FEF NYC 2025-2026 IMPACT REPORT by Food Education Fund

FOOD EDUCATION FUND

INTRO

The NYC workforce can be gritty and tough to navigate. It’s also ripe with opportunity for those with the right skills, resources, and network to navigate it. That’s why FEF exists. We are not simply a training program or a culinary curriculum.

(Cover) Kester and Essence enjoying Lafayette suprêmes at the FEF Dine Around

(This page) Dereck preparing his Colavita dish; Kyara and Estelle running food for the Follow Your Roots dinner at Gramercy Tavern

FEF IS A COMPREHENSIVE LAUNCHPAD USING THE ART AND SCIENCE OF HOSPITALITY TO TEACH HIGH SCHOOLERS FUTURE-READY SKILLS.

FEF NYC 2025–2026 IMPACT REPORT

CONTENTS PROGRAMS & IMPACT

ALUMNI CORNER

EVENTS & DEVELOPMENT

TEAM & LEADERSHIP

LOOKING AHEAD

PROGRAMS & IMPACT

IMPACT OVERVIEW! Across the 2025–26 school year, FEF had its widest reach ever:

1,081

STUDENTS SERVED

PROGRAM SESSIONS DELIVERED

100%

$150k+

OF STUDENTS SAW AN INCREASE IN TIME MANAGEMENT SKILLS

STUDENT WAGES EARNED IN INTERNSHIPS

137

INDUSTRY LEADERS & MENTORS

116

NYC SCHOOLS

Academy of Hospitality and Tourism Brooklyn Frontiers HS Brooklyn STEAM Center East Brooklyn Community HS Food & Finance HS Francis Lewis HS HS for Environmental Studies HS of Hospitality Management John Dewey HS New Design HS Richmond Hill HS William E. Grady HS

DEMOGRAPHICS ETHNICITY & RACE 39%

BLACK / AFRICAN-AMERICAN

33% HISPANIC / LATINO 15% ASIAN 6% BIRACIAL 3% WHITE 1% PREFER NOT TO RESPOND

ENROLLED BY BOROUGH 48% BROOKLYN 32% QUEENS 11% MANHATTAN 8% THE BRONX Daniel preparing a dish for the Follow Your Roots dinner at Gramercy Tavern

1% STATEN ISLAND

PROGRAMS & IMPACT

DINE OUT

POWERED BY RESY Powered by a transformational gift from Resy, Dine Out pairs students with industry mentors for curated fine dining experiences at NYC’s best restaurants. Students complete a structured curriculum on professionalism, etiquette, and personal branding— then dine with chaperones from Snapchat, American Express, Coatue, S.Pellegrino, Skadden, and more. The program dismantles invisible barriers and builds the social capital students need to move through professional spaces with confidence.

136

STUDENT PARTICIPANTS

244

“You step out of your comfort zone and try new cuisines and it’s always amazing.” — JOSE P., FEF STUDENT

“You’ll get to network and make connections that could be super helpful later on.” —GABRIELA M., FEF STUDENT

“A critical work and professionalism experience that is both fun and sociable for everyone involved.” — MIA F., FEF STUDENT

WORKSHOP ELEVATED DINING PARTICIPANTS EXPERIENCES

30+

INDUSTRY MENTORS

“I enjoyed seeing the relief on their face as I spoke about how it was okay to be unsure, study different subjects, or try to work in different sectors without having a clearcut plan.” — DINE-OUT CHAPERONE SHANE G., RESY

(From top) Camari Mick (L’Atelier Ebene and Industry Council) dining with students at Dhamaka; Basu Ratnam (Inday and Industry Council) dining with students at Sailor; Lillian Pinheiro (JLL) dining with students at Shuka

PROGRAMS & IMPACT

VIP ( VISITING INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS ) The VIP program is FEF’s widest-reaching initiative — sending culinary and hospitality leaders directly into partner school classrooms to inspire, instruct, and expand students’ understanding of what a career in this industry can look like. This year, the program scaled dramatically.

