Impact Report 2025

Message from Brian Maynard, Chairman of the Board

This year was shaped not by a single milestone, but by the momentum we created together. Across Community Kitchens, classrooms, and home kitchens, supporters like you helped bring culinary education to more people in meaningful ways.

Working alongside our partners and listening closely to the needs of the communities we serve, the Jacques Pépin Foundation (JPF) continued to grow with purpose and care. What you'll see in these pages reflects that shared commitment in action.

We are grateful to move forward together as this work continues to reach more learners and kitchens in the years ahead.

Brian Maynard, Chair, Board of Directors

Thoughts from Dr. Rollie Wesen

Our 90/90 Celebration Campaign brought together chefs, home cooks, aspiring culinarians, and Community Kitchens partners in support of the JPF's mission — to make culinary education accessible to all. We believe that individuals learning to cook is a benefit to society at large, as culinary education builds confidence, connection, and economic opportunity in the workforce. When we come together, in the kitchen and around the table, as we did all across the country in 2025, we bring to life the transformational power of cooking, and reap the many benefits.

A highlight of the year was celebrating Jacques' 90th birthday. This milestone was more than a celebration — it reflected the principles that have guided Jacques throughout his life: a passion for sharing knowledge, a commitment to excellence, curiosity that drives learning, and respect for everyone at the table. Across events, kitchens, and classrooms, the 90/90 Celebration Campaign brought these principles to life, showing how culinary education can strengthen communities and create lasting impact.

The stories and outcomes that follow reflect your dedication and generosity, and belief in the JPF mission. I am grateful for what we accomplished together in 2025 and energized by what lies ahead as we continue to grow, learn, and deepen our impact in the years to come. By working together, we made real, measurable progress for learners, kitchens, and communities.

Dr. Rollie Wesen, Co-Founder and Executive Director

Reflection from Claudine Pépin

Thank you for helping us celebrate my father's 90th birthday in such a meaningful way. Your participation honored not only him, but the spirit of generosity, curiosity, and respect for learning that has guided his life.

Those values continue to live on through the work of the Jacques Pépin Foundation, in Community Kitchens, classrooms, and home kitchens where people gather to learn and share skills.

I'm deeply grateful for your trust and your commitment to carrying these traditions forward alongside us.

Claudine Pépin, President

Jacques Pépin

Jacques Pépin has dedicated the majority of his career to teaching technique. His own journey began as a child in his mother's restaurant in Lyon and led him to Paris and the service of French Presidents, then to New York and the restaurant Le Pavillon. His talent, energy, and charm ingratiated him with America's most influential culinarians: James Beard, Helen McCully, Craig Claiborne, and Julia Child.

The Foundation was formed in June 2016 by Jacques and his closest family to translate his inspirational love of cooking, mastery of classic technique, and his renowned teaching ability into action that supports the teaching of culinary skills through various channels to many communities.

This collaboration is more than funding; it reflects the Trust Based Philanthropy philosophy that the JPF supports. Community-led solutions and a collective commitment to learning and equity lead to greater impact. This approach supports our partners in responding quickly to real-time needs in their communities.

It is a source of inspiration to Catalyst Kitchens and our members to know that Chef Pépin and the entire JPF team truly understand our work and the impact of teaching kitchens.

Justin Smith, Executive Director, Catalyst Kitchens

Power of Community: The JPF Grants Review Committee

Since we began in 2019, we have awarded more than $2 million and supported nearly 200 highly regarded and effective organizations nationwide. This work has been strengthened by a diverse group of 70 volunteer community review partners, whose lived experience and community insight help ensure our investments reflect real needs, local leadership, and shared accountability.

To get involved, please email Director of Grants and Membership, Jennifer Quigley Harris.

Here is what one member of our Committee has to say about her experience:

I enjoy working with the grants committee. It allows me to make a small contribution to help those underserved populations.

Jennifer S., Volunteer, Member

Collective Impact: Beyond the Check

A JPF Principal Grant acts as a force multiplier, raising visibility for the organization, attracting press and local recognition, as well as validation for their work, and providing additional opportunities for fundraising. Here's what each JPF Principal Grant recipient organization receives in addition to $10,000 in funding:

• Media attention — Inclusion in the JPF's grant announcement for national press and a dedicated press release in local markets
• Jacques Pépin cookbooks for all applicants and grantees
• Network, industry and employer connections
• Access to JPF-produced educational materials
• A “Funder Partner” approach that listens, supports and serves the grantee
• JPF-branded “We Are All Equal in the Eyes of the Stove” aprons for program participants
• An invitation to submit a cooking video for the JPF Members, Cook with Jacques Pépin & Friends Video Recipe Book
• Lifetime JPF Group Membership, providing full access to hundreds of recipes and technique videos
• Social media and newsletter features

Truth be told, every time we put the aprons around the necks of our students at their celebratory student chef luncheon, my heart bursts with joy.

