Acclaimed Pastry Chef and Activist Paola Velez Envisions the Kitchen of the Future
Velez recently helped lead the world’s largest bake sale—which raised $2 million for social justice causes. Now, she discusses how restaurants should rebuild and restructure after the pandemic.
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An Afro-Dominican woman from the Bronx, Paola Velez graduated from Le Cordon Bleu in 2009 before going on to work as sous chef to household-name chocolatier Jacques Torres in New York City. She was earning acclaim for her work in the kitchen at Kith and Kin in Washington, D.C., when the pandemic struck, and she was furloughed without pay in April. The sting lasted only so long—in May she found out she was a finalist for the James Beard Rising Star Chef Award—and she made good use of her free time.
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Alex Temblador
Alex Temblador is a Mixed Latinx writer with publications in outlets like Dwell, Architectural Digest, Real Homes, Artsy, GEN by Medium, Conde Nast Traveler, The Daily Beast, Travel + Leisure among many others.
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