Other
Mavis-Jay Sanders
James Beard Award winner
- Discipline
- Other
i. Biography
Georgia Southern University gave Mavis-Jay Sanders a foundation in hotel and restaurant management; the Culinary Institute of America added another layer, sharpening an already deliberate approach to the trade. The work that follows is built less around a single title than around a broader question that runs through the kitchen, the dining room, and the program: who shapes the table, and how food systems can reach more people fairly. In that sense, the craft is not only about cooking, but about the structures that decide access, standards, and service.
The Climb
Training at Georgia Southern University set Mavis-Jay Sanders up for a progression through kitchens where scale, discipline, and team structure mattered. From 2013, he worked as chef at Blue Hill at Stone Barns in Stone Barns, then as chef at Blue Hill in New York City, and later joined Suzanne Cupp’s opening team at Untitled at the Whitney in New York City. Read together, those roles trace a practice shaped by high-pressure execution and by the coordination required in collective kitchen work. In 2016, Mavis-Jay Sanders became founder / chef at Pico House in Los Angeles. The title marks a shift from operating inside established systems to building one from the ground up, while keeping the same attention to food as culture, responsibility, and access. The throughline is clear in the move from kitchen to project leadership: the work is as much about how a space functions as what it serves. Today, Mavis-Jay Sanders is operations director of Brownsville Community Culinary Center and Culinary Director of Community Kitchen. He has also served as director of culinary development and education at Drive. Change. Across restaurant operations, education, and program design, the emphasis stays on food spaces that work on the ground and serve communities with greater equity.
Today
Today, Sanders serves as operations director at Brownsville Community Culinary Center in Brooklyn. He also holds the role of Culinary Director at Community Kitchen in New York City, the position that defines his current work. Across these roles, his focus on equity in food systems remains central, bringing together kitchen leadership, operations, and education. The work is practical and public-facing at once, grounded in the day-to-day realities of running programs while still holding onto a wider idea of what food can do in a community. He has also served as director of culinary development and education at Drive. Change, extending his work beyond a single dining room and into programs shaped around access and learning. It is a role that fits naturally within his larger story: a career that has always looked outward, linking technique with purpose and culinary standards with opportunity.
Signature
Mavis-Jay Sanders focuses on food justice.
In Their Words “It’s all about who’s controlling the narrative.”
Recognition
Mavis-Jay's honors include James Beard Award and StarChefs New York City Rising Stars Award (2019).
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Mavis-Jay
What is Mavis-Jay Sanders's current role?
As of 2026, Mavis-Jay Sanders is Culinary Director.
Where did Mavis-Jay Sanders train or study?
Mavis-Jay Sanders trained at Georgia Southern University.
What recognition has Mavis-Jay Sanders received?
James Beard Award.
