Kwame Onwuachi

A competitor on Top Chef season 13 in California, Kwame Onwuachi is a James Beard Award-winning chef and author of Notes from a Young Black Chef. He was born on Long Island and raised in New York City, Nigeria and Louisiana. Kwame was first exposed to cooking by his mother, in the family’s modest Bronx apartment, and he took that spark of passion and turned it into a career. From toiling in the bowels of oil cleanup ships to working at some of the best restaurants in the world, he has seen and lived his fair share of diversity. Kwame trained at the Culinary Institute of America and opened five restaurants before turning 30, including the groundbreaking Afro-Caribbean restaurant, Kith/Kin. Since competing on Top Chef, he has been named one of FOOD & WINE’s Best New Chefs, Esquire Magazine’s 2019 Chef of the Year, and a 30 Under 30 honoree by both Zagat and Forbes.

Padma Lakshmi
@padmalakshmi

Padma Lakshmi
@padmalakshmi

Padma Lakshmi is an Emmy-nominated television host, producer, food expert and The New York Times best-selling author.

Lakshmi serves as host and executive producer of Bravo’s Emmy-winning series Top Chef, which has been nominated for 37 Emmys, including her two-time nomination for Outstanding Host for A Reality-Competition Program. Season 19 will debut in Spring 2022.

She is also the creator, host, and executive producer of the critically acclaimed Hulu series Taste the Nation, winner of the 2021 Critics Choice Award. She is currently working on its second season.

Lakshmi is co-founder of the Endometriosis Foundation of America (EFA) and an American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Artist Ambassador for immigrants' rights and women's rights. Lakshmi was also appointed a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Born in India, she grew up in the United States, graduating from Clark University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Theatre Arts and American Literature. Known as India’s first supermodel, she began her career as a fashion model and actress working in Europe and the United States.

Lakshmi established herself as a food expert early in her career hosting Padma’s Passport, where she cooked diverse cuisine from around the world and Planet Food, a documentary series, both on theFood Network domestically and worldwide on the Discovery Channel. She also co-hosted Rai Television's Domenica In, Italy’s highest-rated variety show.

She’s a prolific author, writing the best-selling Easy Exotic, which won the “Best First Book” award at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. Lakshmi followed this with the publication of her second cookbook, Tangy, Tart, Hot & Sweet and her memoir The New York Times best-selling Love, Loss and What We Ate. She later published The Encyclopedia of Spices & Herbs. In August of 2021 she published her first children’s book, The New York Times best-selling Tomatoes for Neela.

In addition to her food writing, Lakshmi has also contributed to Vogue, Gourmet, both British and American Harper's Bazaar, as well as penning a syndicated column on fashion and food for The New York Times.

Lakshmi created a fine jewelry line The Padma Collection, which sold at Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom. She also designed a home décor line under the same name featuring tabletop dishware, stemware and hand-blown glass décor pieces, was sold nationwide in Bloomingdale’s. In addition, Lakshmi created Padma’s Easy Exotic, a collection of culinary products ranging from frozen organic foods, fine teas, natural spice blends and home goods. In 2018, Lakshmi collaborated with MAC Cosmetics for a worldwide capsule collection called MAC Padma which quickly sold out in both India and the United States.

After unknowingly suffering from endometriosis for decades, in 2009 she co-founded the Endometriosis Foundation of America (EFA) alongside Advanced Gynecological Surgeon Tamer Seckin, MD. The EFA launched the first interdisciplinary research facility in the country for Gynepathology, as a joint project between Harvard Medical School and MIT and Lakshmi gave the keynote address at the Center’s opening in December 2009.

Her efforts were recognized on the floor of the New York State Senate, where she succeeded in passing a bill related to teen health initiatives. The organization’s ENPOWR program has currently educated over 32,000 students about endometriosis in high schools across the state of New York.

Lakshmi is a visiting scholar at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and has received the 2018 Karma Award from Variety, as well as the 2016 NECO Ellis Island Medal of Honor.

She lives in New York with her daughter.

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Tom Colicchio
@tomcolicchio

Tom Colicchio
@tomcolicchio

One of the culinary world's most celebrated figures, Tom Colicchio returns once again as lead judge for Bravo's 19th season of the Emmy and James Beard Award-winning culinary series Top Chef, and also serves as mentor to the competing chefs on the series, guiding them through their various challenges. He also hosts BravoTV.com's Emmy-Winning Digital Companion Video Series Top Chef: Last Chance Kitchen.

Tom is also the chef and owner of Crafted Hospitality, which currently includes New York's Craft, Temple Court and Small Batch; Los Angeles' Craft Los Angeles; and Las Vegas' Heritage Steak and Craftsteak. Born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Tom made his New York cooking debut at prominent New York restaurants including The Quilted Giraffe, Gotham Bar & Grill and Gramercy Tavern before opening Craft in 2001. Outside of his fine dining restaurants, Colicchio opened 'Wichcraft – a sandwich and salad fast casual concept rooted in the same food and hospitality philosophies as Craft – in New York City in 2003.

He has published Think Like a Chef (2000), which won The James Beard Foundation "KitchenAid" Cookbook Award in May 2001; Craft of Cooking (2003); and a sandwich book inspired by 'wichcraft (2009). In May 2010, Tom was awarded The James Beard Foundation's coveted "Outstanding Chef" award, the culmination of his 30 years of hard work in the restaurant industry.

A vocal social justice advocate, Tom executive produced the 2013 documentary A Place at the Table, about the underlying causes of hunger in the United States. This eye-opening experience led Tom to Washington, D.C. where he lobbied in front of Congress in an effort to protect and expand food programs in the U.S. Tom is a founding member of the Independent Restaurant Coalition, founded to save the independent restaurants and bars and the 11 million people they employ who have been affected by COVID-19. He is a frequent contributor on MSNBC and is the host of the iHeart Radio podcast, Citizen Chef.

Tom and his restaurants give back to the community by serving on the boards of Children of Bellevue, City Harvest and Wholesome Wave. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife, Lori Silverbush, and three sons. When he's not in the kitchen, Tom can be found tending to his garden on the North Fork of Long Island, enjoying a day of fishing or playing guitar.

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Gail Simmons
@gailsimmons

Gail Simmons
@gailsimmons

Gail Simmons is a trained culinary expert, food writer, and dynamic television personality. Since the show’s inception in 2006, she has lent her expertise as a permanent judge on Bravo’s Emmy and James Beard Award-winning series Top Chef, now in its 19th successful season. She is a co-host of The Good Dish, the new daily syndicated series offering delicious recipes, real-life wisdom, and conversations on the topics of the day, and most recently was host of Top Chef Amateurs, as well as Iron Chef Canada. From 2004 to 2019, Gail served as special projects director at FOOD & WINE.

In February 2012, she published her first book, Talking With My Mouth Full: My Life as a Professional Eater. Her first cookbook, Bringing It Home: Favorite Recipes from a Life of Adventurous Eating, was released in October 2017. Nominated for an IACP award for best general cookbook, it features recipes inspired by Gail’s world travels—all made with accessible ingredients and with smart, simple techniques for successful family meals and easy entertaining.

Gail frequently appears on other daytime television shows such as TODAY on NBC, Rachael Ray and The Talk, and was named the #1 Reality TV Judge in America by The New York Post.

She is an Entrepreneur in Residence at Babson College, co-founder of Bumble Pie Productions, and the newest Global Ambassador for Children in Conflict, an international organization committed to protecting, educating and providing critical aid for the world's most vulnerable children affected by war. Gail sits on the board of several other nonprofit organizations and philanthropic endeavors, including City Harvest and Hot Bread Kitchen. She currently lives in New York City with her husband, Jeremy and their two children, Dahlia and Kole.

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Ashleigh Shanti

Ashleigh Shanti

HOMETOWN: Virginia Beach, VA 

CURRENT CITY OF RESIDENCE: Asheville, NC 

OCCUPATION/PROFESSION:  Chef/Owner, Good Hot Fish

Ashleigh Shanti is Chef and Creator of Good Hot Fish, an Asheville, North Carolina-based fish fry pop up. Her cuisine honors Black foodways while also paying homage to her coastal Virginia upbringing where she stripped collard greens before she could walk.  After earning her Bachelor’s in Marketing at Hampton University, Ashleigh studied Culinary Arts at Baltimore International College.  She honed her skills at a variety of restaurants ranging from Northern Italian to Classic French, but Southern Appalachian cuisine is her culinary love language. Ashleigh was awarded 2019 Eater Young Gun and named a 2020 finalist for James Beard “Rising Star Chef of the Year” award during her tenure as Chef de Cuisine at John Fleer’s Benne on Eagle. When she’s not in the kitchen, Ashleigh can be found outdoors, birding, foraging or hiking the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains with her 10-year-old Vizsla, Roux and her lovely partner, Meaghan.

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Buddha Lo

Buddha Lo

HOMETOWN: Port Douglas, Australia

CURRENT CITY OF RESIDENCE: Brooklyn, New York

OCCUPATION/PROFESSION: Executive Chef, Marky’s Caviar & Huso

Buddha Lo is the Executive Chef at Huso, the Michelin plate restaurant inside Marky’s Caviar serving an 8-course tasting menu. Buddha learned the foundations of flavor and the rules of the kitchen at a very young age by working for his father at his family's Chinese restaurant in Port Douglas, Australia. At age 14, he pursued his career by working at a 5-star resort on the weekends. After culinary school, Buddha moved to London to work at the three Michelin-starred restaurant Gordon Ramsay, where he met his mentor, Clare Smyth. He then moved to New York City and spent a year at three Michelin-starred restaurant Eleven Madison Park where he learned to push himself in the world of fine dining. Don't be misled by his formal training, Buddha is obsessed with everything to do with food and cooking whether it is eating street food or working at the best restaurant in the world. Buddha and his wife Rebekah met in the kitchen in Melbourne and have been together for 10 years, she is currently the pastry sous at Eleven Madison Park.

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Damarr Brown

Damarr Brown

HOMETOWN: Chicago, IL

OCCUPATION/PROFESSION: Chef de Cuisine, Virtue

Damarr Brown is the Chef de Cuisine at Virtue restaurant located on the southside of Chicago. He fell in love with cooking at a young age while spending time in the kitchen with his grandmother. Damarr formalized his culinary skills at Le Cordon Bleu college of culinary arts in Chicago and continued to train in some of cities’ finest kitchens including mk, the Capital Grille, and one Michelin-starred restaurant Roister. Damarr reunited with his mentor Erick Williams to open Virtue, which was named one of America’s Best New Restaurants by Esquire in 2019. His culinary focus at Virtue draws from familiar flavors he grew up with, pairing them with his learnings and takeaways from past kitchens. 

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Evelyn Garcia

Evelyn Garcia

HOMETOWN: Houston, TX

OCCUPATION/PROFESSION: Chef/Co-Owner, Kin HTX

A Houston native, born to parents from Mexico and El Salvador, Chef Evelyn García is the Chef and Co-Owner of Kin HTX. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Evelyn cooked her way through New York City with stints at Jean George’s Spice Market under Chef Anthony Ricco, Masak with Chef Larry Reutens and Kin Shop with “Top Chef” season one winner Harold Dieterle. After 10 years in NYC honing her skills, passion and drive for Southeast Asian food and culture, she decided to move back to her hometown of Houston and open Kin HTX, a Southeast Asian inspired concept. From pop-ups to chef residencies to a restaurant and a product line, Kin HTX continues to evolve and showcase Evelyn’s passion for Southeast Asian flavors and local agriculture.

