As a 28-year culinary industry veteran, Chef Kristi Brown has done just about everything from working as a dishwasher and prep cook to running her own catering business, That Brown Girl Catering, for nearly a decade. From the beginning, Kristi’s vision was to focus on the art and experience of food through culinary activism – a purpose powered by her mantra “Everybody’s Gotta Eat”. At her restaurant Communion, Kristi serves food rooted in traditional American soul food and influenced by her experiences living in the Pacific Northwest. In May 2021, Condé Nast Traveler named Communion one of the 12 best new restaurants in the world and Kristi has been a featured chef for the James Beard: Taste America series.