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Lysa Grate serves as Community Dining Coordinator at FeedNC, where she develops menus, coordinates meal preparation and service, and helps ensure every guest receives a nutritious meal in a welcoming environment. A graduate of FeedNC’s Workforce Development Program, Lysa’s journey reflects the transformative power of opportunity, mentorship, and hands-on training. Today, she applies her expertise in large-batch cooking, food safety, inventory management, and volunteer coordination to help serve thousands of meals each year while creating a dining experience rooted in dignity and community.

FeedNC creates connections to food, education, and resources as a catalyst for change. Through programs including community dining, food access initiatives, and workforce development training, FeedNC helps individuals build stability and move toward long-term self-sufficiency. Its Culinary Workforce Development Program provides hands-on training, industry certifications, life skills education, and career support, equipping participants with the tools needed to pursue meaningful employment in the food service industry and beyond. Lysa’s story is one example of how investing in people can create lasting impact for individuals, families, and the community as a whole.

Chrissy Tracey is a first-generation Jamaican American vegan chef, artist, forager, YouTuber, and entrepreneur in the food and wellness space. She is the first vegan chef to be featured on Bon Appétit’s Test Kitchen YouTube series and has been featured in the magazine. Her recipes and work have been featured in Epicurious, Farm Sanctuary Magazine, Veg News, and the Vegan Review. She has also been showcased on the Bon Appétit Food People podcast and NPR’s Seasoned. Tracey was listed in Connecticut Magazine‘s 40 Under 40 and made a name for herself while working as a vegan pizza chef in New Haven, a city known all over the world for its pizza. She currently runs a Connecticut-based catering company that specializes in curating unique plant-based culinary events.

Eric Ripert, the chef and co-owner of the acclaimed New York restaurant Le Bernardin, was born in Antibes, France. He began his career at the legendary La Tour D’Argent before taking a position at the Michelin three-starred Jamin. In 1989, he seized the opportunity to come to the United States to work under Jean-Louis Palladin at the Watergate Hotel in Washington, D.C. He moved to New York in 1991, working briefly as David Bouley’s sous-chef before Maguy and Gilbert Le Coze recruited him as chef for Le Bernardin. In September 2014, Chef Ripert and Le Coze opened Aldo Sohm Wine Bar, named for their acclaimed wine director Aldo Sohm.

He is the Vice Chairman of the board of City Harvest, working to bring together New York’s top chefs and restaurateurs to raise funds and increase the quality and quantity of food donations to New York’s neediest.

Accolades include, La Liste: #1 restaurant in the US, #2 restaurant in the world (2022), World’s 50 Best Restaurants (2006-present), Michelin Guide: Three stars (2005-present), The New York Times: Four stars (1995-present), Forbes 2021 All-Star Eateries: Four stars (2000-present), AAA Five Diamond (2013-present), Zagat Guide for New York City: #1 Most Popular restaurant (2020), Condé Nast Traveler‘s 33 Best Restaurants in New York City (2019), GQ: “Best Restaurant in America” (1997) and one of the “Seven Food Temples of the World” (2007), New York magazine: Five stars and “#1 Restaurant in the City” (2005), and James Beard Foundation Awards: “Top Chef in New York City” (1998), “Outstanding Chef in the United States” (2003).

He is the author of eight books, Seafood Simple (2023), Vegetable Simple (2021) – The New York Times bestseller, 32 Yolks: From My Mother’s Table to Working the Line (2016) – The New York Times bestseller, My Best: Eric Ripert (2014), Avec Eric (2010), On the Line (2008), A Return to Cooking (2002), and Le Bernardin: Four Star Simplicity (1998). Chef Ripert was also the Host of Avec Eric (2009-2015), an Emmy Award-winning television show.

When not in the kitchen, he enjoys good scotch and peace and quiet.

Chef Nicolas (Nico) López oversees all culinary operations at Mercado Little Spain, Chef José Andrés’ first outpost in New York City, a 35,000-square-foot Spanish food hall. Since opening, Mercado Little Spain has been recognized by The New York Times as the best new restaurant in 2019 and included in their list of 100 Best Restaurants in 2022. Chef Nico was also the winner of the US Sherry Cup and was awarded Best Dessert Pairing at the World Sherry Cup in 2021.

Chef Nico oversaw the creation of 136,000 meals provided for the non-profit World Central Kitchen to feed those facing food insecurity during the pandemic, and in 2021 was named to Nation Restaurant News’ Power List for this extraordinary work.

Prior to Mercado Little Spain, Nico spent two years as one of the primary chefs at Chef Andrés’ ThinkFoodGroup, contributing to menu development at two-Michelin-starred minibar by José Andrés and Jaleo. He also helped in the development of Andrés’ cookbook, Vegetables Unleashed.

He began cooking professionally at 16, studying in Madrid while staging at the Michelin-starred restaurant Zalacain. He then left for London to join the team at three-Michelin-starred restaurant The Fat Duck, and later working with two-Michelin-starred Chef Paco Roncero in Madrid, the two-Michelin-starred La Terraza del Casino, and helped develop and conceptualize Sublimotion in Ibiza, the restaurant where audio visual technology and gastronomy intertwined to create the first multisensorial gastronomic experience in Europe, and opened Version Original in Bogota, Colombia. Chef Nico also played a role in teaching master classes for Master Chef Colombia and Master Chef Junior Colombia, where he trained contestants on different techniques and ingredients in advance of competitions where they would be required for use. Chef Nico also worked with the renowned Adrià brothers.

Chef Adrienne Cheatham grew up in the restaurants her mother managed in Chicago, Illinois. She moved to New York City and enrolled in classes at the Institute of Culinary Education (ICE). Adrienne started as a commis at Le Bernardin and made her way up the ranks over her eight years at the three-Michelin star restaurant, eventually becoming Executive Sous Chef.

Adrienne went on to work with Marcus Samuelsson as the Chef de Cuisine of the Marcus Samuelsson Group, opening Streetbird, where she received a Bib Gourmand from the Michelin Guide, and Marcus’ Bermuda before being promoted to Executive Chef at Red Rooster. When planning the Red Rooster Cookbook, Marcus tapped Adrienne to test and edit the recipes as well as cook/style all food that was photographed for the book.

Adrienne competed on season 15 of “Top Chef,” making it to the finale and finishing second. Passionate about nutrition, she works with Schwan’s as part of the Chef’s Collective to develop healthy food for school lunch programs. She is also the founder of Sunday Best, a pop-up series held in various locations around Harlem, and recently released her first cookbook also titled Sunday Best, from Clarkson Potter.