Chef Douglas Cox has perfected the art of elevated comfort food, blending his Midwestern roots with fine-dining expertise from Michelin-starred restaurants Per Se (⭐⭐⭐) and Band of Bohemia (⭐) in Chicago.

Chef Ashanti Shurat celebrates vibrant, sustainable cuisine inspired by her Belizean roots and global influences. She honed her craft at acclaimed restaurants like Oxalis (⭐) and HAGS, creating dishes that highlight seasonality and the full potential of every ingredient.

Chef Nana Wilmot explores the culinary traditions of the African Diaspora through deeply personal, heritage-driven cuisine shaped by her work across Philadelphia, NYC, and Accra. With experience under luminaries like Chefs Wolfgang Puck, Jose Garces, and Daniel Rose at Le Coucou (⭐), she brings soulful storytelling and global finesse to every dish.

Born in Namibia and raised in Georgia, Chef Ilke Schaaf built her culinary foundation at Savannah’s James Beard Award–winning The Grey, where she worked across pastry, prep, and savory. In 2024, she relocated to New York City and joined the team at Clover Hill (⭐), gaining hands-on experience across all stations in its intimate kitchen. Her cuisine is rooted in classic Western European technique—French, Italian, Mediterranean, and Spanish—layered with flavor influences from the American South and Southern Africa. In 2025, she was a finalist on Netflix’s Next Gen Chef, recognized as one of the country’s most exciting emerging culinary talents.

Born and raised in Istanbul, Chef Oyku trained at MSA – The Culinary Arts Academy of Turkey – before cooking at Michelin-starred restaurants Mikla (⭐) and Arkestra (⭐⭐). Drawing from her Turkish heritage and global experience, she now leads as Resident Head Chef in New York City.

Born in Los Angeles, Chef Krystyn Navarro trained at Joe’s Restaurant (⭐) and Thomas Keller’s Bouchon, where she rose to Sous Chef. Her career has since taken her to Blue Hill at Stone Barns (⭐⭐), Brae in Australia, and Eleven Madison Park (⭐⭐⭐), where she was Sous Chef for its groundbreaking plant-based menu. She later served as Chef de Cuisine at Olmstead and is now Executive Sous Chef at Daniel Boulud’s La Tête d’Or. Inspired by French brasserie traditions and the vibrant flavors of pan-Asian cuisine, her cooking highlights vegetables, seasonality, and craveable ingredient-driven dishes.