755

STUDENTS REACHED

INDUSTRY INSTRUCTORS

(100% increase from 24-25)

(Clockwise from top left) Chef Dennis Ngo at Francis Lewis HS; Chef Fany Gerson at John Dewey HS; Carly Shapiro at Richmond Hill HS; Gabbie Reade and Christie Freer at New Design HS

PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS

“The workshops take them out of their comfort zone, and create a safe, creative space that allows students to enjoy hospitality and culinary instead of focusing on a grade.” — VIP COORDINATOR

Our 2025-2026 VIP Instructors

Estelle Barth, Angela Borah, Erica Cantley, Calvisius Caviar, Murray’s Cheese, Jacob Cooper, Fany Gerson, Devante Goolsby, Airis Johnson, Isabel Lee, Daniel Lee, Brian Lance, Kyle MacKinnon, Camari Mick, Charlotte Mirzoeff, Dan Mollitor, Dennis Ngo, Phoebe Ng, NYC Flowershop, NYC Office of Nightlife, Kelley Pittman, Gabbie Reade, Darby Relyea, Carly Shapiro, Nat Young, Gia Vecchio Seven different professional pathways were represented:

Top skills students walked away with:

TEAMWORK & COLLABORATION TIME MANAGEMENT UNDERSTANDING INDUSTRY EXPECTATIONS SELF EFFICACY

Culinary Public Relations Social Media Hospitality Operations Entrepreneurship Beverage (Above) Chef Airis Johnson at Brooklyn STEAM Center

PROGRAMS & IMPACT

CAREER LAB Career Lab is FEF’s 12week, semester-long workforce development course integrated directly into the school day. By scaffolding professional identity, soft skills, and industry simulation across structured weekly sessions, the course transforms students into workforce-ready young professionals — and serves as the prerequisite gateway into FEF’s competitive paid internship pipeline.

STUDENTS ENROLLED

92%

RETENTION RATE

96%

COMPLETED MOCK INTERVIEWS

95%

INDICATED INCREASED CAREER READINESS

CAREER LAB TO INTERNSHIP PIPELINE

Students who successfully completed a rigorous set of assessments throughout Career Lab were eligible to be placed in an internship opportunity. This year, 100% of eligible students were placed into internships at 35 of New York City’s foremost hospitality establishments, where they put all they learned into practice.

“What started as uncertainty slowly transformed into self assurance and confidence. Teaching them how to craft and deliver elevator pitches was powerful. Watching them practice in the classroom and then confidently present those same pitches at FEF events was a full circle moment.” Senior level students learning about professional communication skills during FEF’s Career Lab course

— AOHT FACILITATOR

Career Lab + Internship Seminar Class Guests

Dane Atkinson Odeko

Judy Tepperberg Tao Group Hospitality

Adam Kaye Spare Food Co

Isabella Benson Tao Group Hospitality

Santiago Perez Santo Taco

Susan Klapper Klapper Legacy Fund

Gia Vecchio Foxglove Communications

Alix Weldon Mohari Hospitality

Marty Shapiro Myriad Restaurant Group

Gayatri Bhattacharya Resy

Dana Zukofsky Aprio Advisory Group

Kathleen Grant LDV Hospitality

Victoria James Cote & Coqodaq

TJ Voutier Resy

David Spungen Corient

Matthew Coffey Office of School Health

Jessica Guttieri Chef Adrienne Guttieri Culinary Foundation Brandon Barton Bite

PROGRAMS & IMPACT

INTERNSHIPS The FEF Internship Program is the capstone of our model — placing Career Lab graduates into some of New York City’s most acclaimed restaurants, where they earn wages, build networks, and prove themselves as professionals. This year’s results set a new benchmark.

7,342

$150k+

$17.20

INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

HOURS WORKED

STUDENT EARNINGS

AVERAGE HOURLY WAGE

93%

1 in 5

OF SITES WOULD CONSIDER INTERNS FOR EMPLOYMENT

STUDENTS HIRED POSTINTERNSHIP

NETS HOME GAMES WORKED

PUBLIC FACING EVENTS WORKED

SCHOOL GROUNDS (Left) Kentrell preparing pasta sheets while interning at Scarpetta (Above) School Grounds team with Chef Danny Garcia and Chef Ilan Hall for the Giving Kitchen event at JBF Platform

Our F&B pop-up at Barclays Center, School Grounds is the only student-run concession stand for NBA games in the US. Additionally, Schools Grounds students have the opportunity to showcase their skills at bespoke events throughout the city.

$25k+

GROSS SALES THIS SEASON

48%

YOY SALES INCREASE

PROGRAMS & IMPACT

“Working with FEF is not only just a ‘program’ but a family. We have been shown great support and encouragement from our mentors, pushing us farther into our path in culinary and hospitality. I have learned a ton of new techniques and ideas which I can only thank FEF for.

I’m incredibly grateful for everything FEF has done for me and I hope to continue growing alongside them and make them proud.” SCHOOL GROUNDS INTERN

Bernice plating ube custard with black sesame pavlova, a dish she helped conceptualize for School Grounds’ participation in the Taste of the Lower East side event.