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Jackson Kalb

Jackson Kalb

HOMETOWN: Los Angeles, CA

OCCUPATION/PROFESSION: Chef/Owner, Jame Enoteca & Ospi; Chef/Partner at Wake & Late

Jackson Kalb is the Chef and Owner of Jame Enoteca and Ospi in Los Angeles, CA along with his wife, Melissa. He also serves as the Chef and Partner of Wake&Late. Jackson’s culinary career started at age 13 in the kitchen of Josiah Citrin’s Melisse Restaurant, where he worked weekends and holidays throughout middle and high school. Jackson attended Cornell University's school of Hotel Administration and trained at top restaurants including Joël Robuchon in Las Vegas, NV, Chicago's Alinea, Union Square Cafe in New York, and Hillstone Restaurant Group. In 2022, he plans to open his third restaurant in Los Angeles, Gemma di Mare. He is also developing a line of jarred pasta sauces and producing software to help independent chefs.

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Jae Jung

Jae Jung

HOMETOWN: Seoul, Korea

CURRENT CITY OF RESIDENCE: New York City

OCCUPATION/PROFESSION: Chef/Owner, KJUN

Chef Jae Jung is the chef and owner of KJUN, a Korean-Cajun pop-up in New York City. Originally from Seoul, Chef Jae left her family to come to the United States in 2009 to attend the Culinary Institute of America in New York.  Upon graduation, she moved to New Orleans and fell in love with Cajun food while working in the kitchens of the city’s most-decorated restaurants, including August, Domenica, Herbsaint and Dooky Chase. During these formative years, Jae developed her distinctive Korean-Cajun flavors and techniques, as well as her deep commitment to the spirit of Southern cuisine and hospitality. In 2014, Jae relocated to New York City to work in some of the city’s most prestigious Michelin-starred restaurants, including Oceana, Le Bernardin, the NoMad Restaurant, and most recently as the sous chef of the famed Café Boulud.   In 2021, she launched her first startup, KJUN, introducing hungry New Yorkers to her distinctive blend of Korean and Cajun flavors, ingredients, and dishes. Her cuisine has been featured in the New York Times, Eater, FOOD & WINE Magazine, Bon Appétit Magazine, the New Yorker, and Bloomberg Pursuits, which recently named KJUN one of the Best New Restaurants in New York. 

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Jo Chan

Jo Chan

HOMETOWN: Palmdale, California

CURRENT CITY OF RESIDENCE: Austin, Texas

OCCUPATION/PROFESSION: Executive Chef

Jo Chan graduated from San Diego State University before attending the San Diego Culinary Institute. In 2012, she moved to New York City, where she began her career at Nobu Fifty-Seven. From there she went to work under Jonathan Waxman at Barbuto in the West Village. Her time at Barbuto brought her to the kitchen of fellow Barbuto alumni Justin Smillie, who collaborated with Stephen Starr to create Upland. Chef Jo then went to Scandinavia as the travelling Executive Chef for James Beard winner Marcus Samuelsson. She moved to Austin in 2018, where she became Executive Chef at Eberly. She has found a strong community in this city and hopes to deepen her roots here in the coming years. Her new project will combine her love of Italian food with Austin’s unique appetite for high-quality ingredients served in a casual setting. She lives with her beautiful fiancée, who is an English professor at Texas State University, and their two perfect dogs, Blue and Luna.

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Leia Gaccione

Leia Gaccione

HOMETOWN: Passaic, NJ

CURRENT CITY OF RESIDENCE: Morristown, NJ

OCCUPATION/PROFESSION: Chef/Owner, south + pine American eatery

Leia Gaccione is the Chef and Owner of south+pine American eatery in Morristown, NJ. As a child, Leia was enamored with cooking shows like "Yan Can Cook" and "Julia Child.” As an adult, she studied culinary arts and restaurant management at the New York Restaurant School and has trained in NYC, New Jersey, Connecticut and Las Vegas, before opening south+pine in 2015. Leia has appeared on "Iron Chef America,” "Beat Bobby Flay,” “Iron Chef Showdown,” “Chopped” and is the host of the documentary film “Her Name Is Chef.” Her mission is to serve seasonal and locally sourced food made with lots of love and to remain a neighborhood staple in the Morristown community.

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Luke Kolpin

Luke Kolpin

HOMETOWN: Seattle, WA

CURRENT CITY OF RESIDENCE: Seattle, WA

OCCUPATION/PROFESSION: Chef

Seattle native Luke Kolpin began his cooking journey at Seattle Central College’s culinary program. After graduating, Luke went on to work at many Seattle restaurants including Canlis, an upscale fine dining destination. Looking to further his culinary expertise, Luke accepted a job under Chef Rene Redzepi at the three Michelin-starred, world-renowned restaurant Noma in Copenhagen, Denmark. While at Noma, he had the opportunity to work alongside some of the most talented chefs in the culinary industry and earned the role of Sous Chef. After eight years at Noma, Luke decided to head back home to Seattle. When feeding himself, Luke’s everyday go-to dish is a sandwich as there are endless possibilities of perfection!

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Monique Feybesse

Monique Feybesse

HOMETOWN: San Francisco

CURRENT CITY OF RESIDENCE: Vallejo, CA

OCCUPATION/PROFESSION: Chef/Owner of Tarts de Feybesse

A San Francisco native, Chef Monique Feybesse began her career in 2007 when she graduated from the California Culinary Academy and joined the opening team at Madera restaurant at Rosewood Sand Hill and at Masa’s in San Francisco. In 2013, she booked a one-way ticket to Copenhagen and earned a position at Geranium Restaurant under Bocuse d’Or Legend, Rasmus Kofoed. She later relocated to Paris as part of the opening team of Chef Yannick Alleno’s Pavillon Ledoyen, which earned three Michelin stars within their first year. Her resume also includes Atera in New York and Ninebark in Napa Valley, under Chef Matthew Lightner. After moving back to the Bay Area to start a family in 2016, Monique became Chef de Cuisine of Cavallo Point’s Murray Circle restaurant later leading the culinary department at Robert Sinskey Vineyards. She now is focusing solely on building the brand of Tarts de Feybesse with her husband Paul while enjoying watching her two young sons grow up and destroy the house.

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Nick Wallace

Nick Wallace

HOMETOWN: Edwards, MS

CURRENT CITY OF RESIDENCE: Jackson, MS

OCCUPATION/PROFESSION: Chef, Nick Wallace Culinary

Nick Wallace is the Founder and Chef of Nick Wallace Culinary, Nick Wallace Catering, Nissan Café by Nick Wallace, and soon to be “CHURN Creameries”. Born and raised in Mississippi, he began his culinary training at an early age in his grandmothers’ kitchens, where he absorbed the knowledge and guidance that inspired his love for food. Nick has served as Executive Chef for some of the country's largest and most prominent museums and hotels. He has also been featured on notable food television programs. He works closely with local farmers and combines his family's farm origins with a sophisticated French method to create a unique and modern Mississippi cuisine that is as comforting as it is exciting. His non-profit organization, Creativity Kitchen, works with Jackson Public Schools to provide more flavorful and nutritious meals for students as well as educate them about healthy eating and the skills and value of farm-to-table practices. In addition to serving on the Board of Directors for Hunger Free America, Nick has also established partnerships with major food and beverage companies as well as organizations including Share the Gulf, Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi and the American Cancer Society. Recently, Nick’s love for his state and vision for culinary innovation earned him Best Chef of Mississippi honors, which he uses to motivate himself to further grow his understanding of flavor and technique and to better serve his family and community.

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Robert Hernandez

Robert Hernandez

HOMETOWN: Downey, CA

CURRENT CITY OF RESIDENCE: San Francisco, CA

OCCUPATION/PROFESSION: Private Chef

Robert Hernandez is a Private Chef in San Francisco, CA. He grew up in the suburbs of Los Angeles where his passion for food grew through family gatherings and his mother’s cooking. Some of Robert’s favorite childhood memories include large gatherings around the kitchen table, eating ceviche, tamales, essentially anything his mother or aunt put on the table. Robert has worked in many notable restaurants in San Francisco, including one Michelin-starred restaurant Octavia. At Octavia, Robert worked his way up to Chef de Cuisine and was recognized as San Francisco’s Rising Star Chef in 2019. There, he honed his culinary skills and developed a passion for marrying seasonal ingredients with his inherited flavor profiles. Methodical techniques have shaped his elevated, yet approachable cuisine. Apart from cooking, Robert enjoys binge watching his favorite “The Real Housewives” franchise, traveling and spending time with his family.

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Sam Kang

Sam Kang

HOMETOWN: Gardena, California

CURRENT CITY OF RESIDENCE: Brooklyn, NY

OCCUPATION/PROFESSION: Chef Educator

A Southern California native, Sam Kang headed to New York in 2010 with just $700 in his pocket and the goal of becoming a head chef. His first job was at Chef David Chang’s Momofuku Ko, a two Michelin-starred restaurant where he developed his foundation for cooking. In 2012, Sam went on to work with Chef Daniel Humm at the three Michelin-starred Eleven Madison Park, which laid a foundation of teamwork, organization, and finesse. In 2016, Sam returned to Momofuku Ko as a Sous Chef and helped open The Bar at Ko and Wayo, where he was the Chef de Cuisine. Since 2020, Chef Sam has focused on a new passion for teaching and educating kids about food.

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Sarah Welch

Sarah Welch

HOMETOWN: Ann Arbor, MI

CURRENT CITY OF RESIDENCE: Detroit, MI

OCCUPATION/PROFESSION: Executive Chef, Marrow & Partner, Mink

Sarah Welch is the Executive Chef, Founding Member and Equity Partner at Marrow. She is also the co-Founder of seafood-centric restaurant Mink in Detroit's Corktown. Marrow was voted a semi-finalist for Best New Restaurant in the country by the James Beard Foundation in 2019, and in that same year was named one of the top new restaurants by Eater. The following year, Sarah was named a James Beard Foundation semi-finalist in the Best Chef in the Great Lakes category. Prior to Marrow, she was Executive Chef at Republic and Parks and Recreation for two years. Sarah trained at the renowned International Culinary Center in NYC after getting a business degree at Michigan State University. She credits her childhood experience of growing up partially in Jamaica as an inspiration for becoming a chef.

