2022 Black Women in Food Honorees
THE AMPLIFIERS: THESE WOMEN ARE LEVERAGING THEIR VOICE AND PLATFORM(S) TO HIGHLIGHT THE OFTEN MARGINALIZED STORIES IN FOOD.
Chasity Cooper (Chicago, IL, USA) is an award winning writer, entrepreneur, and wine culture expert. Her passion lies at the intersection of breaking barriers when it comes to wine, and telling thoughtful stories about wine-from how we engage with it culturally, to where we engage with it socially, and more specifically, how Black and Brown people excel in the wine space. Chasity’s goal is to make wine more accessible and relatable through storytelling and cultivating spaces for people to create community. Her work has been published in Wine Enthusiast, Vinepair, Food & Wine Magazine, Chicago Tribune, and Imbibe Magazine.
Nikita Richardson (Brooklyn, NY, USA) is a Senior Staff Editor at the New York Times Cooking and Food. As a thoughtful writer and a believer in the power of long-form journalism, she lends her voice to call for racial equity in food media. Nikita has used her writing to expose the lack of diversity among food critics, specifically focused on the lack of Black food critics in the industry. Speaking up against toxic work environments and cultures, she sparked recent changes in leadership across food media companies. Now at The New York Times, her voice and talent continue to be showcased and reach wider audiences.
Cynthia Greenlee (Durham, NC, USA) is a Writer, Historian and Senior Editor at The Counter, a publication covering the economic, political, and cultural forces shaping American food. She leads the publication's expanding cultural coverage, commissioning and editing pieces about all manner of food and agriculture topics. As former Deputy Editor at the Southern Foodways Alliance, Cynthia showcased and interrogated the complexity and diversity of Southern food cultures. Currently, she is developing a project reporting on Black farmers, the only of its kind in the nation and working on a book about African-Americans and abortion from 1860 to the present.
Osayi Endolyn (Brooklny, NY, USA) is an award-winning writer whose work explores food and identity. She co-authored the national bestseller cookbook, THE RISE: Black Cooks and the Soul of American Food, with Marcus Samuelsson. Her essays for the collections YOU AND I EAT THE SAME and WOMEN ON FOOD are widely celebrated. She appears in Chef’s Table and Ugly Delicious on Netflix, The Next Thing You Eat on Hulu, and has been featured on NPR’s 1A, the Takeaway with Melissa Harris-Perry, the Splendid Table with Francis Lam, Special Sauce with Ed Levine, All Heart, and the Sporkful podcast for which she and the team won a 2020 Webby.
THE GAME CHANGERS: THESE WOMEN ARE USING THEIR VOICE AND INFLUENCE TO BRING ABOUT POSITIVE CHANGE FOR THEIR COMMUNITIES.
Gabrielle E. W. Carter (Apex, NC, USA) is a Multi-disciplinary Artist and Cultural Preservationist who uses Diasporic and local food as a vehicle to reimagine wealth, marginalized food systems, and inheritance. She is co-founder of the Tall Grass Food Box, a platform to support and encourage the sustainability of Black farmers, by increasing their visibility and securing space for them in the local marketplace. Her latest project The Seeds we Keep, is a short film commissioned by Oxford American that explore her Rural Imagination. Gabrielle’s recipes and storytelling have been featured in a range of publications like The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.
Kiki Louya (Detroit, MI, USA) is a Chef and the Executive Director of Restaurant Workers’ Community Foundation, a non-profit that advocates for gender equity, racial justice, wage fairness, and healthier work environments for restaurant workers nationwide. Kiki has raised over $200 million for non-profit organizations across the country. Most notably, she was recognized as one of “16 Black Chefs Changing Food in America” by the New York Times for her pursuit of social justice in the kitchen. KiKi was also a contestant on Bravo’s Top Chef Season 18 in Portland, Oregon.
Mavis-Jay Sanders (New York, NY, USA) is a Chef, the Director of Culinary Development and Education at Drive Change, and the former Director of Operations at The Brownsville Community Culinary Center. She is a social and racial equity activist that has dedicated her career to fighting for food justice in marginalized communities. They provide space and opportunities for low-income communities, formerly incarcerated youth and queer folks, in collaboration with many non-profits and community based organizations, including Black Farmer’s Fund, Food Education Fund, Ali Forny Center, NYC Pride, Queer Food Foundation, Women in Hospitality United and more.
