Cat Cora
The first and only female American Iron Chef and the Executive Chef at Bon Appetit, Cat Cora’s influence reaches beyond the culinary world with her personal dedication to philanthropy. She serves as a nutritional spokesperson for UNICEF and she is the founder and president of Chefs for Humanity, a not-for-profit coalition of culinary professionals working for hunger relief through fundraising, education and emergency food aid. The author of three popular cookbooks, Cora’s latest, Classics With a Twist, is out this month. The ever-busy chef serves on Macy’s Culinary Council and collaborated with them on a casual barbecue eatery, CCQ (Cat Cora’s Que). Cora also recently opened Kouzzina at Walt Disney World BoardWalk Resort, which offers Mediterranean-style fare inspired by Cora’s Greek heritage. An out lesbian and Mississippi native, Cora also helped sponsor the Second Chance Prom, the LGBT-friendly prom organized by the Mississippi Safe Schools Coalition. -CB
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