José Andrés

Twice named one of Time Magazine’s “100 Most Influential People” and awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, José Andrés is an internationally renowned chef, New York Times bestselling author, educator, and humanitarian. Born and raised in Spain, he is credited with popularizing tapas in America and oversees more than 40 restaurants as the Executive Chairman of José Andrés Group. Andrés is the founder of World Central Kitchen, a nonprofit organization that is first to the frontlines, providing meals in response to humanitarian, climate, and community crises. From Ukraine to Gaza to Haiti, across the United States and beyond, WCK’s “food first responders” have partnered with local chefs and restaurants to serve nearly one billion nourishing meals around the world.

Building on his belief that food can solve the world’s most urgent and complex challenges, he launched the Longer Tables Fund, a philanthropic platform that invests in bold solutions to strengthen food systems and help communities rebuild after crises. Andrés has helped shape the global dialogue around food while inspiring chefs worldwide to see feeding people as both a craft and a higher calling. In 2022, he launched the Global Food Institute at George Washington University to train the next generation of food policy leaders, and was selected to give the keynote address at the first White House hunger conference in over 50 years. His work has earned awards and distinctions including the 2015 National Humanities Medal, “Outstanding Chef” and “Humanitarian of the Year” by the James Beard Foundation, and the Washington Business Journal’s CEO of the Year for his leadership of the restaurant industry during the 2020 pandemic. A proud naturalized U.S. citizen, Andrés has been a tireless advocate for immigration reform and on July 4, 2014 was named by President Barack Obama as that year’s “Outstanding American by Choice.”