PROGRAMS ALUMNI&CORNER IMPACT

Nobu As a graduating senior, Aaron’s journey through the Food Education Fund programs has been nothing short of transformative. Aaron’s first introduction to FEF was through his Dine Out experience at Scarpetta, where his understanding of hospitality began to shift. He remembers trying numerous unfamiliar dishes and thinking, “wow, this kind of food actually exists out there.” That moment planted a seed: “FEF is an actual culinary program to help young chefs rise.” Aaron’s senior internship at Nobu deepened that spark and was a source of valuable mentorship. He found his chefs went out of their way to guide and push him to learn and succeed. He was inspired and excited by Nobu’s high expectations and found confidence in working to meet them. Aaron recounts all the ways FEF encouraged him to get out of his comfort zone through classroom presentations, navigating interviews, meeting professionals, accepting awards, and working in the hospitality industry. As he put it, “if you’re going to do it, you might as well do it with confidence.” Aaron plans to carry this confidence and high expectation for himself into every room. After his internship ended, He was asked to stay in Nobu’s kitchen, where he will continue to grow as a young chef and professional as he prepares for Johnson and Wales in the fall.

Aaron receiving the Alice and Artie Cutler Scholarship

Union Square Cafe

Bonnie’s

Ashley completed FEF’s Career Lab and Internship Program as a standout student in Food and Finance High School’s 2025–2026 cohort. From her first steps with Dine Out as a sophomore, to the winning Colavita Competition team as a junior, to thriving as an intern at Virgil’s BBQ as a senior, Ashley has grown more confident with every step — a true reflection of FEF’s mission to open doors for young people through hospitality.

What began as a senior-year internship at Bonnie’s has grown into a long-term professional relationship. After accepting a job offer and working there for 2 years, Ian spent time intentionally expanding his experience, staging at restaurants like 4 Charles and Hellbender, before returning to Bonnies, where he continues to nurture his passion in developing culinary technique, working under pressure, and learning what it means to operate as a team and take care of one another.

Ashley shared that her FEF internship “really prepared me for my next big step.” Now, as a proud FEF alum, she’s landed a position at Union Square Cafe as a pastry prep cook — made possible through introductions from FEF — and this fall she’ll begin studying pastry arts at Monroe University, turning a high school passion into the start of a lifelong career.

Now, when past interns come through the kitchen, he steps into the mentor role with genuine enthusiasm: “It’s funny for me because that was me two years ago — but it feels great because I get to make sure they learn as much as possible and have fun and feel supported. Being a mentor feels pretty sick, I enjoy it.”

EVENTS & DEVELOPMENT

NYC DINE AROUND The NYC Dine Around is FEF’s signature event and largest fundraiser of the year — bringing together the organization’s longest-standing restaurant partners and internship providers, including New York City’s finest chefs, restaurateurs, and hospitality leaders, in celebration of the next generation of culinary talent. Hosted at Skylight by the Refinery, this year’s event sold out entirely, with VIP tickets claimed within 48 hours of going on sale. Guests moved through seventeen worldclass restaurant stations — among them Michelin– and James Beard– recognized institutions — savoring exceptional food and drink while connecting with the students, educators, and industry professionals who make FEF’s mission possible.

The evening’s most memorable moment: presenting the 2026 FEF Impact Award to board chair Sean Feeney.

2026 Restaurant Stations

Atoboy, Baldor Specialty Foods, Bonnie’s, Cove, Crown Shy, Fan Fan Doughnuts, Fini Slice Shop + Calvisius Caviar, K’Far, Lafayette Grand Café & Bakery, Laser Wolf, Lilia, Please Don’t Tell (Mixology), Santo Taco, Shukette, Sushi Koju, Theodora, Union Square Cafe

362

ATTENDEES

$380k

TOTAL FUNDS RAISED

EVENTS & DEVELOPMENT

HAMPTONS SUMMER SOIRÉ SOIRÉE In summer 2025, FEF gathered an intimate group of 30 guests for an evening at The Maidstone in East Hampton — made possible by board member John Meadow and our partners at LDV Hospitality.

ALL IN This year’s All In event, hosted by our partners at Union Square Hospitality Group in support of FEF, Drive Change, and Emma’s Torch, was the most successful in history, raising more than $125,000. Special thanks to Chef Lena Ciardullo, who serves on FEF’s Industry Council, for making the evening possible.

