champion culture + rebel against boundaries

The Dipping Spoon mission is identifying and cultivating the next generation of Black, Indigenous, Women of Color and Youth to become culinary rockstars by providing aspiring chefs between 18-26 years old with a full ride culinary and pastry arts scholarship and shifting culture by creating access to inclusive and dynamic FoodSTEM programs rooted in Cultural Identity, Food Sovereignty, Food Science and Food Math for BIPOC Girls and Boys through 7th-11th grade.

Dipping Spoon’s FoodSTEM program, #SelfFSTEAM is an inclusive and dynamic FoodSTEM curriculum and after school club for 7th-11th grade Indigenous Alaska Native girls and boys which celebrates culture, nature, identity and the earth through Food and STEAM: Food, Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math. Food is a mechanism to learn, teach, understand, share and not just eat. The possibilities in food are beyond hospitality, they're all around us and it's fun! We are the next generation culinary rockstars.

Dipping Spoon’s culinary scholarship is committed to enrolling aspiring chefs between 18-26 years old at the New Orleans Culinary & Hospitality Institute (NOCHI). This frames the narrative of our pledge to foster growth and learning opportunities that are diverse and come from different storytelling backgrounds. Our full ride culinary scholarship includes travel, housing, mental health services, externship, mentorship and job placement upon graduation.

Dipping Spoon's programming will provide education, mentorship and empowerment for our recipients to become entrepreneurial, imaginative, creatively skilled culinary leaders in their local and global communities.

Cultural & gender representation in the Culinary & Hospitality Industry

This means creating our own seats at the chef’s table and opening doors for BIPOC Womxn to hold high level positions in the kitchen and/or in high level management positions steering them towards equity, ownership or entrepreneurship.

Advocating for higher living wages & Return on Investment

Raising the minimum wage so culinary and hospitality employees aren't living paycheck to paycheck or living with substantially lower living wages. Where's the return on investment if we're not taking care of our people?

Mental Health & Self Care Awareness

Due to lack of representation, long work hours and lower living wages, culinary and hospitality workers have a high rate of depression and suicide.

Sometimes its takes us a few cups before we spill the tea. We are working in partnership with local New Orleans mental health professionals to provide assistance, support and community care to our future recipients. When we broaden the conversation around self-care in the culinary & hospitality industry it ensures the topic is not taboo. This is what sets us apart. Tackling vulnerability with courage.

live with authenticity & power

Chefs are artists. Without cultural and gender representation, the industry is inhibiting Indigenous and Black art. We have teamed up with notable industry leaders to ensure mentorship, creativity and passion are at the forefront of our recipients success. We at Dipping Spoon know the power of mentorship firsthand. The foundation is honored to have James Beard winning chefs and industry leaders as mentors of the Dipping Spoon scholarship. Dipping Spoon mentors will share their unmatched wisdom and knowledge from both sides of the kitchen line. #datdip

“FROM ONE DIP YOU SERVE OTHER PEOPLE, DIP INTO WATER AND THE WATER IS GIVEN TO EVERYBODY, IT GROWS AND KEEPS GOING.”