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Stephanie Miller

Stephanie Miller

HOMETOWN: Bismarck, ND

CURRENT CITY OF RESIDENCE: Bismarck, ND

OCCUPATION/PROFESSION: Chef/Owner, Butterhorn & Owner, Shelter Belt

Stephanie Miller is the Chef and Owner of Butterhorn and Owner of Shelter Belt in Bismarck, ND. Growing up, she fell in love with cooking with her grandmothers and frequently made meals by herself for her large family at a very young age. After attending college at the University of North Dakota for pre-med, Stephanie switched gears and attended culinary school at Le Cordon Bleu in Minneapolis. She spent the next seven years cooking with distinguished James Beard-nominated chefs Lenny Russo and Doug Flicker. Following her work at the James Beard-nominated restaurant Piccolo, she became Executive Chef at Italian Eatery, which was named Minneapolis’ Best Italian in 2016 by Mpls St. Paul Magazine. Stephanie then moved back to her hometown of Bismarck and opened two restaurants, Butterhorn and Shelter Belt, with her husband Shane. Each restaurant focuses on the history of North Dakota and her state pride with menu items including lefse, bison and kuchen.

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Padma Lakshmi
@padmalakshmi

Padma Lakshmi
@padmalakshmi

Padma Lakshmi is an Emmy-nominated television host, producer, food expert and The New York Times best-selling author.

Lakshmi serves as host and executive producer of Bravo’s Emmy-winning series Top Chef, which has been nominated for 37 Emmys, including her two-time nomination for Outstanding Host for A Reality-Competition Program. Season 19 will debut in Spring 2022.

She is also the creator, host, and executive producer of the critically acclaimed Hulu series Taste the Nation, winner of the 2021 Critics Choice Award. She is currently working on its second season.

Lakshmi is co-founder of the Endometriosis Foundation of America (EFA) and an American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Artist Ambassador for immigrants' rights and women's rights. Lakshmi was also appointed a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Born in India, she grew up in the United States, graduating from Clark University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Theatre Arts and American Literature. Known as India’s first supermodel, she began her career as a fashion model and actress working in Europe and the United States.

Lakshmi established herself as a food expert early in her career hosting Padma’s Passport, where she cooked diverse cuisine from around the world and Planet Food, a documentary series, both on theFood Network domestically and worldwide on the Discovery Channel. She also co-hosted Rai Television's Domenica In, Italy’s highest-rated variety show.

She’s a prolific author, writing the best-selling Easy Exotic, which won the “Best First Book” award at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. Lakshmi followed this with the publication of her second cookbook, Tangy, Tart, Hot & Sweet and her memoir The New York Times best-selling Love, Loss and What We Ate. She later published The Encyclopedia of Spices & Herbs. In August of 2021 she published her first children’s book, The New York Times best-selling Tomatoes for Neela.

In addition to her food writing, Lakshmi has also contributed to Vogue, Gourmet, both British and American Harper's Bazaar, as well as penning a syndicated column on fashion and food for The New York Times.

Lakshmi created a fine jewelry line The Padma Collection, which sold at Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom. She also designed a home décor line under the same name featuring tabletop dishware, stemware and hand-blown glass décor pieces, was sold nationwide in Bloomingdale’s. In addition, Lakshmi created Padma’s Easy Exotic, a collection of culinary products ranging from frozen organic foods, fine teas, natural spice blends and home goods. In 2018, Lakshmi collaborated with MAC Cosmetics for a worldwide capsule collection called MAC Padma which quickly sold out in both India and the United States.

After unknowingly suffering from endometriosis for decades, in 2009 she co-founded the Endometriosis Foundation of America (EFA) alongside Advanced Gynecological Surgeon Tamer Seckin, MD. The EFA launched the first interdisciplinary research facility in the country for Gynepathology, as a joint project between Harvard Medical School and MIT and Lakshmi gave the keynote address at the Center’s opening in December 2009.

Her efforts were recognized on the floor of the New York State Senate, where she succeeded in passing a bill related to teen health initiatives. The organization’s ENPOWR program has currently educated over 32,000 students about endometriosis in high schools across the state of New York.

Lakshmi is a visiting scholar at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and has received the 2018 Karma Award from Variety, as well as the 2016 NECO Ellis Island Medal of Honor.

She lives in New York with her daughter.

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Tom Colicchio
@tomcolicchio

Tom Colicchio
@tomcolicchio

One of the culinary world's most celebrated figures, Tom Colicchio returns once again as lead judge for Bravo's 19th season of the Emmy and James Beard Award-winning culinary series Top Chef, and also serves as mentor to the competing chefs on the series, guiding them through their various challenges. He also hosts BravoTV.com's Emmy-Winning Digital Companion Video Series Top Chef: Last Chance Kitchen.

Tom is also the chef and owner of Crafted Hospitality, which currently includes New York's Craft, Temple Court and Small Batch; Los Angeles' Craft Los Angeles; and Las Vegas' Heritage Steak and Craftsteak. Born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Tom made his New York cooking debut at prominent New York restaurants including The Quilted Giraffe, Gotham Bar & Grill and Gramercy Tavern before opening Craft in 2001. Outside of his fine dining restaurants, Colicchio opened 'Wichcraft – a sandwich and salad fast casual concept rooted in the same food and hospitality philosophies as Craft – in New York City in 2003.

He has published Think Like a Chef (2000), which won The James Beard Foundation "KitchenAid" Cookbook Award in May 2001; Craft of Cooking (2003); and a sandwich book inspired by 'wichcraft (2009). In May 2010, Tom was awarded The James Beard Foundation's coveted "Outstanding Chef" award, the culmination of his 30 years of hard work in the restaurant industry.

A vocal social justice advocate, Tom executive produced the 2013 documentary A Place at the Table, about the underlying causes of hunger in the United States. This eye-opening experience led Tom to Washington, D.C. where he lobbied in front of Congress in an effort to protect and expand food programs in the U.S. Tom is a founding member of the Independent Restaurant Coalition, founded to save the independent restaurants and bars and the 11 million people they employ who have been affected by COVID-19. He is a frequent contributor on MSNBC and is the host of the iHeart Radio podcast, Citizen Chef.

Tom and his restaurants give back to the community by serving on the boards of Children of Bellevue, City Harvest and Wholesome Wave. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife, Lori Silverbush, and three sons. When he's not in the kitchen, Tom can be found tending to his garden on the North Fork of Long Island, enjoying a day of fishing or playing guitar.

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Gail Simmons
@gailsimmons

Gail Simmons
@gailsimmons

Gail Simmons is a trained culinary expert, food writer, and dynamic television personality. Since the show’s inception in 2006, she has lent her expertise as a permanent judge on Bravo’s Emmy and James Beard Award-winning series Top Chef, now in its 19th successful season. She is a co-host of The Good Dish, the new daily syndicated series offering delicious recipes, real-life wisdom, and conversations on the topics of the day, and most recently was host of Top Chef Amateurs, as well as Iron Chef Canada. From 2004 to 2019, Gail served as special projects director at FOOD & WINE.

In February 2012, she published her first book, Talking With My Mouth Full: My Life as a Professional Eater. Her first cookbook, Bringing It Home: Favorite Recipes from a Life of Adventurous Eating, was released in October 2017. Nominated for an IACP award for best general cookbook, it features recipes inspired by Gail’s world travels—all made with accessible ingredients and with smart, simple techniques for successful family meals and easy entertaining.

Gail frequently appears on other daytime television shows such as TODAY on NBC, Rachael Ray and The Talk, and was named the #1 Reality TV Judge in America by The New York Post.

She is an Entrepreneur in Residence at Babson College, co-founder of Bumble Pie Productions, and the newest Global Ambassador for Children in Conflict, an international organization committed to protecting, educating and providing critical aid for the world's most vulnerable children affected by war. Gail sits on the board of several other nonprofit organizations and philanthropic endeavors, including City Harvest and Hot Bread Kitchen. She currently lives in New York City with her husband, Jeremy and their two children, Dahlia and Kole.

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Ashleigh Shanti

Ashleigh Shanti

HOMETOWN: Virginia Beach, VA 

CURRENT CITY OF RESIDENCE: Asheville, NC 

OCCUPATION/PROFESSION:  Chef/Owner, Good Hot Fish

Ashleigh Shanti is Chef and Creator of Good Hot Fish, an Asheville, North Carolina-based fish fry pop up. Her cuisine honors Black foodways while also paying homage to her coastal Virginia upbringing where she stripped collard greens before she could walk.  After earning her Bachelor’s in Marketing at Hampton University, Ashleigh studied Culinary Arts at Baltimore International College.  She honed her skills at a variety of restaurants ranging from Northern Italian to Classic French, but Southern Appalachian cuisine is her culinary love language. Ashleigh was awarded 2019 Eater Young Gun and named a 2020 finalist for James Beard “Rising Star Chef of the Year” award during her tenure as Chef de Cuisine at John Fleer’s Benne on Eagle. When she’s not in the kitchen, Ashleigh can be found outdoors, birding, foraging or hiking the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains with her 10-year-old Vizsla, Roux and her lovely partner, Meaghan.

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Buddha Lo

Buddha Lo

HOMETOWN: Port Douglas, Australia

CURRENT CITY OF RESIDENCE: Brooklyn, New York

OCCUPATION/PROFESSION: Executive Chef, Marky’s Caviar & Huso

Buddha Lo is the Executive Chef at Huso, the Michelin plate restaurant inside Marky’s Caviar serving an 8-course tasting menu. Buddha learned the foundations of flavor and the rules of the kitchen at a very young age by working for his father at his family's Chinese restaurant in Port Douglas, Australia. At age 14, he pursued his career by working at a 5-star resort on the weekends. After culinary school, Buddha moved to London to work at the three Michelin-starred restaurant Gordon Ramsay, where he met his mentor, Clare Smyth. He then moved to New York City and spent a year at three Michelin-starred restaurant Eleven Madison Park where he learned to push himself in the world of fine dining. Don't be misled by his formal training, Buddha is obsessed with everything to do with food and cooking whether it is eating street food or working at the best restaurant in the world. Buddha and his wife Rebekah met in the kitchen in Melbourne and have been together for 10 years, she is currently the pastry sous at Eleven Madison Park.

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Damarr Brown

Damarr Brown

HOMETOWN: Chicago, IL

OCCUPATION/PROFESSION: Chef de Cuisine, Virtue

Damarr Brown is the Chef de Cuisine at Virtue restaurant located on the southside of Chicago. He fell in love with cooking at a young age while spending time in the kitchen with his grandmother. Damarr formalized his culinary skills at Le Cordon Bleu college of culinary arts in Chicago and continued to train in some of cities’ finest kitchens including mk, the Capital Grille, and one Michelin-starred restaurant Roister. Damarr reunited with his mentor Erick Williams to open Virtue, which was named one of America’s Best New Restaurants by Esquire in 2019. His culinary focus at Virtue draws from familiar flavors he grew up with, pairing them with his learnings and takeaways from past kitchens. 

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Evelyn Garcia

Evelyn Garcia

HOMETOWN: Houston, TX

OCCUPATION/PROFESSION: Chef/Co-Owner, Kin HTX

A Houston native, born to parents from Mexico and El Salvador, Chef Evelyn García is the Chef and Co-Owner of Kin HTX. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Evelyn cooked her way through New York City with stints at Jean George’s Spice Market under Chef Anthony Ricco, Masak with Chef Larry Reutens and Kin Shop with “Top Chef” season one winner Harold Dieterle. After 10 years in NYC honing her skills, passion and drive for Southeast Asian food and culture, she decided to move back to her hometown of Houston and open Kin HTX, a Southeast Asian inspired concept. From pop-ups to chef residencies to a restaurant and a product line, Kin HTX continues to evolve and showcase Evelyn’s passion for Southeast Asian flavors and local agriculture.