Julie Price, ED Arc Broward

Gloria Pépin Memorial Grant

Rosa L. Vicioso Gonzalez, graduate of Forge City Works in Hartford, CT

Growing up in the Dominican Republic, Rosa always enjoyed cooking, eating, and preparing food for others. During the pandemic, she decided to take that passion and pursue a future in the culinary industry. Throughout her training, Rosa demonstrated a knack for learning new skills, and she showed a willingness to jump into extracurricular tasks and events. She took advantage of all the opportunities offered by Forge City Works, advocating for herself and taking an active role in her learning and her future. She wanted to travel and, with guidance from the program team, she applied and was accepted for the August 2025 class of the Disney Culinary College Program.

This grant will ensure Rosa can support herself with the travel expenses and cost of living as she takes her next steps. It will allow her to focus on honing her craft and becoming the culinary professional she is meant to be.

Receiving the Gloria Pépin Memorial Grant reminds me that my story and dreams matter. My long-term goal is to become a professional chef and eventually open my own business—something that reflects my culture and values hard work, great food, and community. I want to create a space where people feel at home, and where I can continue learning and growing in this industry. Thank you to the JPF team for believing in me and for supporting culinary education with such heart.

Rosa L. Vicioso Gonzalez

Carl Robert “Bob” Wesen Memorial Grant

Jamel Woods, graduate of Project Renewal in New York, NY

Jamel Woods was born in Brooklyn to a single mother and has three older sisters. At the age of 22, he was incarcerated and sentenced to five years in prison. Upon his release, he attended and graduated from Project Renewal's Culinary Arts Training Program. He is now a Sous Chef at Project Renewal's social enterprise City Beet Kitchens where he provides meals for community programs and companies around New York City. Jamel is not only a dedicated, passionate chef but he is a true leader and serves as a model for his peers. Jamel is enrolled in an online course at the Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts and he is working diligently towards his goal of becoming an Executive Chef.

I am super excited about winning this grant. It showed me that anything is possible when you go for it and keep faith. I plan on using this grant to help me pay for school. Thanks to everyone who played a role in helping me achieve my small, yet huge, goal.

Jamel Woods

Runner-Up Gloria Pépin Memorial Grant

Aryana Offutt, graduate of Genesis Center's Culinary Hub of Providence (CHOP), Providence RI

Aryana was a model Genesis Center CHOP culinary student and is a professional driven with an insatiable desire to continue learning as she works her way up in the workforce. Aryana has an innate ability to combine cutting-edge culinary techniques with flavors passed down to her from her experience working in her family's African restaurants. She is working to establish herself as an African fine dining restaurateur. She is a perfect example of why Genesis and CHOP exists, and she embodies all that the Gloria Pépin Memorial Grant represents.

After high school, I went to college for political science and planned on going to law school. But after graduation, I worked in my family's café and realized my true passion is cooking. Receiving this grant will provide me with the resources necessary to develop and test recipes and start my entrepreneurial career in earnest.

Aryana Offutt

Runner-Up Gloria Pépin Memorial Grant

Zohal Azizi, graduate of Project Feast, Kent, WA

A refugee from Afghanistan, Zohal arrived in Washington state with her husband and three young children. She did not speak English, had no experience driving, and her past teaching experience was not transferable. Despite those obstacles, she was determined to help support her family and knew her passion for cooking could be a path toward financial security. As a graduate of Project Feast, Zohal not only acquired the skills and confidence to secure a culinary position at Hilton DoubleTree Sea Tac, but she also supported her Afghan classmates' experience through her strengths as a teacher.

I want to express how much this award has inspired me to believe in the value of hard work and my ability to create meaningful change through my culinary journey. It brings me one step closer to realizing my dream of starting a small catering business, an opportunity that will not only help me become self-sufficient but also provide meaningful employment for other women in my community.

Zohal Azizi

Video Recipe Library

One expression of this collective investment is the Cook with Jacques Pépin & Friends Video Recipe Book. Supported by our members, the Video Recipe Book resource offers practical instruction and inspiration to learners everywhere.

Increasingly, the Video Recipe Book features chef-instructors and students from our Community Kitchen partners, sharing recipes that reflect their programs, cultures, and daily work. Their voices appear alongside distinguished culinary leaders, affirming that excellence in teaching and technique thrives in Community Kitchens every day.

For our members, the Video Recipe Book is more than access — it is a visible expression of what their shared commitment makes possible. Learn more about JPF membership.

Connection in Every Community

Rather than host a single event, the 90/90 Celebration Campaign brought the JPF into communities. Chefs, educators, learners, and home cooks gathered not only to share skills and laughter but also to honor Jacques' life and work, which shaped their own journeys.

90 chef-hosted dinners, many of whom were inspired and mentored by Jacques, shared their culinary journeys and how their life was enhanced by this honorable profession. Each chef donated a portion of the dinner proceeds to strengthen the JPF mission.

Please Note

The JPF is committed to the highest standards of financial reporting and adherence to generally accepted accounting principles. Accordingly, financial information will be released after our annual independent audit is complete, ensuring that all reports reflect final, verified results. Thank you for your patience.

The Work Continues

As we move forward, the JPF remains guided by listening, partnership, and a commitment to learning that meets people where they are.

Together, we will continue building on the momentum of 2025 — strengthening kitchens, building skills, and creating opportunity, guided by Jacques' values and the shared belief that culinary education belongs within reach of everyone who wants to learn.

Thank you for being part of this shared table and for helping carry this work forward.

— The Jacques Pépin Foundation