Making a Difference

Practicing Knife Skills at Fresh Starts

March 28, 2024

Trainees at Fresh Starts Culinary Academy in Novato, CA get a lot of practice with knife skills. Chef Instructor Andy Wild demonstrates various vegetable cuts and then keeps things active as Team Tomato and Team Carrot get to work! In the 10-week course, students work hands-on in the kitchen to learn core skills for a career in the busy culinary industry.

Rollie Wesen invited to speak at Columbia Business School

March 27, 2024

On March 27, JPF Executive Director, Dr. Rollie Wesen was invited to speak at Columbia Business School as part of a case study exercise. JPF supporter, friend and adjunct Professor, Ross Goldenberg, invited Rollie to present the JPF to the class as a subject for “Growth Hacking.” The students were tasked with developing proposals that would address a general food literacy challenge: “To inspire more people to learn and want to cook from scratch”.

Celebrating Culinary Education

March 13, 2024

Last week, Jacques, Claudine, and Rollie attended “Technique, Taste & Tradition: The Institute of Culinary Education’s Celebration of the Legacy of The French Culinary Institute” (FCI) in New York City. It was a festive reunion of culinary luminaries, including former FCI chefs, deans, staff, and alumni, with remarks from Rick Smilow, Richard Simpson, Leland Clark, Lee Anne Wong, and of course, Jacques and Claudine Pepin.

Catalyst Kitchens Northeast Regional Summit

This week, JPF staff were treated to two days of inspirational programming at JPF grantee DC Central Kitchen for the Catalyst Kitchens Northeast Regional Summit. The JPF is proud to support the fine work of the Catalyst Kitchens members (many of them also JPF grantees), and it was thrilling to see so many familiar faces out of their Zoom boxes and in the beautiful facility at DCCK!

JPF 2023 Annual Report Now Available

February 27, 2024

The JPF 2023 Annual Report is now live on our website! The report features a letter from Executive Director Rollie Wesen with a teaser of our big announcement to be made at the Gala, a timeline of what 2023 looked like for the JPF and our grantees, a summary of the funding that we distributed in 2023 and an introduction to every one of 2023’s 15 Principal Grant Awardees and our first ever Partnership Circle Grant Awardee.

Past Events