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Jackson Kalb

Jackson Kalb

HOMETOWN: Los Angeles, CA

OCCUPATION/PROFESSION: Chef/Owner, Jame Enoteca & Ospi; Chef/Partner at Wake & Late

Jackson Kalb is the Chef and Owner of Jame Enoteca and Ospi in Los Angeles, CA along with his wife, Melissa. He also serves as the Chef and Partner of Wake&Late. Jackson’s culinary career started at age 13 in the kitchen of Josiah Citrin’s Melisse Restaurant, where he worked weekends and holidays throughout middle and high school. Jackson attended Cornell University's school of Hotel Administration and trained at top restaurants including Joël Robuchon in Las Vegas, NV, Chicago's Alinea, Union Square Cafe in New York, and Hillstone Restaurant Group. In 2022, he plans to open his third restaurant in Los Angeles, Gemma di Mare. He is also developing a line of jarred pasta sauces and producing software to help independent chefs.

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Jae Jung

Jae Jung

HOMETOWN: Seoul, Korea

CURRENT CITY OF RESIDENCE: New York City

OCCUPATION/PROFESSION: Chef/Owner, KJUN

Chef Jae Jung is the chef and owner of KJUN, a Korean-Cajun pop-up in New York City. Originally from Seoul, Chef Jae left her family to come to the United States in 2009 to attend the Culinary Institute of America in New York.  Upon graduation, she moved to New Orleans and fell in love with Cajun food while working in the kitchens of the city’s most-decorated restaurants, including August, Domenica, Herbsaint and Dooky Chase. During these formative years, Jae developed her distinctive Korean-Cajun flavors and techniques, as well as her deep commitment to the spirit of Southern cuisine and hospitality. In 2014, Jae relocated to New York City to work in some of the city’s most prestigious Michelin-starred restaurants, including Oceana, Le Bernardin, the NoMad Restaurant, and most recently as the sous chef of the famed Café Boulud.   In 2021, she launched her first startup, KJUN, introducing hungry New Yorkers to her distinctive blend of Korean and Cajun flavors, ingredients, and dishes. Her cuisine has been featured in the New York Times, Eater, FOOD & WINE Magazine, Bon Appétit Magazine, the New Yorker, and Bloomberg Pursuits, which recently named KJUN one of the Best New Restaurants in New York. 

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Jo Chan

Jo Chan

HOMETOWN: Palmdale, California

CURRENT CITY OF RESIDENCE: Austin, Texas

OCCUPATION/PROFESSION: Executive Chef

Jo Chan graduated from San Diego State University before attending the San Diego Culinary Institute. In 2012, she moved to New York City, where she began her career at Nobu Fifty-Seven. From there she went to work under Jonathan Waxman at Barbuto in the West Village. Her time at Barbuto brought her to the kitchen of fellow Barbuto alumni Justin Smillie, who collaborated with Stephen Starr to create Upland. Chef Jo then went to Scandinavia as the travelling Executive Chef for James Beard winner Marcus Samuelsson. She moved to Austin in 2018, where she became Executive Chef at Eberly. She has found a strong community in this city and hopes to deepen her roots here in the coming years. Her new project will combine her love of Italian food with Austin’s unique appetite for high-quality ingredients served in a casual setting. She lives with her beautiful fiancée, who is an English professor at Texas State University, and their two perfect dogs, Blue and Luna.

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Leia Gaccione

Leia Gaccione

HOMETOWN: Passaic, NJ

CURRENT CITY OF RESIDENCE: Morristown, NJ

OCCUPATION/PROFESSION: Chef/Owner, south + pine American eatery

Leia Gaccione is the Chef and Owner of south+pine American eatery in Morristown, NJ. As a child, Leia was enamored with cooking shows like "Yan Can Cook" and "Julia Child.” As an adult, she studied culinary arts and restaurant management at the New York Restaurant School and has trained in NYC, New Jersey, Connecticut and Las Vegas, before opening south+pine in 2015. Leia has appeared on "Iron Chef America,” "Beat Bobby Flay,” “Iron Chef Showdown,” “Chopped” and is the host of the documentary film “Her Name Is Chef.” Her mission is to serve seasonal and locally sourced food made with lots of love and to remain a neighborhood staple in the Morristown community.

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Luke Kolpin

Luke Kolpin

HOMETOWN: Seattle, WA

CURRENT CITY OF RESIDENCE: Seattle, WA

OCCUPATION/PROFESSION: Chef

Seattle native Luke Kolpin began his cooking journey at Seattle Central College’s culinary program. After graduating, Luke went on to work at many Seattle restaurants including Canlis, an upscale fine dining destination. Looking to further his culinary expertise, Luke accepted a job under Chef Rene Redzepi at the three Michelin-starred, world-renowned restaurant Noma in Copenhagen, Denmark. While at Noma, he had the opportunity to work alongside some of the most talented chefs in the culinary industry and earned the role of Sous Chef. After eight years at Noma, Luke decided to head back home to Seattle. When feeding himself, Luke’s everyday go-to dish is a sandwich as there are endless possibilities of perfection!

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Monique Feybesse

Monique Feybesse

HOMETOWN: San Francisco

CURRENT CITY OF RESIDENCE: Vallejo, CA

OCCUPATION/PROFESSION: Chef/Owner of Tarts de Feybesse

A San Francisco native, Chef Monique Feybesse began her career in 2007 when she graduated from the California Culinary Academy and joined the opening team at Madera restaurant at Rosewood Sand Hill and at Masa’s in San Francisco. In 2013, she booked a one-way ticket to Copenhagen and earned a position at Geranium Restaurant under Bocuse d’Or Legend, Rasmus Kofoed. She later relocated to Paris as part of the opening team of Chef Yannick Alleno’s Pavillon Ledoyen, which earned three Michelin stars within their first year. Her resume also includes Atera in New York and Ninebark in Napa Valley, under Chef Matthew Lightner. After moving back to the Bay Area to start a family in 2016, Monique became Chef de Cuisine of Cavallo Point’s Murray Circle restaurant later leading the culinary department at Robert Sinskey Vineyards. She now is focusing solely on building the brand of Tarts de Feybesse with her husband Paul while enjoying watching her two young sons grow up and destroy the house.

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Nick Wallace

Nick Wallace

HOMETOWN: Edwards, MS

CURRENT CITY OF RESIDENCE: Jackson, MS

OCCUPATION/PROFESSION: Chef, Nick Wallace Culinary

Nick Wallace is the Founder and Chef of Nick Wallace Culinary, Nick Wallace Catering, Nissan Café by Nick Wallace, and soon to be “CHURN Creameries”. Born and raised in Mississippi, he began his culinary training at an early age in his grandmothers’ kitchens, where he absorbed the knowledge and guidance that inspired his love for food. Nick has served as Executive Chef for some of the country's largest and most prominent museums and hotels. He has also been featured on notable food television programs. He works closely with local farmers and combines his family's farm origins with a sophisticated French method to create a unique and modern Mississippi cuisine that is as comforting as it is exciting. His non-profit organization, Creativity Kitchen, works with Jackson Public Schools to provide more flavorful and nutritious meals for students as well as educate them about healthy eating and the skills and value of farm-to-table practices. In addition to serving on the Board of Directors for Hunger Free America, Nick has also established partnerships with major food and beverage companies as well as organizations including Share the Gulf, Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi and the American Cancer Society. Recently, Nick’s love for his state and vision for culinary innovation earned him Best Chef of Mississippi honors, which he uses to motivate himself to further grow his understanding of flavor and technique and to better serve his family and community.

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Robert Hernandez

Robert Hernandez

HOMETOWN: Downey, CA

CURRENT CITY OF RESIDENCE: San Francisco, CA

OCCUPATION/PROFESSION: Private Chef

Robert Hernandez is a Private Chef in San Francisco, CA. He grew up in the suburbs of Los Angeles where his passion for food grew through family gatherings and his mother’s cooking. Some of Robert’s favorite childhood memories include large gatherings around the kitchen table, eating ceviche, tamales, essentially anything his mother or aunt put on the table. Robert has worked in many notable restaurants in San Francisco, including one Michelin-starred restaurant Octavia. At Octavia, Robert worked his way up to Chef de Cuisine and was recognized as San Francisco’s Rising Star Chef in 2019. There, he honed his culinary skills and developed a passion for marrying seasonal ingredients with his inherited flavor profiles. Methodical techniques have shaped his elevated, yet approachable cuisine. Apart from cooking, Robert enjoys binge watching his favorite “The Real Housewives” franchise, traveling and spending time with his family.

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Sam Kang

Sam Kang

HOMETOWN: Gardena, California

CURRENT CITY OF RESIDENCE: Brooklyn, NY

OCCUPATION/PROFESSION: Chef Educator

A Southern California native, Sam Kang headed to New York in 2010 with just $700 in his pocket and the goal of becoming a head chef. His first job was at Chef David Chang’s Momofuku Ko, a two Michelin-starred restaurant where he developed his foundation for cooking. In 2012, Sam went on to work with Chef Daniel Humm at the three Michelin-starred Eleven Madison Park, which laid a foundation of teamwork, organization, and finesse. In 2016, Sam returned to Momofuku Ko as a Sous Chef and helped open The Bar at Ko and Wayo, where he was the Chef de Cuisine. Since 2020, Chef Sam has focused on a new passion for teaching and educating kids about food.

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Sarah Welch

Sarah Welch

HOMETOWN: Ann Arbor, MI

CURRENT CITY OF RESIDENCE: Detroit, MI

OCCUPATION/PROFESSION: Executive Chef, Marrow & Partner, Mink

Sarah Welch is the Executive Chef, Founding Member and Equity Partner at Marrow. She is also the co-Founder of seafood-centric restaurant Mink in Detroit's Corktown. Marrow was voted a semi-finalist for Best New Restaurant in the country by the James Beard Foundation in 2019, and in that same year was named one of the top new restaurants by Eater. The following year, Sarah was named a James Beard Foundation semi-finalist in the Best Chef in the Great Lakes category. Prior to Marrow, she was Executive Chef at Republic and Parks and Recreation for two years. Sarah trained at the renowned International Culinary Center in NYC after getting a business degree at Michigan State University. She credits her childhood experience of growing up partially in Jamaica as an inspiration for becoming a chef.

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Stephanie Miller

Stephanie Miller

HOMETOWN: Bismarck, ND

CURRENT CITY OF RESIDENCE: Bismarck, ND

OCCUPATION/PROFESSION: Chef/Owner, Butterhorn & Owner, Shelter Belt

Stephanie Miller is the Chef and Owner of Butterhorn and Owner of Shelter Belt in Bismarck, ND. Growing up, she fell in love with cooking with her grandmothers and frequently made meals by herself for her large family at a very young age. After attending college at the University of North Dakota for pre-med, Stephanie switched gears and attended culinary school at Le Cordon Bleu in Minneapolis. She spent the next seven years cooking with distinguished James Beard-nominated chefs Lenny Russo and Doug Flicker. Following her work at the James Beard-nominated restaurant Piccolo, she became Executive Chef at Italian Eatery, which was named Minneapolis’ Best Italian in 2016 by Mpls St. Paul Magazine. Stephanie then moved back to her hometown of Bismarck and opened two restaurants, Butterhorn and Shelter Belt, with her husband Shane. Each restaurant focuses on the history of North Dakota and her state pride with menu items including lefse, bison and kuchen.