Sinnidra Taylor (New Orleans, LA, USA) is the Founder and Director of Friends of Codey’s NOLA, a non-profit that supports passion-fueled culinary entrepreneurs. Sinnidra is standing up to politicians and building infrastructure and systems to enable Black food entrepreneurs to succeed. With a belief in sharing her gifts, Sinnidra is a community builder who has devoted her life’s work to breaking down barriers to education, collaboration and capital by fighting for fair policies and practices that increase access to opportunities for her local community and food businesses.
Tambra Raye Stevenson (Washington, DC, USA) is the Founder and CEO of WANDA: Women Advancing Nutrition Dietetics and Agriculture, a digital platform that empowers women and girls across the African diaspora to lead their communities in building sustainable and just food systems. Her work has been highlighted by Forbes, Washington Post and National Geographic Traveler Magazine. As a fierce advocate working at the intersections of public health, food security and sustainability, Tambra is on a journey to bring nutrition equity to Black communities.
THE INNOVATORS: THESE WOMEN ARE CREATING OR ADAPTING TOOLS, MODELS, APPROACHES, AND/OR TECHNOLOGY TO SOLVE PROBLEMS IN FOOD.
Janique Edwards (Brooklyn, NY, USA) is COO and Co-Founder of EatOkra, an app that connects 350,000+ foodies to over 11,000 Black-owned restaurants, eateries, bars, wineries and food trucks. Janique oversees the brand’s daily operations and development of the company’s mission and values. As a natural team leader, she is leading the cultivation of a community rooted in a shared love for Black food and businesses. Janique and the EatOkra team are in the process of expanding their advocacy work through the development of an e-learning platform to provide business development and financial resources to help restaurants grow and thrive.
Lesley Riley (Germantown, MD, USA) is the Founder and CEO of Mama’s Biscuits, the nation’s first gourmet biscuit company. Mama’s Biscuits is the first minority-owned consumer packaged goods biscuit brand to partner with major retailers like Walmart, Publix, Trader Joes and Wegmans. Her passion does not stop at biscuits. She is laser focused on her mission to serve the community, and is the driving force behind the “Feeding Faith” initiative, where her business donates hundreds of biscuits to organizations in need every month.
Perteet Spencer (Chicago, IL, USA) is the Co-founder of AYO Foods, a frozen food brand that celebrates the ingredients, flavors, and culture of the West African diaspora. The brand is leading the movement to get African food into major grocery stores, available in Whole Foods, Target, Kroger and Safeway around the U.S. Perteet is dedicated to building a more inclusive food system and advancing issues of food equity, which can be seen through her work with Food Recovery Network, a non-profit focused on eliminating food insecurity through food waste recovery.
Riana Lynn (Austin, TX, USA) is the CEO and Founder of Journey Foods, a software company solving food science and supply chain inefficiencies focused on feeding 8 billion people better. The company's initiative, Journey Labs, is working to increase data in the food system and diversify people working in food technology through a grant-funded fellowship program for college students.
Dr. Lisa Dyson (San Francisco, CA, USA) is the Founder & CEO of Air Protein, a World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer company that is reinventing how food is produced in order to sustainably feed 10 billion people by 2050. As a mission-driven entrepreneur, and a thought leader in sustainability and the circular economy, she’s a problem solver at her core. She is a former Management Consultant at The Boston Consulting Group, where she worked with executives of Fortune 100 companies. Dr. Dyson has also had the privilege of conducting research in bioengineering, physics, and energy with great scientists and engineers while at the country’s top institutions.
THE TRAILBLAZERS: THESE WOMEN ARE WELL-ACCOMPLISHED LEADERS WHO HAVE PAVED THE WAY FOR OTHERS IN FOOD.
Karen Washington (Bronx, NY, USA) is a Co-Owner/Farmer at Rise & Root Farm. As a political activist and community organizer fighting for food justice, she co-founded Black Urban Growers (BUGS) an organization supporting growers in both urban and rural settings. Karen coined the term “food apartheid,” to reference the impact of decades of discriminatory planning and policy decisions on food access and security. In 2012 Ebony magazine voted her one of their 100 most influential African Americans in the country and she was the 2014 recipient of the James Beard Leadership Award. Karen serves on the boards of the New York Botanical Gardens, Why Hunger, Just Food, and Farm School NYC.
Zella Palmer (New Orleans, LA, USA) is the Director of the Dillard University Ray Charles Program in African-American Material Culture. As an author, professor, filmmaker, curator and scholar, Palmer is committed to documenting and preserving the legacy of African American, Latinx, Creole, and Indigenous culinary history. Palmer serves on the board of Hermann-Grima + Gallier Historic Houses, James Beard Black & Indigenous Fund Committee and is a judge for the 2022 James Beard Restaurant & Chef Awards.
