LIVE TO EAT: The Future of Food is Female, a conversation by and about female chefs, on March 2.

It's slightly mind-boggling that Chef Edward Lee's presence in Louisville dates back almost two decades to his famous road trip to the Kentucky Derby and an appointment with destiny at 610 Magnolia. Since then Lee has managed the difficult feat of having universal appeal without egregiousness, and arguably his most important current work is coming from The Lee Initiative.

Following is a Monday event we previewed over at Food & Dining Magazine. I'll be in attendance and plan to file a report at F&D on Tuesday or Wednesday.

The Future of Food is Female, a conversation by and about female chefs, on March 2

The LEE Initiative is an acronym for Let’s Empower Employment: “We started the LEE Initiative in Louisville, Kentucky in 2015 after we saw a need for more diversity, more training, and more equality in our own restaurants.”

For International Women’s Month, The LEE Initiative is teaming up with Kentucky to the World to present “The Future of Food is Female,” a program in the Republic Bank Foundation Speaker Series. The event takes place on Monday, March 2 at the Kentucky Center Bomhard Theater (501 West Main Street, Louisville). A reception begins at 5:30 p.m. and the program kicks off at 6:30 p.m.