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Top Chef Season 18 Bodyshot Kwame Onwachi

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The Cast

Padma Lakshmi
@padmalakshmi

Padma Lakshmi
@padmalakshmi

Padma Lakshmi is an Emmy-nominated television host, producer, food expert and The New York Times best-selling author.

Lakshmi serves as host and executive producer of Bravo’s Emmy-winning series Top Chef, which has been nominated for 37 Emmys, including her two-time nomination for Outstanding Host for A Reality-Competition Program. Season 19 will debut in Spring 2022.

She is also the creator, host, and executive producer of the critically acclaimed Hulu series Taste the Nation, winner of the 2021 Critics Choice Award. She is currently working on its second season.

Lakshmi is co-founder of the Endometriosis Foundation of America (EFA) and an American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Artist Ambassador for immigrants' rights and women's rights. Lakshmi was also appointed a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Born in India, she grew up in the United States, graduating from Clark University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Theatre Arts and American Literature. Known as India’s first supermodel, she began her career as a fashion model and actress working in Europe and the United States.

Lakshmi established herself as a food expert early in her career hosting Padma’s Passport, where she cooked diverse cuisine from around the world and Planet Food, a documentary series, both on theFood Network domestically and worldwide on the Discovery Channel. She also co-hosted Rai Television's Domenica In, Italy’s highest-rated variety show.

She’s a prolific author, writing the best-selling Easy Exotic, which won the “Best First Book” award at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. Lakshmi followed this with the publication of her second cookbook, Tangy, Tart, Hot & Sweet and her memoir The New York Times best-selling Love, Loss and What We Ate. She later published The Encyclopedia of Spices & Herbs. In August of 2021 she published her first children’s book, The New York Times best-selling Tomatoes for Neela.

In addition to her food writing, Lakshmi has also contributed to Vogue, Gourmet, both British and American Harper's Bazaar, as well as penning a syndicated column on fashion and food for The New York Times.

Lakshmi created a fine jewelry line The Padma Collection, which sold at Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom. She also designed a home décor line under the same name featuring tabletop dishware, stemware and hand-blown glass décor pieces, was sold nationwide in Bloomingdale’s. In addition, Lakshmi created Padma’s Easy Exotic, a collection of culinary products ranging from frozen organic foods, fine teas, natural spice blends and home goods. In 2018, Lakshmi collaborated with MAC Cosmetics for a worldwide capsule collection called MAC Padma which quickly sold out in both India and the United States.

After unknowingly suffering from endometriosis for decades, in 2009 she co-founded the Endometriosis Foundation of America (EFA) alongside Advanced Gynecological Surgeon Tamer Seckin, MD. The EFA launched the first interdisciplinary research facility in the country for Gynepathology, as a joint project between Harvard Medical School and MIT and Lakshmi gave the keynote address at the Center’s opening in December 2009.

Her efforts were recognized on the floor of the New York State Senate, where she succeeded in passing a bill related to teen health initiatives. The organization’s ENPOWR program has currently educated over 32,000 students about endometriosis in high schools across the state of New York.

Lakshmi is a visiting scholar at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and has received the 2018 Karma Award from Variety, as well as the 2016 NECO Ellis Island Medal of Honor.

She lives in New York with her daughter.

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Tom Colicchio
@tomcolicchio

Tom Colicchio
@tomcolicchio

One of the culinary world's most celebrated figures, Tom Colicchio returns once again as lead judge for Bravo's 19th season of the Emmy and James Beard Award-winning culinary series Top Chef, and also serves as mentor to the competing chefs on the series, guiding them through their various challenges. He also hosts BravoTV.com's Emmy-Winning Digital Companion Video Series Top Chef: Last Chance Kitchen.

Tom is also the chef and owner of Crafted Hospitality, which currently includes New York's Craft, Temple Court and Small Batch; Los Angeles' Craft Los Angeles; and Las Vegas' Heritage Steak and Craftsteak. Born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Tom made his New York cooking debut at prominent New York restaurants including The Quilted Giraffe, Gotham Bar & Grill and Gramercy Tavern before opening Craft in 2001. Outside of his fine dining restaurants, Colicchio opened 'Wichcraft – a sandwich and salad fast casual concept rooted in the same food and hospitality philosophies as Craft – in New York City in 2003.

He has published Think Like a Chef (2000), which won The James Beard Foundation "KitchenAid" Cookbook Award in May 2001; Craft of Cooking (2003); and a sandwich book inspired by 'wichcraft (2009). In May 2010, Tom was awarded The James Beard Foundation's coveted "Outstanding Chef" award, the culmination of his 30 years of hard work in the restaurant industry.

A vocal social justice advocate, Tom executive produced the 2013 documentary A Place at the Table, about the underlying causes of hunger in the United States. This eye-opening experience led Tom to Washington, D.C. where he lobbied in front of Congress in an effort to protect and expand food programs in the U.S. Tom is a founding member of the Independent Restaurant Coalition, founded to save the independent restaurants and bars and the 11 million people they employ who have been affected by COVID-19. He is a frequent contributor on MSNBC and is the host of the iHeart Radio podcast, Citizen Chef.

Tom and his restaurants give back to the community by serving on the boards of Children of Bellevue, City Harvest and Wholesome Wave. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife, Lori Silverbush, and three sons. When he's not in the kitchen, Tom can be found tending to his garden on the North Fork of Long Island, enjoying a day of fishing or playing guitar.

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Gail Simmons
@gailsimmons

Gail Simmons
@gailsimmons

Gail Simmons is a trained culinary expert, food writer, and dynamic television personality. Since the show’s inception in 2006, she has lent her expertise as a permanent judge on Bravo’s Emmy and James Beard Award-winning series Top Chef, now in its 19th successful season. She is a co-host of The Good Dish, the new daily syndicated series offering delicious recipes, real-life wisdom, and conversations on the topics of the day, and most recently was host of Top Chef Amateurs, as well as Iron Chef Canada. From 2004 to 2019, Gail served as special projects director at FOOD & WINE.

In February 2012, she published her first book, Talking With My Mouth Full: My Life as a Professional Eater. Her first cookbook, Bringing It Home: Favorite Recipes from a Life of Adventurous Eating, was released in October 2017. Nominated for an IACP award for best general cookbook, it features recipes inspired by Gail’s world travels—all made with accessible ingredients and with smart, simple techniques for successful family meals and easy entertaining.

Gail frequently appears on other daytime television shows such as TODAY on NBC, Rachael Ray and The Talk, and was named the #1 Reality TV Judge in America by The New York Post.

She is an Entrepreneur in Residence at Babson College, co-founder of Bumble Pie Productions, and the newest Global Ambassador for Children in Conflict, an international organization committed to protecting, educating and providing critical aid for the world's most vulnerable children affected by war. Gail sits on the board of several other nonprofit organizations and philanthropic endeavors, including City Harvest and Hot Bread Kitchen. She currently lives in New York City with her husband, Jeremy and their two children, Dahlia and Kole.

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Ashleigh Shanti

Ashleigh Shanti

HOMETOWN: Virginia Beach, VA 

CURRENT CITY OF RESIDENCE: Asheville, NC 

OCCUPATION/PROFESSION:  Chef/Owner, Good Hot Fish

Ashleigh Shanti is Chef and Creator of Good Hot Fish, an Asheville, North Carolina-based fish fry pop up. Her cuisine honors Black foodways while also paying homage to her coastal Virginia upbringing where she stripped collard greens before she could walk.  After earning her Bachelor’s in Marketing at Hampton University, Ashleigh studied Culinary Arts at Baltimore International College.  She honed her skills at a variety of restaurants ranging from Northern Italian to Classic French, but Southern Appalachian cuisine is her culinary love language. Ashleigh was awarded 2019 Eater Young Gun and named a 2020 finalist for James Beard “Rising Star Chef of the Year” award during her tenure as Chef de Cuisine at John Fleer’s Benne on Eagle. When she’s not in the kitchen, Ashleigh can be found outdoors, birding, foraging or hiking the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains with her 10-year-old Vizsla, Roux and her lovely partner, Meaghan.

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Buddha Lo

Buddha Lo

HOMETOWN: Port Douglas, Australia

CURRENT CITY OF RESIDENCE: Brooklyn, New York

OCCUPATION/PROFESSION: Executive Chef, Marky’s Caviar & Huso

Buddha Lo is the Executive Chef at Huso, the Michelin plate restaurant inside Marky’s Caviar serving an 8-course tasting menu. Buddha learned the foundations of flavor and the rules of the kitchen at a very young age by working for his father at his family's Chinese restaurant in Port Douglas, Australia. At age 14, he pursued his career by working at a 5-star resort on the weekends. After culinary school, Buddha moved to London to work at the three Michelin-starred restaurant Gordon Ramsay, where he met his mentor, Clare Smyth. He then moved to New York City and spent a year at three Michelin-starred restaurant Eleven Madison Park where he learned to push himself in the world of fine dining. Don't be misled by his formal training, Buddha is obsessed with everything to do with food and cooking whether it is eating street food or working at the best restaurant in the world. Buddha and his wife Rebekah met in the kitchen in Melbourne and have been together for 10 years, she is currently the pastry sous at Eleven Madison Park.

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Damarr Brown

Damarr Brown

HOMETOWN: Chicago, IL

OCCUPATION/PROFESSION: Chef de Cuisine, Virtue

Damarr Brown is the Chef de Cuisine at Virtue restaurant located on the southside of Chicago. He fell in love with cooking at a young age while spending time in the kitchen with his grandmother. Damarr formalized his culinary skills at Le Cordon Bleu college of culinary arts in Chicago and continued to train in some of cities’ finest kitchens including mk, the Capital Grille, and one Michelin-starred restaurant Roister. Damarr reunited with his mentor Erick Williams to open Virtue, which was named one of America’s Best New Restaurants by Esquire in 2019. His culinary focus at Virtue draws from familiar flavors he grew up with, pairing them with his learnings and takeaways from past kitchens. 

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Evelyn Garcia

Evelyn Garcia

HOMETOWN: Houston, TX

OCCUPATION/PROFESSION: Chef/Co-Owner, Kin HTX

A Houston native, born to parents from Mexico and El Salvador, Chef Evelyn García is the Chef and Co-Owner of Kin HTX. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Evelyn cooked her way through New York City with stints at Jean George’s Spice Market under Chef Anthony Ricco, Masak with Chef Larry Reutens and Kin Shop with “Top Chef” season one winner Harold Dieterle. After 10 years in NYC honing her skills, passion and drive for Southeast Asian food and culture, she decided to move back to her hometown of Houston and open Kin HTX, a Southeast Asian inspired concept. From pop-ups to chef residencies to a restaurant and a product line, Kin HTX continues to evolve and showcase Evelyn’s passion for Southeast Asian flavors and local agriculture.

