Our People
We’re a team of professionally trained and self-taught chefs who care deeply about youth and nurturing future generations of chefs and foodies.
Meet Our Founder, Kristi Van Sickle
“Many of my memorable childhood memories are surrounded by food. My mom’s family left Japan when my mom was young and it is through food and stories around the table that culture and tradition lived on. It is how my grandmother combatted homesickness, and isolation. It is where I feel connected. I have great memories of my mom and grandma in the kitchen talking and cooking when I was growing up. I think that food builds community and understanding, and is a beautiful place to share culture and learn from one another. There is so much history behind food and its diaspora with its people. It is stories of history, beauty, resiliency, and creativity.
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My inspiration for Emerging Chefs was to combine my two passions, food and cooking with youth development. Many of our youth have had to leave land and place behind and our food is how we can carry on our culture and sense of home and can bring us comfort, while also providing a gateway to build understanding with others. I love that in Emerging Chefs we get to explore recipes from around the world that have significant meaning to our youth and their families, and the doors to conversation that it opens while we share meals together."​​​
Edible Educators and Youth Leaders
throughout the years
