The James Beard Foundation Inc

THE JAMES BEARD FOUNDATION IS A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION WHOSE MISSION IS TO CELEBRATE, SUPPORT, AND ELEVATE THE PEOPLE BEHIND AMERICA'S FOOD CULTURE AND CHAMPION A STANDARD OF GOOD FOOD ANCHORED IN TALENT, EQUITY, AND SUSTAINABILITY.

THE JAMES BEARD FOUNDATION AWARDS THE MISSION OF THE JAMES BEARD AWARDS IS TO RECOGNIZE EXCEPTIONAL TALENT AND ACHIEVEMENT IN THE CULINARY ARTS, HOSPITALITY, MEDIA AND THE BROADER FOOD SYSTEM, AS WELL AS DEMONSTRATED COMMITMENT TO RACIAL AND GENDER EQUITY, COMMUNITY, SUSTAINABILITY AND A CULTURE WHERE ALL CAN THRIVE. THESE ANNUAL AWARDS ARE HIGH HONORS FOR FOOD AND BEVERAGE PROFESSIONALS WORKING IN THE US. AWARDS CATEGORIES INCLUDE COOKBOOKS, RESTAURANT AND CHEFS, BROADCAST MEDIA AND JOURNALISM. NOMINEES AND AWARD WINNERS ARE SELECTED BY THEIR INDUSTRY PEERS (FULLY INDEPENDENT OF JAMES BEARD FOUNDATION STAFF OR TRUSTEES) WITH MORE THAN 600 CULINARY PROFESSIONALS INVOLVED IN THE VOTING PROCESS. HELD IN CHICAGO IN JUNE, THE 2023 AWARDS WERE A CELEBRATION OF GOOD FOOD AND GOOD INDUSTRY PRACTICES, WITH A LENS TO OUR CODE OF ETHICS.

WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP PROGRAMSTHE JAMES BEARD FOUNDATION'S WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP PROGRAMS (WLP) AIM TO CHAMPION GENDER AND RACIAL EQUITY BY SUPPORTING WOMEN THROUGHOUT THE LIFECYCLE OF THEIR CAREERS. WE LOOK TO ADDRESS THE ROOT CAUSES AND CHALLENGES WOMEN FACE IN THEIR PROFESSIONAL ADVANCEMENT. WE DO SO IN PARTNERSHIP AND IN COLLABORATION WITH OTHER WOMEN LED ORGANIZATIONS. WE ARE COMMITTED TO PROVIDING THE TOOLS, RESOURCES, AND NETWORKS TO THE COMMUNITY TO ENSURE THAT THERE ARE MORE WOMEN OWNED BUSINESSES AND MORE WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP ACROSS THE INDUSTRY. WE DO SO THROUGH PROGRAMMING WITHIN THE PILLARS OF FINANCE, COMMUNITY AND NETWORK, EDUCATION AND TRAINING, AND WELLNESS AT WORK.THE WOMEN'S ENTREPRENEURIAL LEADERSHIP (WEL) FLAGSHIP PROGRAM IS AN ADVANCED EDUCATIONAL, TRAINING, AND NETWORKING PROGRAM FOR BUSINESS OWNERS IN ALL AREAS OF THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY. THE 10 WEEK PROGRAM, CREATED IN CONJUNCTION WITH CORNELL UNIVERSITY, INCLUDES SESSIONS ON LEADERSHIP, NEGOTIATING, STRATEGY, BUSINESS AND FINANCIAL MODELS, FUNDING YOUR BUSINESSES, MEASURING SUCCESS, AND MORE. IN ADDITION TO LIVE VIRTUAL SESSIONS LED BY CORNELL FACULTY FROM ACROSS THE UNIVERSITY, INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS, AND OTHER SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS, WEL PARTICIPANTS ALSO SELECT AN ELECTIVE FROM CORNELL'S EXTERNAL EDUCATION PROGRAM.

TASTE AMERICA PROGRAM THE JAMES BEARD FOUNDATION'S 11TH ANNUAL TASTE AMERICA CULINARY SERIES, PRESENTED BY OUR SPONSOR CAPITAL ONE, BRINGS TOGETHER CHEFS, SPECIAL GUESTS AND DINERS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO CELEBRATE THE LOCAL INDEPENDENT RESTAURANTS AT THE HEART OF OUR COMMUNITIES. IN THIS ITERATION, SOME OF THE NATION'S FINEST CHEFS AND CHANGEMAKERS WILL COME TOGETHER IN 20 CITIES ACROSS THE US TO REPRESENT A SHARED MISSION OF "GOOD FOOD FOR GOOD". THIS COHORT OF CHEFS, WHICH CHANGES EACH YEAR, IS KNOWN AS THE TASTE TWENTY.THE TASTE TWENTY WILL COLLOBORATE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AT CHEF DINNERS AND WALK-AROUND TASTING EVENTS, SPOTLIGHTING THE BREADTH AND UNITY OF CULINARY CREATIVITY ACROSS THE NATION. EACH MARKET WITH ITS FEATURED CHEFS WILL SHOWCASE THE CENTRALITY OF AMERICA FOOD CULTURE AND CELEBRATE DIVERSE COMMUNITIES, LEADING THE WAY TO A FUTURE CULINARY INDUSTRY WHERE ALL CAN THRIVE.

ADVOCACY & SUSTAINABILTIY PROGRAMSTHE JAMES BEARD FOUNDATION'S CHEF BOOTCAMP FOR POLICY AND CHANGE WAS CREATED IN 2012 AND IS THE FOUNDATION OF OUR ONGOING INDUSTRY ADVOCAY PROGRAMS. SINCE MARCH 2020, MANY BOOTCAMP ALUMNI HAVE PUT THEIR ADVOCAY TRAINING TO WORK ALONG WITH OTHER INDUSTRY LEADERS TO URGE POLICYMAKERS TO PROVIDE FUNDING AND CREATE POLICIES TO KEEP RESTAURANTS OPEN. CHEF ADVOCAY IS AN IMPORTANT ARM OF THE JAMES BEARD FOUNDATION. THE VOICES OF THE COMMUNITY ARE MORE IMPORTANT AND POWERFUL THAN EVER. WE ARE TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION THE EVER-GREATER IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON LIVING CONDITIONS AND FOOD FOOD PRODUCTION WORLDWIDE, SUPPLY CHAIN STRAINS THAT HAVE BEEN FURTHER STRESSED BY A GLOBAL PANDEMIC, AND THE NEED FOR THE CULINARY INDUSTRY TO CREATE A MORE EQUITABLE, ACCESSIBLE, TRANSPARENT, AND SUSTAINABLE WORK CULTURE.