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Jackson Kalb

Jackson Kalb

HOMETOWN: Los Angeles, CA

OCCUPATION/PROFESSION: Chef/Owner, Jame Enoteca & Ospi; Chef/Partner at Wake & Late

Jackson Kalb is the Chef and Owner of Jame Enoteca and Ospi in Los Angeles, CA along with his wife, Melissa. He also serves as the Chef and Partner of Wake&Late. Jackson’s culinary career started at age 13 in the kitchen of Josiah Citrin’s Melisse Restaurant, where he worked weekends and holidays throughout middle and high school. Jackson attended Cornell University's school of Hotel Administration and trained at top restaurants including Joël Robuchon in Las Vegas, NV, Chicago's Alinea, Union Square Cafe in New York, and Hillstone Restaurant Group. In 2022, he plans to open his third restaurant in Los Angeles, Gemma di Mare. He is also developing a line of jarred pasta sauces and producing software to help independent chefs.

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Jae Jung

Jae Jung

HOMETOWN: Seoul, Korea

CURRENT CITY OF RESIDENCE: New York City

OCCUPATION/PROFESSION: Chef/Owner, KJUN

Chef Jae Jung is the chef and owner of KJUN, a Korean-Cajun pop-up in New York City. Originally from Seoul, Chef Jae left her family to come to the United States in 2009 to attend the Culinary Institute of America in New York.  Upon graduation, she moved to New Orleans and fell in love with Cajun food while working in the kitchens of the city’s most-decorated restaurants, including August, Domenica, Herbsaint and Dooky Chase. During these formative years, Jae developed her distinctive Korean-Cajun flavors and techniques, as well as her deep commitment to the spirit of Southern cuisine and hospitality. In 2014, Jae relocated to New York City to work in some of the city’s most prestigious Michelin-starred restaurants, including Oceana, Le Bernardin, the NoMad Restaurant, and most recently as the sous chef of the famed Café Boulud.   In 2021, she launched her first startup, KJUN, introducing hungry New Yorkers to her distinctive blend of Korean and Cajun flavors, ingredients, and dishes. Her cuisine has been featured in the New York Times, Eater, FOOD & WINE Magazine, Bon Appétit Magazine, the New Yorker, and Bloomberg Pursuits, which recently named KJUN one of the Best New Restaurants in New York. 

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Jo Chan

Jo Chan

HOMETOWN: Palmdale, California

CURRENT CITY OF RESIDENCE: Austin, Texas

OCCUPATION/PROFESSION: Executive Chef

Jo Chan graduated from San Diego State University before attending the San Diego Culinary Institute. In 2012, she moved to New York City, where she began her career at Nobu Fifty-Seven. From there she went to work under Jonathan Waxman at Barbuto in the West Village. Her time at Barbuto brought her to the kitchen of fellow Barbuto alumni Justin Smillie, who collaborated with Stephen Starr to create Upland. Chef Jo then went to Scandinavia as the travelling Executive Chef for James Beard winner Marcus Samuelsson. She moved to Austin in 2018, where she became Executive Chef at Eberly. She has found a strong community in this city and hopes to deepen her roots here in the coming years. Her new project will combine her love of Italian food with Austin’s unique appetite for high-quality ingredients served in a casual setting. She lives with her beautiful fiancée, who is an English professor at Texas State University, and their two perfect dogs, Blue and Luna.

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Leia Gaccione

Leia Gaccione

HOMETOWN: Passaic, NJ

CURRENT CITY OF RESIDENCE: Morristown, NJ

OCCUPATION/PROFESSION: Chef/Owner, south + pine American eatery

Leia Gaccione is the Chef and Owner of south+pine American eatery in Morristown, NJ. As a child, Leia was enamored with cooking shows like "Yan Can Cook" and "Julia Child.” As an adult, she studied culinary arts and restaurant management at the New York Restaurant School and has trained in NYC, New Jersey, Connecticut and Las Vegas, before opening south+pine in 2015. Leia has appeared on "Iron Chef America,” "Beat Bobby Flay,” “Iron Chef Showdown,” “Chopped” and is the host of the documentary film “Her Name Is Chef.” Her mission is to serve seasonal and locally sourced food made with lots of love and to remain a neighborhood staple in the Morristown community.

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Luke Kolpin

Luke Kolpin

HOMETOWN: Seattle, WA

CURRENT CITY OF RESIDENCE: Seattle, WA

OCCUPATION/PROFESSION: Chef

Seattle native Luke Kolpin began his cooking journey at Seattle Central College’s culinary program. After graduating, Luke went on to work at many Seattle restaurants including Canlis, an upscale fine dining destination. Looking to further his culinary expertise, Luke accepted a job under Chef Rene Redzepi at the three Michelin-starred, world-renowned restaurant Noma in Copenhagen, Denmark. While at Noma, he had the opportunity to work alongside some of the most talented chefs in the culinary industry and earned the role of Sous Chef. After eight years at Noma, Luke decided to head back home to Seattle. When feeding himself, Luke’s everyday go-to dish is a sandwich as there are endless possibilities of perfection!

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Monique Feybesse

Monique Feybesse

HOMETOWN: San Francisco

CURRENT CITY OF RESIDENCE: Vallejo, CA

OCCUPATION/PROFESSION: Chef/Owner of Tarts de Feybesse

A San Francisco native, Chef Monique Feybesse began her career in 2007 when she graduated from the California Culinary Academy and joined the opening team at Madera restaurant at Rosewood Sand Hill and at Masa’s in San Francisco. In 2013, she booked a one-way ticket to Copenhagen and earned a position at Geranium Restaurant under Bocuse d’Or Legend, Rasmus Kofoed. She later relocated to Paris as part of the opening team of Chef Yannick Alleno’s Pavillon Ledoyen, which earned three Michelin stars within their first year. Her resume also includes Atera in New York and Ninebark in Napa Valley, under Chef Matthew Lightner. After moving back to the Bay Area to start a family in 2016, Monique became Chef de Cuisine of Cavallo Point’s Murray Circle restaurant later leading the culinary department at Robert Sinskey Vineyards. She now is focusing solely on building the brand of Tarts de Feybesse with her husband Paul while enjoying watching her two young sons grow up and destroy the house.

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Nick Wallace

Nick Wallace

HOMETOWN: Edwards, MS

CURRENT CITY OF RESIDENCE: Jackson, MS

OCCUPATION/PROFESSION: Chef, Nick Wallace Culinary

Nick Wallace is the Founder and Chef of Nick Wallace Culinary, Nick Wallace Catering, Nissan Café by Nick Wallace, and soon to be “CHURN Creameries”. Born and raised in Mississippi, he began his culinary training at an early age in his grandmothers’ kitchens, where he absorbed the knowledge and guidance that inspired his love for food. Nick has served as Executive Chef for some of the country's largest and most prominent museums and hotels. He has also been featured on notable food television programs. He works closely with local farmers and combines his family's farm origins with a sophisticated French method to create a unique and modern Mississippi cuisine that is as comforting as it is exciting. His non-profit organization, Creativity Kitchen, works with Jackson Public Schools to provide more flavorful and nutritious meals for students as well as educate them about healthy eating and the skills and value of farm-to-table practices. In addition to serving on the Board of Directors for Hunger Free America, Nick has also established partnerships with major food and beverage companies as well as organizations including Share the Gulf, Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi and the American Cancer Society. Recently, Nick’s love for his state and vision for culinary innovation earned him Best Chef of Mississippi honors, which he uses to motivate himself to further grow his understanding of flavor and technique and to better serve his family and community.

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Robert Hernandez

Robert Hernandez

HOMETOWN: Downey, CA

CURRENT CITY OF RESIDENCE: San Francisco, CA

OCCUPATION/PROFESSION: Private Chef

Robert Hernandez is a Private Chef in San Francisco, CA. He grew up in the suburbs of Los Angeles where his passion for food grew through family gatherings and his mother’s cooking. Some of Robert’s favorite childhood memories include large gatherings around the kitchen table, eating ceviche, tamales, essentially anything his mother or aunt put on the table. Robert has worked in many notable restaurants in San Francisco, including one Michelin-starred restaurant Octavia. At Octavia, Robert worked his way up to Chef de Cuisine and was recognized as San Francisco’s Rising Star Chef in 2019. There, he honed his culinary skills and developed a passion for marrying seasonal ingredients with his inherited flavor profiles. Methodical techniques have shaped his elevated, yet approachable cuisine. Apart from cooking, Robert enjoys binge watching his favorite “The Real Housewives” franchise, traveling and spending time with his family.

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Sam Kang

Sam Kang

HOMETOWN: Gardena, California

CURRENT CITY OF RESIDENCE: Brooklyn, NY

OCCUPATION/PROFESSION: Chef Educator

A Southern California native, Sam Kang headed to New York in 2010 with just $700 in his pocket and the goal of becoming a head chef. His first job was at Chef David Chang’s Momofuku Ko, a two Michelin-starred restaurant where he developed his foundation for cooking. In 2012, Sam went on to work with Chef Daniel Humm at the three Michelin-starred Eleven Madison Park, which laid a foundation of teamwork, organization, and finesse. In 2016, Sam returned to Momofuku Ko as a Sous Chef and helped open The Bar at Ko and Wayo, where he was the Chef de Cuisine. Since 2020, Chef Sam has focused on a new passion for teaching and educating kids about food.

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Sarah Welch

Sarah Welch

HOMETOWN: Ann Arbor, MI

CURRENT CITY OF RESIDENCE: Detroit, MI

OCCUPATION/PROFESSION: Executive Chef, Marrow & Partner, Mink

Sarah Welch is the Executive Chef, Founding Member and Equity Partner at Marrow. She is also the co-Founder of seafood-centric restaurant Mink in Detroit's Corktown. Marrow was voted a semi-finalist for Best New Restaurant in the country by the James Beard Foundation in 2019, and in that same year was named one of the top new restaurants by Eater. The following year, Sarah was named a James Beard Foundation semi-finalist in the Best Chef in the Great Lakes category. Prior to Marrow, she was Executive Chef at Republic and Parks and Recreation for two years. Sarah trained at the renowned International Culinary Center in NYC after getting a business degree at Michigan State University. She credits her childhood experience of growing up partially in Jamaica as an inspiration for becoming a chef.

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Stephanie Miller

Stephanie Miller

HOMETOWN: Bismarck, ND

CURRENT CITY OF RESIDENCE: Bismarck, ND

OCCUPATION/PROFESSION: Chef/Owner, Butterhorn & Owner, Shelter Belt

Stephanie Miller is the Chef and Owner of Butterhorn and Owner of Shelter Belt in Bismarck, ND. Growing up, she fell in love with cooking with her grandmothers and frequently made meals by herself for her large family at a very young age. After attending college at the University of North Dakota for pre-med, Stephanie switched gears and attended culinary school at Le Cordon Bleu in Minneapolis. She spent the next seven years cooking with distinguished James Beard-nominated chefs Lenny Russo and Doug Flicker. Following her work at the James Beard-nominated restaurant Piccolo, she became Executive Chef at Italian Eatery, which was named Minneapolis’ Best Italian in 2016 by Mpls St. Paul Magazine. Stephanie then moved back to her hometown of Bismarck and opened two restaurants, Butterhorn and Shelter Belt, with her husband Shane. Each restaurant focuses on the history of North Dakota and her state pride with menu items including lefse, bison and kuchen.