COLAVITA CULINARY CHALLENGE

Held at Platform by the James Beard Foundation, three pairs of high school chefs competed for an allexpenses-paid culinary journey to Italy. A special thank you to Giovanni Colavita and his team, as well as judges: Amanda Freitag, Clare Reichenbach, Jassimran Singh, and Calvin Eng.

WOMEN OF INDUSTRY Co-hosted with our partners at Kasirer, the second annual “Women of Industry” event gathered 50 of New York City’s influential female leaders at MISIPASTA to celebrate the theme “Lift As You Rise.” We were honored to present the FEF Trailblazer Award to Sue Bird, Ayesha Nurdjaja, and Stephanie Ruhle, in recognition of their commitment to supporting the next generation. Special thanks to our emcee, Missy Robbins, for joining us again this year.

(Left to right) Dr. Danielle Beam, Stephanie Ruhle, Sue Bird, Chef Ayesha Nurdjaja, and Chef Missy Robbins in the back garden of MISIPASTA for WOI

FEF'S 2026 TRAILBLAZERS

WNBA Legend

Celebrity Chef

Journalist & News Anchor

EVENTS & DEVELOPMENT

FINANCIAL SNAPSHOT

$1,719,772 Total funds raised in fiscal year 2025–26 (Estimate as of June 28, 2026)

BREAKDOWN OF SUPPORT

$717,179

29%

42%

CORPORATE

$23,196 PROGRAM RELATED

22 4

15% 1%

13%

$223,509 GOVERNMENT

$506,003 INDIVIDUAL

$249,884 FOUNDATION

$1,553,384 TOTAL OPERATING EXPENSES

COST PER STUDENT SERVED

(Clockwise from top) School Grounds Interns at the Brigaid Summit; Charlotte preparing her Reverse Seared Ribeye dish for the Colavita Culinary Competition; Dr. Lilly Jan (Board Member and Cornell Professor), Chayil Hyland (FEF and Cornell Alumna), and Dr. Danielle Beam (FEF Executive Director) presenting at Cornell University. FEF was also selected as the Philanthropic partner for the 101st HEC event.

EVENTS & DEVELOPMENT

Thank You

TO OUR PARTNERS

It is because of our partners — including hospitality companies, corporate entities, foundations, and generous individuals alike — that this work is possible. Each of them has made a meaningful difference in our community and in the lives of our young people — and we are truly grateful.

PRESENTING PARTNERS Pratt Industries (Career Lab) Resy (Dine Out)

CORPORATE PARTNERS Bilt · Diameter Capital Partners Baldor Specialty Foods · DoorDash/SevenRooms · Greenberg Traurig HelloFresh · LDV Hospitality · SL Green

Colavita · Compass Group · Kasirer · NoHo Hospitality · Saba Capital Management San Pellegrino · Tito’s · Two Trees · Union Square Hospitality Group

FOUNDATION PARTNERS GS Community Development Grants Program NYC Hospitality Alliance Impact Foundation American Express Foundation · CD&R Foundation · Klapper Legacy Fund · Rachael Ray Foundation Hotel Ezra Cornell, Cornell Peter & Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration A Chance Fund · The Marc Haas Foundation · Walter Reade Foundation · The Gray Foundation Ann Zekauskas Family Foundation · Hudson Guild · The Margolis Foundation

INDIVIDUALS Philip DeSantis · William Fisher · David Solomon Dana Cowin · Sybil Ford · Jehan Ilahi · Brian Lee · Doug & Ellie Lowey Amber Martin · Johann Moonesinghe · Richard Ressler · Sarah Shanfield Nasser Ahmad · Carlos Alvarez · Adam Davis · Joshua Easterly · Shakthi Ganesan · Adam Gleich Jett Greenberg · Chris Kirby · Alison Mass & Salvatore Bommarito · Andrew Mathias · Bruce Menin Sean Peters · Asahi Pompey · Mark J. Sackler · Peter Scher · Irwin Simon · Lynn Usdan

INTERNSHIP HOSTS American Cut · Atoboy · Bonnie’s · Cornell Labs · Cove · Crown Shy · Dig Inn · Borgo Food & Finance High School · Food Network Kitchen · Fini Pizza · Frenchette · Friedman’s La Tete D’Or · Lafayette Bakery · Le Rock · Lilia · Misi Pasta · Naro · Nobu Locanda Verde · Santo Taco · Scarpetta · School Grounds · She Wolf · Shukette Tao · Tortelli · Union Square Cafe · Virgils · Wegmans

