatives represent. They attach their brand to programs that reflect their values, priorities and vision for the future of the industry. That’s why many of our companies continue to sponsor programs like the Women’s Fresh Perspectives Conference.
Sponsorship says: This work matters, and we want to help it grow.
Through the Women’s Fresh Perspectives Portfolio, this sponsorship also communicates a company’s commitment to developing the talent that will shape our industry’s future.
What if we, as leaders, approached talent sponsorship the same way companies approach industry sponsorship and engagement — as an intentional investment in something worth elevating?
This question feels especially relevant as we gather for the Women’s Fresh Perspectives Conference this year. Events like this exist to build networks, share ideas and create visibility for the women shaping the future of produce and floral, but they also create something equally important: proximity to sponsorship.
When leaders see emerging talent in action: presenting ideas, leading discussions, contributing expertise, creating meaningful networks, it becomes easier for sponsorship to happen. Names come to mind when opportunities arise.
The conference, like our other leadership development opportunities, gives team members a chance to learn, contribute, and show up in new ways to new people. The networking extends beyond building business partnerships, although those are still important. It’s also about building relationships with people who may one day say, “You should consider this person for this role.”
Naturally, as I continue to learn and lead in my new role, I’ve been thinking a lot about the parallels between investing in programs and investing in people.
Both are about what we believe in and what we want to give visibility to. Both require a willingness to use your platform to elevate something (or someone) worth supporting.
Industry sponsorship fuels innovation, education and collaboration. Much of what we do as an association can scale and grow precisely because of our industry’s support and sponsorship.
Talent sponsorship fuels leadership. Both are essential to the future of our industry.
So yes, these days I spend a lot of time talking about sponsorship in the context of programs, partnerships and industry initiatives. But sometimes the most powerful sponsorship in our industry is the quiet kind: the moment a leader uses their voice, their influence, and their credibility to advocate for someone else’s potential.
I know firsthand how meaningful that kind of sponsorship can be.
If we want to strengthen the future of produce and floral for the entire industry, creating more of those moments may be one of the most important investments we can make.