Dr. Veronica L. Womack (Milledgeville, GA, USA) is the Founder of Black Farmers’ Network and first-ever Executive Director of Georgia College & State University’s Rural Studies Institute, a national, preeminent institute designed to equip and sustain rural communities in an ever-changing tech economy. Womack authored the award-winning book, “Abandonment in Dixie: Underdevelopment in the Black Belt,” that explores the racial history of the south and offers solutions to move rural America forward. Dr. Womack and the Black Farmers’ Network is committed to agricultural preservation and ownership within rural Black communities. This digital hub builds more sustainable agribusinesses and agritourism sites in the South by giving Black Belt farmers a space to connect and share their stories, products and services.
Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli (Lagos, Nigeria) is the Co-founder and Executive Chair of Sahel Consulting Agriculture & Nutrition, Co-founder of AACE Foods, Founder of Changing Narratives Africa and Founder of Nourishing Africa. Ndidi is a power house in the Nigerian agriculture food space, committed to changing narratives about Africa by celebrating its contributions to the global food ecosystem and ensuring more people globally experience the diversity and richness of the Continent’s gastronomic heritage and exciting future. She was listed as one of the 20 Power African Women by Forbes. As the founder of Nourishing Africa, a digital home for food and agriculture entrepreneurs operating on the African Continent, she is supporting entrepreneurs in 36 African countries. All of her efforts have influenced government policies for better agricultural practices and provided thousands of jobs in and outside Nigeria.
Margaret Nyamumbo (San Francisco, CA, USA) is the Founder & CEO of Kahawa 1893, a coffee company with a mission to close the gender gap in the coffee industry. Kahawa 1893 made history as the first Black & woman-owned coffee company to be distributed by major retailers like Trader Joe’s and Target. Nyamumbo grew up on her grandfather’s coffee farm in Kenya before immigrating to the USA and working on Wall Street before founding her company. Margaret is determined to create more opportunities for diversity in the coffee industry.
THE CREATORS: THESE WOMEN ARE BUILDING COMMUNITY USING FOOD AS A TOOL TO EXPRESSION AND CONNECT WITH OTHERS.
Ronke Edoho (Saskatchewan, Canada) is a Nutrition Specialist, Author and the Founder and Creative Administrator for the popular Nigerian Food Blog 9jafoodie. Since its inception, 9jafoodie has amassed an online community of 331k followers. As a certified clinical weight loss specialist and author of the cookbook Lose It Nigerian, Ronke focuses on healthy modifications to traditional Nigerian recipes for people who are interested in eating clean and or losing weight. Her hope is to one day have a farm and develop African food centered agricultural products.
Courtnee Futch (New York, NY, USA) is a Chef, Mixologist, Author and the Senior Content Manager at Haven's Kitchen. With sights set on a future in savory dining, Courtnee started The Spred Catering Co in 2018 and began hosting curated dinner parties. Courtnee is a former marketing manager for some of the biggest food companies in America, including HelloFresh and Blue Apron. As a Culinary Producer, Courtnee produced Millie Peartree’s: A Chef’s Guide to Soul Food workshop for the Magnolia Network and teaches virtual cooking and cocktail classes to empower, entertain and educate others.
Cha McCoy (New York, NY, USA is a Sommelier, Public Speaker, and Beverage Programmer. She is the founder of Cha Squared Hospitality & Consulting LLC, a wine experience company with a focus on events, tourism, and education. She is also an adjunct professor teaching Wine History and Appreciation at Syracuse University. Cha is the tastemaker of today’s generation, leading as Charleston Wine + Food Festival Beverage Director and Brand Ambassador for New York Wine & Grape Foundation. Cha has been recognized by the Wine Enthusiast as Top 40 Under 40 Tastemakers, and Wine & Spirits Magazine’s Rising Black Voices in Wine. Her clients include the prestigious James Beard Foundation and most recently guest appearances on NBC’s Today Show and Comedy Central. Her work has been celebrated for making wine more accessible, dismantling what she calls palate discrimination in food & beverage, through her initiatives including but not limited to her signature wine dinner series ‘The Communion’ which she has hosted in 5 countries over 3 years.