PROGRAMS TEAM & LEADERSHIP & IMPACT

BOARD OF DIRECTORS SEAN FEENEY

Chair

XINYI CHEN

DEBRA PUCHALLA

Vice Chair

ANDREW ALVAREZ

JEHAN ILAHI

CHRISSY MURPHY

Finance Chair

JESSICA CARNAM

Governance Chair

LILLY JAN

Fundraising Chair

SARAH SHANFIELD

Secretary

GIOVANNI COLAVITA SYBIL FORD

26 4

AMBER MARTIN

HARRY SEHERR-THOSS DANA COWIN XAVIER IFILL JOHN MEADOW UWE VOSS GABBIE READE NIKHIL PERINCHERRY

INDUSTRY COUNCIL CALVIN ENG

CHINTAN PANDYA

JOEL MONTANIEL

Bonnie’s

Unapologetic Foods

SevenRooms

SANTIAGO PEREZ

FANY GERSON

MISSY ROBBINS

Santo Taco

Fan Fan Doughnuts

Lilia, Misi

KELLY KENT

CAMARI MICK

VICTORIA JAMES

Kent Hospitality

L’Atelier Ébène

Cote, Coqodaq

CARLY SHAPIRO

BASU RATNAM

HILLARY STERLING

Sisters Snacking

Inday Holdings

AYESHA NURDJAJA

LENA CIARDULLO

Shuka, Shukette

Ci Siamo

Union Square Cafe

ADVISORY BOARD Dana Beninati, Co-Chair Diana Manalang Victoria Jordan Alex Kean Erica Cantley Erica Wright Jennifer Minervini Kangkang Yang Shindy Lu

Jonathan Moldenhauer, Co-Chair Fouad ElAmir Jazmin Johnson Yoni Kintzer Hugo Vicente Rachel Silverman Tiffany Iung Ashley Lonsdale

TEAM & LEADERSHIP

STAFF

DR. DANIELLE BEAM

CHANDAN SHARMA

ALICE NAVADEH

Executive Director

Chief Financial Officer

Sr. Development & Partnerships Director

KYLE MACKINNON

CARA CONABOY

MARIANNE DE PADUA

Sr. Program Manager

Program Manager

KADIATA KABA

CLARA THOMPSON

DEVANTE GOOLSBY

Program Manager

Program Coordinator

“Being able to work with the Food Education Fund has impacted my life in a way I'm not even sure words can describe. Yet if I had to use one word to sum up my whole experience it would be: ‘phenomenal’. The mentorship I’ve received from the team at the FEF is the reason I am so confident that I belong no matter the room or event I attend.” FEF STUDENT

LOOKING AHEAD

FROM OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR As we close another year, I want to thank you for believing in the potential of New York City’s young people. Because of your support, over a thousand students across the boroughs gained access to industry mentors, career-connected learning, internships, and experiences that helped them better understand who they are, what drives them, and what is possible for their future. At Food Education Fund, we believe hospitality is more than an industry — it is a mindset rooted in connection, opportunity, and care. Young New Yorkers deserve the chance to climb toward their dreams, and our industry deserves a pipeline of talented, prepared, and passionate future leaders. Every investment in FEF helps bridge that gap. At a time when nonprofits are facing increasing uncertainty, we remain committed to finding innovative ways to reach NYC Public School students with the skills, confidence, and networks they need to succeed. As we look ahead, we’re excited to launch FEF’s PATH framework. PATH (Professional Access Through Hospitality) is a structured approach that prepares young people for success in work and life. The systems around us may be strained, but our belief in the next generation has never been stronger, and we invite you to help us build what comes next.

DR. DANIELLE BEAM

PATH: LAUNCHING THIS FALL PROFESSIONAL ACCESS THROUGH HOSPITALITY

Developed by FEF in partnership with a professor from the Cornell School of Hotel Administration, PATH is a three-year framework that teaches NYC high schoolers to build competency, confidence, and connections through applied learning in hospitality. Participants progress from awareness, to exploration through career readiness, year over year.

DINE OUT Professional development and personal brand coaching culminating in a networking event at an NYC restaurant. Each student is matched with an industry chaperone, their first professional connection.

VIP Hands-on demos and workshops where students practice problemsolving, pitching, and planning with professionals across culinary, service, media, and business domains.

CAREER LAB Semester-long workforce development course — resume-building, interview prep, HR processes, and goal mapping — followed by an opportunity to be selected for a paid internship semester at NYC institutions.

PROGRAMS & IMPACT

IMPACT REPORT 2025–26 fefnyc.org @foodeducationfund

SCAN OR CLICK TO DONATE 4

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT