Frieda Rapoport Caplan scholarship formed for PMA women’s conference

A Frieda Rapoport Caplan Women’s Fresh Perspectives Scholarship has started to enable a woman in the industry to attend the Women’s Fresh Perspective Conference each year at no cost.

This new scholarship is an effort of Center for Growing Talent by Produce Marketing Association, Karen Caplan and Jackie Caplan Wiggins, according to a news release.

This year’s conference will be Sept. 12-14.  The scholarship, named after the late industry legend Frieda Rapoport Caplan, is the product of a gift from her daughters, Karen Caplan and Caplan Wiggins.

“As we finished off 2020 — it was a challenging year for everyone in business — we felt it would be really awesome to memorialize and honor Mom by finding a way to give back to the industry and the foundation,” Karen Caplan, CEO of Frieda’s Specialty Produce, said in the release.

The Caplan family influence and engagement with the Women’s Fresh Perspectives portfolio goes back to the earliest days of conference program.

Frieda Rapoport Caplan was a speaker at the very first conference and more recently received the Women’s Catalyst Award at the Women’s Fresh Perspectives Breakfast in October 2019.

Caplan died the following January, and the annual award was renamed in her honor.

Caplan’s granddaughter, Alex Berkley, has attended every conference and has been an active leader conference committee, serving as co-chairwoman from 2015-17.

The scholarship is designed for women in the industry who embody Frieda’s spirit of action, excellence and dedication to personal and professional development. 

The 2021 scholarship recipient should meet a few criteria, including being a first-time attendee and employed in any segment of the produce and floral supply chain both at the time of the application and the time of the conference.

More details on who should apply and the live application form, can be found here. 

Applications are due by May 31 for this year’s consideration.

“Many of us will remember Frieda as a transformative leader, a mentor and an enduring supporter of personal and professional development,” Megan Nash, director of programs at Center for Growing Talent, said in the release. “It is so fitting that in the years to come, many women will be able to pursue their own development at the Women’s Fresh Perspectives Conference because of this lasting gift.”

The Frieda Rapoport Caplan scholarship is one of two scholarships available to produce and floral professionals through the Center for Growing Talent. The Tip Murphy Scholarship for Leadership Excellence is available for young professionals to cover the cost of attendance to one of the Center for Growing Talent’s programs, including the Emerging Leaders Program. Those interested in applying can do so here; all applications are also due by May 31.