I interview a lot of impressive people who are leading this industry to new heights, advocating, innovating, and advancing the health of our communities and the planet overall. Elevating their messages is important work, and it is an honor to talk to so many greats. Sometimes, I am surprised by how modest these leaders are, and on occasion I have joked that they can brag about their accomplishments a bit.

So, following that advice, I’m going to take a moment to brag on behalf of two people who have, over the course of their many decades in the industry, spent an enormous amount of time and energy shining a spotlight on others while staying in the background themselves.

It is an honor to share on these pages that our very own Heather Wainer, WholeFoods Magazine Publisher/Chief Business Officer, was named the 2025 WIN Champion at the WIN Gender Equity Networking Reception at SupplySide Global. Women In Nutraceuticals (WIN) celebrates the contributions and achievements of those who champion gender equity, drive innovation, excel in mentorship, and demonstrate business acumen, pioneering vision, and a commitment to advancing women’s leadership in the industry. 

As I shared in my nomination of Heather for the award, “Heather has been a champion of women in this industry for decades as a mentor, activist, and communicator who is always highlighting and celebrating the achievements of women in the industry and making those achievements known to a wide audience through WholeFoods Magazine, Naturally Informed education events and The Natural View podcast….Heather works tirelessly behind the scenes championing women in this industry and has for decades. It would be wonderful to see her be formally recognized for her efforts.”

During the ceremony, Petra Erlandson, WIN Awards Committee Chair, said, “The awards committee was deeply impressed by the quality of nominations we received, which reflects the incredible people making a meaningful impact across our industry. It is an honor to recognize the inspiring work they are doing to advance women in nutraceuticals and drive progress toward gender quality in our industry.” (For more WIN winners, see extended coverage on WholeFoodsMagazine.com)

As Heather will tell you, her success in the industry was paved by a true industry pioneer, who happens to be her father. In her WIN acceptance speech, Heather shared, “Growing up in this industry, things were very different. It’s inspiring to see how far we’ve come and to see so many strong women leading, innovating, and taking their place in the C-suite. But as we all know, there’s still more work to be done. I’ve always believed in helping and connecting with others; that’s something my father, Howard Wainer, taught me. This moment wouldn’t be possible without him. I wasn’t always the strong woman standing here today; my father and my mother [Sandra Wainer] helped me become one.”

I share in that sentiment, as it was back in 1998 when Howie, Sandra, and then WholeFoods Magazine Editor-in-Chief Alan Richman hired me as an Assistant Editor, and set the stage for me to take over as Editor-in-Chief 20 years later.

Anyone who has spent time with Howie (as I'm sure many of the people reading this have) knows that he has many stories of his time in this industry, which he helped shape into what it is today. If you haven’t heard Howie share tales of the early days, or if you just want to hear more, you can thanks to a very cool initiative from Jerry J. Smith, who has been sitting down with natural products industry pioneers and documenting their journeys, insights, and impacts. You can hear the conversation with Howie on the Natural Health Movement/Health Pioneer Theater YouTube channel: Howie Wainer Builds WholeFoods Magazine to Thrive for 40 years. You can also hear from Sandy Gooch, Mark Blumenthal, Howard Pollack, and more. Legends.