Dine Diaspora, an agency that connects people and brands to African Food Culture, has announced its list of honorees at its 5th annual Black Women in Food awards.
The agency, co-founded by Maame Boakye and Nina Oduro in Washington DC, selected the honorees from a cross-section of professionals working in the food sector, including chefs, activists, and journalists. This year’s Black Women in Food awards highlight 31 black women transforming the food and beverage industry, divided into six categories: Amplifiers, Creators, Culinarians, Game Changers, Innovators, and Trailblazers.
The honorees were selected by a panel of judges featuring Alexis Nikole Nelson, Bon Appetit’s editor-in-chief Dawn Davis, James Beard Foundation, director of awards Dawn Padmore, and Uncle Nearest’s master blender Victoria Eady Butler.
See the full list of all the 31 honorees below.
Game Changers
Gabrielle EW Carter, Co-founder, Tall Grass Food Box (Apex, NCUSA)
Kiki Louya, Chef and the Executive Director, Restaurant Workers’ Community Foundation (Detroit, MIUSA)
Tambra Raye Stevenson, Founder and CEO of WANDA: Women Advancing Nutrition Dietetics and Agriculture (Washington, DCUSA)
Mavis-Jay Sanders, Chef, Director of Operations, The Brownsville Community Culinary Center and Director of Culinary Development and Education, Drive Change (New York, NYUSA)
Sinnidra Taylor, Founder and Director, Friends of Codey’s NOLA (New Orleans, LAUSA)
Innovators
Dr. Lisa Dyson, Founder and CEO, Air Protein (San Francisco, CAUSA)
Janique Edwards, COO and Co-Founder, EatOkra (Brooklyn, NYUSA)
Riana Lynn, CEO and Founder, Journey Foods (Austin, TXUSA)
Lesley Riley, Founder and CEO, Mama’s Biscuits (Germantown, MDUSA)
Perteet Spencer, Co-founder, AYO Foods (Chicago, ILUSA)
Trailblazers
Margaret Nyamumbo, Founder & CEO of Kahawa 1893, (San Francisco, CAUSA)
Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli, Co-founder and Executive Chair of Sahel Consulting Agriculture & Nutrition, Co-founder of AACE Foods and Founder of Nourishing Africa (Lagos, Nigeria)
Zella PalmerDirector, Dillard University Ray Charles Program in African-American Material Culture (New Orleans, NYUSA)
Karen Washington, Co-Owner / Farmer, Rise & Root Farm (BronxNY, USA)
Dr. Veronica L. Womack, Executive Director, Georgia College & State University’s Rural Studies Institute (Milledgeville, GAUSA)
Creators
Ronke Edoho, Nutrition Specialist, Author, Founder, 9jafoodie (Saskatchewan, Canada)
Courtnee Futch, Chef, Mixologist, Author and Senior Content Manager, Haven’s Kitchen (New York, NYUSA)
Jillian Knox, Interdisciplinary Polymath Artist (San Francisco, CAUSA)
Amber Mayfield, Multidisciplinary Event Producer, Entertaining Expert, Founder of To Be Hosted (New Rochelle, NYUSA)
Cha McCoy, Sommelier, Public Speaker, Founder of Cha Squared Consulting LLC (New York, NYUSA)
Culinarians
Auzerais Bellamy, Founder, Blondery (Brooklyn, NYUSA)
Eden Gebre Egziabher, Chef and Owner, Makina Cafe (New York, NYUSA)
Zola Nene, Chef, Media Personality, Food Stylist and Cookbook Author (Cape Town, South Africa)
Ashleigh Pearson, Owner and Pastry Chef / Chocolatier, Petite Soeur (Washington, DCUSA)
Rāsheeda Purdie, Chef and Owner, Ramen by Rā (New York, NYUSA)
Diana Tandia, Chef and Owner, Berber Street Food (New York, NYUSA)
Brittney ‘Stikxz’ WilliamsPrivate Chef, Caterer and Food Stylist (New York, NYUSA)
Amplifiers
Chasity Cooper, Award Winning Writer, Entrepreneur, and Wine Culture Expert (Chicago, ILUSA)
Osayi Endolyn, Award Winning Writer, Co-author, THE RISE: Black Cooks and the Soul of American Food (Brooklyn, NYUSA)
Cynthia Greenlee, Writer and Historian. Contributing Editor, Scalawag (Durham, NCUSA)
Nikita Richardson, Senior Staff Editor, New York Times Food and Cooking (New York, NYUSA)