Chef’s Boot Camp
Now that chefs have reached the social status of celebrity, they are in a unique position to advocate for greater impact on the food system. In the hospitality business, you feed people, because you like them, you want them to be happy, to be jazzed. When you know you have something great to offer someone, and then see their reaction – that genuine appreciation in someone’s face – that is what makes us Chefs tick. We feed thousands of people a year, so we have an acute awareness that where we buy our ingredients, and how we run our business, has an affect scores of people, as well as the food system and environment at large. Effectively organizing that spirit, and aggregating that intellect can lead to lasting and meaningful change. This was my inspiration for joining Eric Kessler in founding The Chef Action Network, now known as the Chef’s Boot Camp for Policy and Change.
Now lead and curated by the James Beard Foundation, over 300 chefs have experienced the Boot Camp, have been inspired, and have made meaningful change and impact both at home, and in Washington DC.