Legacy Awards

The Legacy Awards, supported by The Julia Child Foundation for Gastronomy and the Culinary Arts, were established in 2009 by Les Dames d’Escoffier International with one goal in mind: to provide targeted mentorship opportunities for professional women in the food, beverage, and hospitality industries. The Julia Child Foundation for Gastronomy and the Culinary Arts generously supports our Legacy Awards program.

Adeola Sokunbi was awarded a week in Washington, D.C. exploring the culinary equality, justice, and policy environment in our Food Policy & Advocacy Award. 

Adeola is an Atlanta native with over 15 years of experience whose work spans across events like the London 2012 Summer Olympics, Super Bowl LIII, and several marquee festivals at Centennial Olympic Park.

With a Master’s in the Study of Law from the University of Georgia, Adeola brings a deep understanding of labor laws and regulatory frameworks affecting the food industry. Her nonprofit leadership at the Navigate Foundation, an organization focused on mentorship and workforce development, provides youth culinary training that feeds directly into paid internships at Compass Group USA.

She is also deeply committed to education by co-owning the training kitchen and incubator, C.H.E.F. Academy ®️, as well as serving as an Adjunct Professor at her alma mater Georgia State University teaching Hospitality Law.

Award Committee:

  • Cary Kelly, Chair

  • Marletha Booker

  • Katherine Miller

  • Wendy Nevett Bazil

  • Johanna Mendelson Forman

  • Jessica Botta

  • Tambra Raye Stevenson

This award requires no funding from our chapter.  Adeola received a stipend from the Julia Child Foundation grant, but without the generous participation of members and our community, we could not provide such a robust program. 

In addition to the committee, the following Dames contributed to the agenda:

  • Kerry Brodie hosted lunch and presentation at the D.C. location of Emma’s Torch

  • Paula Johnson offered a private tour of the Smithsonian History Museum exhibit Food: Transforming the American Table (organized by Johanna Mendelson-Forman)

  • Micheline Mendelsohn and Lauren Bernstein hosted a breakfast presentation about the work of Culinary Diplomacy

  • Katherine Miller hosted a coffee-talk about advocacy and the hospitality industry

  • Rebecca Wuren hosted Adeola’s dinner at the September Dames Who Dine at her Nosh Grill House in Rockville

Community Sponsors

  • Mark Lim, The Embassy of the Republic of the Philipines

  • Patrice Cleary, Purple Patch restaurant 

  • Gbenga Ogunjimi, founder of the Nigerian Center

  • Crossroads Community Food Network 

  • Nina Oduro, Black Women in Food

  • The Phoenix Park Hotel on Capitol Hill 

Adeola, and all Legacy Award winners, will be introduced at the LDEI Conference in Las Vegas in April at a luncheon where they will each make a presentation.  I will share Adeola’s presentation with you.  

We are seeking a chair for next year’s Legacy Award week.  Please notify Cary or Christi if you are interested.