OUR TEAM —
Louise Vongerichten Ulukaya
Louise Vongerichten Ulukaya is the Founder of Food Dreams.
Sustainability, philanthropy, and education have been life-long passions for Louise and her aim at Food Dreams is to foster an environment of development, growth and opportunity for underprivileged youth from across the globe.
Born to well-travelled parents, Louise spent her formative years in Europe and North America. In 2005 she studied finance in Washington, DC, then went on to work at her father’s business. A few years later in pursuit of higher education, she would travel back to France, where she earned her MBA at ESSEC Business School in Paris.
After living in Dubai and Hong Kong, developing hotels for Starwood Company, she returned to New York and opened two groundbreaking and awarded restaurants called Chef’s Club. The Chef’s Clubs has received over 150 chefs from over 30 countries ranging from up-and-coming to Michelin star chefs.
Louise decided to establish the Food Dreams Foundation with her family to pursue her philanthropic interests. Food Dreams students are supported before, during and after their culinary education, with financial support, mentoring, externships and jobs. By partnering with the best culinary institutions and restaurants in the world and seeking out students whose passion is the culinary arts, Food Dreams has become a conduit of opportunity for over 60 youth.
Cédric Vongerichten
Cédric Vongerichten was born in Bangkok when his father was the chef at the Mandarin Oriental. By nine, he was playing in his father’s kitchen in New York and by seventeen he officially began his chef career at a restaurant in the Bahamas. He refined his techniques around the world at kitchens ranging from London’s Berkeley Hotel and Hong Kong’s Mandarin Oriental to El Bulli in Spain.
A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Cédric was named one of the top 30 up-and-coming chefs under 30 by Zagat. He helms the kitchen of Perry Street in New York City. In 2018, Cédric and Jean-Georges introduced Vong Kitchen to Jakarta, followed by Le Burger. In February 2019, Cédric opened Wayan, a French-Indonesian restaurant, in Manhattan. This is his first solo project.
Jean-Georges Vongerichten
Jean-Georges Vongerichten is one of the world’s most famous chefs and successful restaurateurs, responsible for a constellation of three- and four- star restaurants worldwide.
Born and raised in Alsace, France, Jean-Georges trained at Auberge de l'Ill as an apprentice to Chef Paul Haeberlin, then went on to work under Paul Bocuse and Master Chef Louis Outhier at L'Oasis in southern France. He then traveled to Asia and continued his training at the Oriental Hotel in Bangkok, the Meridien Hotel in Singapore and the Mandarin Hotel in Hong Kong. His signature cuisine abandons the traditional use of meat stocks and creams and instead features the intense flavors and textures from vegetable juices, fruit essences, light broths, and herbal vinaigrettes. Jean-Georges’ culinary vision has redefined industry standards and revolutionized the way we eat.