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Padma Lakshmi
@padmalakshmi

Padma Lakshmi
@padmalakshmi

Padma Lakshmi is an Emmy-nominated television host, producer, food expert and The New York Times best-selling author.

Lakshmi serves as host and executive producer of Bravo’s Emmy-winning series Top Chef, which has been nominated for 37 Emmys, including her two-time nomination for Outstanding Host for A Reality-Competition Program. Season 19 will debut in Spring 2022.

She is also the creator, host, and executive producer of the critically acclaimed Hulu series Taste the Nation, winner of the 2021 Critics Choice Award. She is currently working on its second season.

Lakshmi is co-founder of the Endometriosis Foundation of America (EFA) and an American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Artist Ambassador for immigrants' rights and women's rights. Lakshmi was also appointed a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Born in India, she grew up in the United States, graduating from Clark University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Theatre Arts and American Literature. Known as India’s first supermodel, she began her career as a fashion model and actress working in Europe and the United States.

Lakshmi established herself as a food expert early in her career hosting Padma’s Passport, where she cooked diverse cuisine from around the world and Planet Food, a documentary series, both on theFood Network domestically and worldwide on the Discovery Channel. She also co-hosted Rai Television's Domenica In, Italy’s highest-rated variety show.

She’s a prolific author, writing the best-selling Easy Exotic, which won the “Best First Book” award at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. Lakshmi followed this with the publication of her second cookbook, Tangy, Tart, Hot & Sweet and her memoir The New York Times best-selling Love, Loss and What We Ate. She later published The Encyclopedia of Spices & Herbs. In August of 2021 she published her first children’s book, The New York Times best-selling Tomatoes for Neela.

In addition to her food writing, Lakshmi has also contributed to Vogue, Gourmet, both British and American Harper's Bazaar, as well as penning a syndicated column on fashion and food for The New York Times.

Lakshmi created a fine jewelry line The Padma Collection, which sold at Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom. She also designed a home décor line under the same name featuring tabletop dishware, stemware and hand-blown glass décor pieces, was sold nationwide in Bloomingdale’s. In addition, Lakshmi created Padma’s Easy Exotic, a collection of culinary products ranging from frozen organic foods, fine teas, natural spice blends and home goods. In 2018, Lakshmi collaborated with MAC Cosmetics for a worldwide capsule collection called MAC Padma which quickly sold out in both India and the United States.

After unknowingly suffering from endometriosis for decades, in 2009 she co-founded the Endometriosis Foundation of America (EFA) alongside Advanced Gynecological Surgeon Tamer Seckin, MD. The EFA launched the first interdisciplinary research facility in the country for Gynepathology, as a joint project between Harvard Medical School and MIT and Lakshmi gave the keynote address at the Center’s opening in December 2009.

Her efforts were recognized on the floor of the New York State Senate, where she succeeded in passing a bill related to teen health initiatives. The organization’s ENPOWR program has currently educated over 32,000 students about endometriosis in high schools across the state of New York.

Lakshmi is a visiting scholar at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and has received the 2018 Karma Award from Variety, as well as the 2016 NECO Ellis Island Medal of Honor.

She lives in New York with her daughter.

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Tom Colicchio
@tomcolicchio

Tom Colicchio
@tomcolicchio

One of the culinary world's most celebrated figures, Tom Colicchio returns once again as lead judge for Bravo's 19th season of the Emmy and James Beard Award-winning culinary series Top Chef, and also serves as mentor to the competing chefs on the series, guiding them through their various challenges. He also hosts BravoTV.com's Emmy-Winning Digital Companion Video Series Top Chef: Last Chance Kitchen.

Tom is also the chef and owner of Crafted Hospitality, which currently includes New York's Craft, Temple Court and Small Batch; Los Angeles' Craft Los Angeles; and Las Vegas' Heritage Steak and Craftsteak. Born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Tom made his New York cooking debut at prominent New York restaurants including The Quilted Giraffe, Gotham Bar & Grill and Gramercy Tavern before opening Craft in 2001. Outside of his fine dining restaurants, Colicchio opened 'Wichcraft – a sandwich and salad fast casual concept rooted in the same food and hospitality philosophies as Craft – in New York City in 2003.

He has published Think Like a Chef (2000), which won The James Beard Foundation "KitchenAid" Cookbook Award in May 2001; Craft of Cooking (2003); and a sandwich book inspired by 'wichcraft (2009). In May 2010, Tom was awarded The James Beard Foundation's coveted "Outstanding Chef" award, the culmination of his 30 years of hard work in the restaurant industry.

A vocal social justice advocate, Tom executive produced the 2013 documentary A Place at the Table, about the underlying causes of hunger in the United States. This eye-opening experience led Tom to Washington, D.C. where he lobbied in front of Congress in an effort to protect and expand food programs in the U.S. Tom is a founding member of the Independent Restaurant Coalition, founded to save the independent restaurants and bars and the 11 million people they employ who have been affected by COVID-19. He is a frequent contributor on MSNBC and is the host of the iHeart Radio podcast, Citizen Chef.

Tom and his restaurants give back to the community by serving on the boards of Children of Bellevue, City Harvest and Wholesome Wave. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife, Lori Silverbush, and three sons. When he's not in the kitchen, Tom can be found tending to his garden on the North Fork of Long Island, enjoying a day of fishing or playing guitar.

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Gail Simmons
@gailsimmons

Gail Simmons
@gailsimmons

Gail Simmons is a trained culinary expert, food writer, and dynamic television personality. Since the show’s inception in 2006, she has lent her expertise as a permanent judge on Bravo’s Emmy and James Beard Award-winning series Top Chef, now in its 19th successful season. She is a co-host of The Good Dish, the new daily syndicated series offering delicious recipes, real-life wisdom, and conversations on the topics of the day, and most recently was host of Top Chef Amateurs, as well as Iron Chef Canada. From 2004 to 2019, Gail served as special projects director at FOOD & WINE.

In February 2012, she published her first book, Talking With My Mouth Full: My Life as a Professional Eater. Her first cookbook, Bringing It Home: Favorite Recipes from a Life of Adventurous Eating, was released in October 2017. Nominated for an IACP award for best general cookbook, it features recipes inspired by Gail’s world travels—all made with accessible ingredients and with smart, simple techniques for successful family meals and easy entertaining.

Gail frequently appears on other daytime television shows such as TODAY on NBC, Rachael Ray and The Talk, and was named the #1 Reality TV Judge in America by The New York Post.

She is an Entrepreneur in Residence at Babson College, co-founder of Bumble Pie Productions, and the newest Global Ambassador for Children in Conflict, an international organization committed to protecting, educating and providing critical aid for the world's most vulnerable children affected by war. Gail sits on the board of several other nonprofit organizations and philanthropic endeavors, including City Harvest and Hot Bread Kitchen. She currently lives in New York City with her husband, Jeremy and their two children, Dahlia and Kole.

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Ashleigh Shanti

Ashleigh Shanti

HOMETOWN: Virginia Beach, VA 

CURRENT CITY OF RESIDENCE: Asheville, NC 

OCCUPATION/PROFESSION:  Chef/Owner, Good Hot Fish

Ashleigh Shanti is Chef and Creator of Good Hot Fish, an Asheville, North Carolina-based fish fry pop up. Her cuisine honors Black foodways while also paying homage to her coastal Virginia upbringing where she stripped collard greens before she could walk.  After earning her Bachelor’s in Marketing at Hampton University, Ashleigh studied Culinary Arts at Baltimore International College.  She honed her skills at a variety of restaurants ranging from Northern Italian to Classic French, but Southern Appalachian cuisine is her culinary love language. Ashleigh was awarded 2019 Eater Young Gun and named a 2020 finalist for James Beard “Rising Star Chef of the Year” award during her tenure as Chef de Cuisine at John Fleer’s Benne on Eagle. When she’s not in the kitchen, Ashleigh can be found outdoors, birding, foraging or hiking the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains with her 10-year-old Vizsla, Roux and her lovely partner, Meaghan.

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Buddha Lo

Buddha Lo

HOMETOWN: Port Douglas, Australia

CURRENT CITY OF RESIDENCE: Brooklyn, New York

OCCUPATION/PROFESSION: Executive Chef, Marky’s Caviar & Huso

Buddha Lo is the Executive Chef at Huso, the Michelin plate restaurant inside Marky’s Caviar serving an 8-course tasting menu. Buddha learned the foundations of flavor and the rules of the kitchen at a very young age by working for his father at his family's Chinese restaurant in Port Douglas, Australia. At age 14, he pursued his career by working at a 5-star resort on the weekends. After culinary school, Buddha moved to London to work at the three Michelin-starred restaurant Gordon Ramsay, where he met his mentor, Clare Smyth. He then moved to New York City and spent a year at three Michelin-starred restaurant Eleven Madison Park where he learned to push himself in the world of fine dining. Don't be misled by his formal training, Buddha is obsessed with everything to do with food and cooking whether it is eating street food or working at the best restaurant in the world. Buddha and his wife Rebekah met in the kitchen in Melbourne and have been together for 10 years, she is currently the pastry sous at Eleven Madison Park.

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Damarr Brown

Damarr Brown

HOMETOWN: Chicago, IL

OCCUPATION/PROFESSION: Chef de Cuisine, Virtue

Damarr Brown is the Chef de Cuisine at Virtue restaurant located on the southside of Chicago. He fell in love with cooking at a young age while spending time in the kitchen with his grandmother. Damarr formalized his culinary skills at Le Cordon Bleu college of culinary arts in Chicago and continued to train in some of cities’ finest kitchens including mk, the Capital Grille, and one Michelin-starred restaurant Roister. Damarr reunited with his mentor Erick Williams to open Virtue, which was named one of America’s Best New Restaurants by Esquire in 2019. His culinary focus at Virtue draws from familiar flavors he grew up with, pairing them with his learnings and takeaways from past kitchens. 

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Evelyn Garcia

Evelyn Garcia

HOMETOWN: Houston, TX

OCCUPATION/PROFESSION: Chef/Co-Owner, Kin HTX

A Houston native, born to parents from Mexico and El Salvador, Chef Evelyn García is the Chef and Co-Owner of Kin HTX. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Evelyn cooked her way through New York City with stints at Jean George’s Spice Market under Chef Anthony Ricco, Masak with Chef Larry Reutens and Kin Shop with “Top Chef” season one winner Harold Dieterle. After 10 years in NYC honing her skills, passion and drive for Southeast Asian food and culture, she decided to move back to her hometown of Houston and open Kin HTX, a Southeast Asian inspired concept. From pop-ups to chef residencies to a restaurant and a product line, Kin HTX continues to evolve and showcase Evelyn’s passion for Southeast Asian flavors and local agriculture.

