Meet Vanessa Parish | Private Chef & Executive Director (Queer Food Foundation)

We had the good fortune of connecting with Vanessa Parish and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Vanessa, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
I grew up in North Carolina, moved around a few cities between Raleigh, Cary, and Fayetteville. Being a Black Indigenous Queer Woman, I definitely had my challenges when it surrounded the South. Growing up in a church-based family, I was always surrounded by people and breaking bread together. The one challenge I never had was my love for community and food. I practiced theatre arts the majority of my childhood into adulthood. This allowed me to have an energy for teamwork, networking and public speaking.

Now as a Chef, a community organization leader and as a mentor, I am able to utilize all of my skills and passions. My jobs are still to bring folks together, create impact and be excited about the future. All of my life experiences formulated the opportunities I have today.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Being a Private chef started because I had to pivot from one career to another. I had to pivot quickly after an emergency surgery removed my availability to go after my passion of theatre. During the time of figuring out next steps and recovering, I recentered myself through food and decided to go to culinary school to learn more.

My career has been rewarding but set a lot of challenges I did not think many others around me had to overcome. As a marginalized intersectional person, I was not given opportunities easily to advance. For years my professional intelligence was constantly questioned. I am not an easily wavered person. I think once people started to figure that out, they got out of my way and I was in forward motion.

I am grateful for every recognition I have received throughout the years. A few notable ones, I hosted a show with Tasty in 2017, which allowed me to further build with my community. As the executive director of a food based community organization, I was named a Savage x Fenty Gamechanger and Nissan x Queerty Partner of Progress. These moments of champion remind me that I am doing the right thing and I am exactly where I am supposed to be.

My personal and professional mission is to be a contributor to the advancement of my community. That means taking care of my mental health, offering support and mentorship to those when needed and speaking up when discrimination is around my spaces.

I stand out because pivoting, bigotry and obstacles do not fear me. I accept things for how they are and I make decisions to find a solution for sustainability. This skill set has allowed me as a culinarian, businesswoman and community leader to take the most intentional steps for success.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I LOVE when my friends come to visit me in L.A. I have actually have a 15 page powerpoint presentation I send them to help us make their itinerary! Of course a lot of my hosting is surrounded by food.

I try to mix in a little tourism with their visit. Most of my friends like to see Santa Monica, so we will stop over there for them to experience the pier and I’ll take them to Blue Plate Oysterette for lunch. After lunch, I take them to the Original Farmer’s Market so I can grab some of the best red grapes and they can shop. For dinner, my mainstay is MeatLove KBBQ and for dessert we end the night at Salt and Straw.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I am grateful to say I have a strong friend community. We all walk different paths and even live in different countries but I feel enriched in every interaction. Not all of these people know each other, but they each have been key figures in my life to keep me going. I recognized early on that you cannot build yourself as a person alone. My success has only elevated due to the support they have given me by way of showing up, answering the phone, sending time, opening doors and offering assistance.

My friends Sunny and Tatiana keep my emotional head above water. Kyra and Trent allow me to be myself and experience life with new perspective. Mavis Jay reminds me that self-care and community are key foundations to a successful career. Jess, Chelsea and Brittney have supported me in my mental health journey since the beginnings of our friendships. Special thank you to Becky, Amy, Ramona, Josetta, Kareem, AJ and my little sisters Maysia and Aria. I wouldn’t be the person I am without any of these folks mentioned.

Website: vanessaparish.com/ queerfoodfoundation.org

Instagram: chefvanessaparish/ queerfoodfoundation