Meet the Women Trailblazers Behind Some of Your Favorite General Mills Brands
In honor of Women’s History Month, we’re celebrating female founders who helped shape the food industry.
From humble beginnings — whether selling mac and cheese out of a car trunk or crafting energy bars by hand — these women helped create brands that are now household names.
Annie Withey of Annie’s Homegrown
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In 1989, Annie Withey set out to create a better mac and cheese — one without preservatives or artificial dyes. Already an innovator in the food space, she believed that it was possible to build a socially conscious and successful business.
Annie’s Homegrown began as a grassroots business, with Withey selling mac and cheese out of the trunk of her car, building direct connections with consumers. In the 1990s, she took this personal touch even further by printing her phone number on every box and responding to customer letters herself. At the heart of her brand was Bernie, her beloved Dutch rabbit, whose image drawn by her brother, became the iconic "Rabbit of Approval" on Annie’s packaging, symbolizing simplicity, care and goodness.
Since acquiring Annie’s in 2014, General Mills continues to support the brand’s mission to cultivate a healthier, happier world through nourishing foods. Guided by its “A Promise for Better” commitment, Annie’s remains dedicated to sourcing organic ingredients that are forever kind to people and the planet, reinforcing our shared vision for a more sustainable future.
Rose Totino of Totino’s
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Before frozen pizza was a staple in American households, Rose Totino was just a woman with a passion for good food. That passion ignited in 1942, after tasting pizza for the first time while visiting her aunt in Pennsylvania. Inspired, Rose returned to Minnesota and began making pizza for friends and family. Their rave reviews quickly turned into encouragement to start her own business.
In 1951, with a $1,500 loan, Rose and her husband, Jim, opened Totino’s Italian Kitchen in Minneapolis. As the story goes, Rose convinced the bank to approve the loan by baking a pizza for the loan officer. What began as a small takeout shop soon evolved into a bustling sit-down restaurant, serving up to 500 pizzas a day.
A decade later, in 1962, the couple expanded their vision, launching Totino’s Finer Foods to mass produce frozen pizzas that families could enjoy at home. Their business thrived, and in 1975, the Pillsbury Company* acquired it, making Rose the first female corporate vice president in Pillsbury’s 106-year history.
Her impact didn’t stop there. In 2008, Rose was inducted into the Minnesota Inventor’s Hall of Fame for revolutionizing the frozen pizza industry with Totino’s innovative “Crisp Crust.” Her pioneering spirit helped make Totino’s Party Pizza one of the most recognizable frozen pizzas today.