Jillian Knox (San Francisco, CA, USA) is an Interdisciplinary Polymath Artist, primarily working as a stylist in food, fashion and prop styling. Jillian’s greatest joy is telling cultural stories. Honoring food, lifestyle, and history through visual media is important to her as it creates permanence and artifacts for future generations. She has been part of the creation of several cultural cookbooks: The Baja California Cookbook: Exploring the Good Life in Mexico, Eat Something: A Wise Sons Cookbook for Jews Who Like Food and Food Lovers Who Like Jews, Black Food: Stories, Art, and Recipes from Across the African Diaspora, Waffles + Mochi: Get Cooking!, Arabiyya: Recipes from the Life of an Arab in Diaspora, Diasporican: A Puerto Rican Cookbook.
Amber Mayfield (New Rochelle, NY, USA) is a Multidisciplinary Event Producer, Entertaining Expert, Forbes 30 Under 30 Class of 2022 member, and Founder of To Be Hosted, a full-service event agency that specializes in food-focused events and amplifying young Black talent. In 2020, Amber expanded her work to launch While Entertaining Magazine, a yearly publication focused on tackling the lack of minority representation in food media. Whether she is producing the event or creative directing the content, Amber is on a mission to bring more diverse voices, stories, and flavors to the table in food and hospitality.
THE CULINARIANS: THESE WOMEN ARE TRAINED OR SELF-TAUGHT IN THE ART OF COOKING AND DEMONSTRATE EXEMPLARY TALENT THROUGH THEIR WORK.
Rāsheeda Purdie (New York, NY, USA) is the Chef/Owner of Ramen by Rā, where she offers exclusive rāmen experiences through restaurant partnerships & pop-ups. After working in the fashion industry as a top stylist for eight years she decided to attend culinary school. She refined and elevated her cooking techniques under notable chefs & restaurateurs at The Cecil & Minton’s Playhouse, Melba Wilson and Red Rooster Harlem. More recently, in partnership with Ada Supper Club, she launched ラーメン B Y R Ā, a celebration of Black & female expression through food.
Ashleigh Pearson (Washington, DC, USA) is the Owner and Pastry Chef/Chocolatier for Petite Soeur, a specialty chocolate and confection business. Her desserts gained her recognition by the D.C. chapter of a women’s cooking organization, eventually awarding her with a scholarship to attend Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. Ashleigh has over 12 years in the restaurant industry serving the clients of Marcel’s in DC and Per Se in New York. Passionate about sharing special experiences through sweet treats, she is on a mission to share specialty chocolates with anyone who desires to treat themselves to this small but mighty luxury.
Brittney 'Stikxz' Williams (New York, NY, USA) is a Private Chef, Caterer and Food Stylist who implements her Caribbean influence in all her cooking. Brittney is a food stylist for numerous campaigns and has been featured on The Food Network’s Chopped and Complex’s First We Feast. Staying true to her roots and love for all cuisines, she uses her techniques to fuse them into a melting pot of dishes. Brittney believes that cooking should be shared with everyone and there are no boundaries when it comes to joining in community over food and laughter.
Zola Nene (Cape Town, South Africa) is a Chef, Media Personality, Food Stylist and Author of award-winning cookbooks. With a personality that packs a lot of flavor and an inescapable passion for food, she has led a successful culinary career spanning over 10 years. She’s the host of her own cooking show, Celeb Feasts with Zola and has joined the judging panel for the anticipated fourth season of MasterChef South Africa.
Auzerais Bellamy (Brooklyn, NY, USA) is the Founder of Blondery, a virtual bakery that specializes in a distinctive collection of handmade blondies inspired by generosity. She is the former executive pastry chef at Brooklyn’s Pies ‘n’ Thighs and Ducasse’s Benoit Bistro. Auzerais is a lifelong advocate for social change and is committed to providing a supportive workplace, hiring people of color and empowering them for careers in the restaurant industry.
Eden Gebre Egziabher (New York, NY, USA) is the Chef and Owner of Makina Cafe, the first and only Eritrean and Ethiopian food truck in New York City. Driven by her passion for the foods she ate as a child growing up in Addis Ababa, Eden serves Eritrean and Ethiopian staples.
Diana Tandia (New York, NY, USA) is the Chef and Owner of Berber Street Food, a Michelin-starred African café featuring Afro-fusion cuisine. From Mauritania, Africa, Diana’s family and life experiences taught her the importance of food quality. She began working in fine dining as a hostess and then as a chef at restaurants Per Se, Gramercy Tavern, Daniel and Mandarin Oriental. .Having grown up in Mauritania, with roots in both North and West Africa and raised in multiple traditions, Diana does an excellent job of fusing different African foods and cultures together on her menu.