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Jackson Kalb

Jackson Kalb

HOMETOWN: Los Angeles, CA

OCCUPATION/PROFESSION: Chef/Owner, Jame Enoteca & Ospi; Chef/Partner at Wake & Late

Jackson Kalb is the Chef and Owner of Jame Enoteca and Ospi in Los Angeles, CA along with his wife, Melissa. He also serves as the Chef and Partner of Wake&Late. Jackson’s culinary career started at age 13 in the kitchen of Josiah Citrin’s Melisse Restaurant, where he worked weekends and holidays throughout middle and high school. Jackson attended Cornell University's school of Hotel Administration and trained at top restaurants including Joël Robuchon in Las Vegas, NV, Chicago's Alinea, Union Square Cafe in New York, and Hillstone Restaurant Group. In 2022, he plans to open his third restaurant in Los Angeles, Gemma di Mare. He is also developing a line of jarred pasta sauces and producing software to help independent chefs.

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Jae Jung

Jae Jung

HOMETOWN: Seoul, Korea

CURRENT CITY OF RESIDENCE: New York City

OCCUPATION/PROFESSION: Chef/Owner, KJUN

Chef Jae Jung is the chef and owner of KJUN, a Korean-Cajun pop-up in New York City. Originally from Seoul, Chef Jae left her family to come to the United States in 2009 to attend the Culinary Institute of America in New York.  Upon graduation, she moved to New Orleans and fell in love with Cajun food while working in the kitchens of the city’s most-decorated restaurants, including August, Domenica, Herbsaint and Dooky Chase. During these formative years, Jae developed her distinctive Korean-Cajun flavors and techniques, as well as her deep commitment to the spirit of Southern cuisine and hospitality. In 2014, Jae relocated to New York City to work in some of the city’s most prestigious Michelin-starred restaurants, including Oceana, Le Bernardin, the NoMad Restaurant, and most recently as the sous chef of the famed Café Boulud.   In 2021, she launched her first startup, KJUN, introducing hungry New Yorkers to her distinctive blend of Korean and Cajun flavors, ingredients, and dishes. Her cuisine has been featured in the New York Times, Eater, FOOD & WINE Magazine, Bon Appétit Magazine, the New Yorker, and Bloomberg Pursuits, which recently named KJUN one of the Best New Restaurants in New York. 

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Jo Chan

Jo Chan

HOMETOWN: Palmdale, California

CURRENT CITY OF RESIDENCE: Austin, Texas

OCCUPATION/PROFESSION: Executive Chef

Jo Chan graduated from San Diego State University before attending the San Diego Culinary Institute. In 2012, she moved to New York City, where she began her career at Nobu Fifty-Seven. From there she went to work under Jonathan Waxman at Barbuto in the West Village. Her time at Barbuto brought her to the kitchen of fellow Barbuto alumni Justin Smillie, who collaborated with Stephen Starr to create Upland. Chef Jo then went to Scandinavia as the travelling Executive Chef for James Beard winner Marcus Samuelsson. She moved to Austin in 2018, where she became Executive Chef at Eberly. She has found a strong community in this city and hopes to deepen her roots here in the coming years. Her new project will combine her love of Italian food with Austin’s unique appetite for high-quality ingredients served in a casual setting. She lives with her beautiful fiancée, who is an English professor at Texas State University, and their two perfect dogs, Blue and Luna.

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Leia Gaccione

Leia Gaccione

HOMETOWN: Passaic, NJ

CURRENT CITY OF RESIDENCE: Morristown, NJ

OCCUPATION/PROFESSION: Chef/Owner, south + pine American eatery

Leia Gaccione is the Chef and Owner of south+pine American eatery in Morristown, NJ. As a child, Leia was enamored with cooking shows like "Yan Can Cook" and "Julia Child.” As an adult, she studied culinary arts and restaurant management at the New York Restaurant School and has trained in NYC, New Jersey, Connecticut and Las Vegas, before opening south+pine in 2015. Leia has appeared on "Iron Chef America,” "Beat Bobby Flay,” “Iron Chef Showdown,” “Chopped” and is the host of the documentary film “Her Name Is Chef.” Her mission is to serve seasonal and locally sourced food made with lots of love and to remain a neighborhood staple in the Morristown community.

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Luke Kolpin

Luke Kolpin

HOMETOWN: Seattle, WA

CURRENT CITY OF RESIDENCE: Seattle, WA

OCCUPATION/PROFESSION: Chef

Seattle native Luke Kolpin began his cooking journey at Seattle Central College’s culinary program. After graduating, Luke went on to work at many Seattle restaurants including Canlis, an upscale fine dining destination. Looking to further his culinary expertise, Luke accepted a job under Chef Rene Redzepi at the three Michelin-starred, world-renowned restaurant Noma in Copenhagen, Denmark. While at Noma, he had the opportunity to work alongside some of the most talented chefs in the culinary industry and earned the role of Sous Chef. After eight years at Noma, Luke decided to head back home to Seattle. When feeding himself, Luke’s everyday go-to dish is a sandwich as there are endless possibilities of perfection!

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Monique Feybesse

Monique Feybesse

HOMETOWN: San Francisco

CURRENT CITY OF RESIDENCE: Vallejo, CA

OCCUPATION/PROFESSION: Chef/Owner of Tarts de Feybesse

A San Francisco native, Chef Monique Feybesse began her career in 2007 when she graduated from the California Culinary Academy and joined the opening team at Madera restaurant at Rosewood Sand Hill and at Masa’s in San Francisco. In 2013, she booked a one-way ticket to Copenhagen and earned a position at Geranium Restaurant under Bocuse d’Or Legend, Rasmus Kofoed. She later relocated to Paris as part of the opening team of Chef Yannick Alleno’s Pavillon Ledoyen, which earned three Michelin stars within their first year. Her resume also includes Atera in New York and Ninebark in Napa Valley, under Chef Matthew Lightner. After moving back to the Bay Area to start a family in 2016, Monique became Chef de Cuisine of Cavallo Point’s Murray Circle restaurant later leading the culinary department at Robert Sinskey Vineyards. She now is focusing solely on building the brand of Tarts de Feybesse with her husband Paul while enjoying watching her two young sons grow up and destroy the house.

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Nick Wallace

Nick Wallace

HOMETOWN: Edwards, MS

CURRENT CITY OF RESIDENCE: Jackson, MS

OCCUPATION/PROFESSION: Chef, Nick Wallace Culinary

Nick Wallace is the Founder and Chef of Nick Wallace Culinary, Nick Wallace Catering, Nissan Café by Nick Wallace, and soon to be “CHURN Creameries”. Born and raised in Mississippi, he began his culinary training at an early age in his grandmothers’ kitchens, where he absorbed the knowledge and guidance that inspired his love for food. Nick has served as Executive Chef for some of the country's largest and most prominent museums and hotels. He has also been featured on notable food television programs. He works closely with local farmers and combines his family's farm origins with a sophisticated French method to create a unique and modern Mississippi cuisine that is as comforting as it is exciting. His non-profit organization, Creativity Kitchen, works with Jackson Public Schools to provide more flavorful and nutritious meals for students as well as educate them about healthy eating and the skills and value of farm-to-table practices. In addition to serving on the Board of Directors for Hunger Free America, Nick has also established partnerships with major food and beverage companies as well as organizations including Share the Gulf, Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi and the American Cancer Society. Recently, Nick’s love for his state and vision for culinary innovation earned him Best Chef of Mississippi honors, which he uses to motivate himself to further grow his understanding of flavor and technique and to better serve his family and community.

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Robert Hernandez

Robert Hernandez

HOMETOWN: Downey, CA

CURRENT CITY OF RESIDENCE: San Francisco, CA

OCCUPATION/PROFESSION: Private Chef

Robert Hernandez is a Private Chef in San Francisco, CA. He grew up in the suburbs of Los Angeles where his passion for food grew through family gatherings and his mother’s cooking. Some of Robert’s favorite childhood memories include large gatherings around the kitchen table, eating ceviche, tamales, essentially anything his mother or aunt put on the table. Robert has worked in many notable restaurants in San Francisco, including one Michelin-starred restaurant Octavia. At Octavia, Robert worked his way up to Chef de Cuisine and was recognized as San Francisco’s Rising Star Chef in 2019. There, he honed his culinary skills and developed a passion for marrying seasonal ingredients with his inherited flavor profiles. Methodical techniques have shaped his elevated, yet approachable cuisine. Apart from cooking, Robert enjoys binge watching his favorite “The Real Housewives” franchise, traveling and spending time with his family.

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Sam Kang

Sam Kang

HOMETOWN: Gardena, California

CURRENT CITY OF RESIDENCE: Brooklyn, NY

OCCUPATION/PROFESSION: Chef Educator

A Southern California native, Sam Kang headed to New York in 2010 with just $700 in his pocket and the goal of becoming a head chef. His first job was at Chef David Chang’s Momofuku Ko, a two Michelin-starred restaurant where he developed his foundation for cooking. In 2012, Sam went on to work with Chef Daniel Humm at the three Michelin-starred Eleven Madison Park, which laid a foundation of teamwork, organization, and finesse. In 2016, Sam returned to Momofuku Ko as a Sous Chef and helped open The Bar at Ko and Wayo, where he was the Chef de Cuisine. Since 2020, Chef Sam has focused on a new passion for teaching and educating kids about food.

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Sarah Welch

Sarah Welch

HOMETOWN: Ann Arbor, MI

CURRENT CITY OF RESIDENCE: Detroit, MI

OCCUPATION/PROFESSION: Executive Chef, Marrow & Partner, Mink

Sarah Welch is the Executive Chef, Founding Member and Equity Partner at Marrow. She is also the co-Founder of seafood-centric restaurant Mink in Detroit's Corktown. Marrow was voted a semi-finalist for Best New Restaurant in the country by the James Beard Foundation in 2019, and in that same year was named one of the top new restaurants by Eater. The following year, Sarah was named a James Beard Foundation semi-finalist in the Best Chef in the Great Lakes category. Prior to Marrow, she was Executive Chef at Republic and Parks and Recreation for two years. Sarah trained at the renowned International Culinary Center in NYC after getting a business degree at Michigan State University. She credits her childhood experience of growing up partially in Jamaica as an inspiration for becoming a chef.

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Stephanie Miller

Stephanie Miller

HOMETOWN: Bismarck, ND

CURRENT CITY OF RESIDENCE: Bismarck, ND

OCCUPATION/PROFESSION: Chef/Owner, Butterhorn & Owner, Shelter Belt

Stephanie Miller is the Chef and Owner of Butterhorn and Owner of Shelter Belt in Bismarck, ND. Growing up, she fell in love with cooking with her grandmothers and frequently made meals by herself for her large family at a very young age. After attending college at the University of North Dakota for pre-med, Stephanie switched gears and attended culinary school at Le Cordon Bleu in Minneapolis. She spent the next seven years cooking with distinguished James Beard-nominated chefs Lenny Russo and Doug Flicker. Following her work at the James Beard-nominated restaurant Piccolo, she became Executive Chef at Italian Eatery, which was named Minneapolis’ Best Italian in 2016 by Mpls St. Paul Magazine. Stephanie then moved back to her hometown of Bismarck and opened two restaurants, Butterhorn and Shelter Belt, with her husband Shane. Each restaurant focuses on the history of North Dakota and her state pride with menu items including lefse, bison and kuchen.

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