José Andrés, Chef, Restaurateur, and Food Advocate, Washington, DC

José Andrés is an internationally recognized culinary innovator, advocate for food and hunger issues, author, television personality, chef, and owner of more than 16 restaurants in Washington, DC; Beverly Hills, CA; Las Vegas, NV; Miami, FL; and Dorado, Puerto Rico.

José Andrés was born in Mieres, Spain and began cooking at an early age. By 16, he was studying at the renowned culinary academy, La Escola de Restauració i Hostalatge de Barcelona. Mr. Andrés left Spain and moved to New York, NY in 1990, hoping to make a name for himself. After several years in Manhattan, he moved to Washington, DC to become a chef and eventual partner at Jaleo. It was the beginning of his venture with what would become the ThinkFoodGroup, the company behind Mr. Andrés’ restaurants, hotels, food products, media, educational initiatives, and philanthropy, employing nearly 1,000 people.

Mr. Andrés is renowned for his educational efforts and passionate advocacy for ending world hunger. He teaches a course on how food impacts civilization at George Washington University in Washington, DC and another on food and science at Harvard University in Cambridge, MA. He is the Dean of Spanish Studies at the International Culinary Center in New York, NY. Mr. Andrés has worked alongside First Lady Michelle Obama for the Let's Move campaign to end childhood obesity. With the founding of his own non-profit, World Central Kitchen, Mr. Andrés is currently working on several food-based programs to improve conditions in Haiti and other communities.

Mr. Andrés has received dozens of awards for his culinary innovations, including the James Beard Award for Outstanding Chef, the highest honor for a chef and named one of the world’s 100 most influential people by Time magazine in 2012.