Who We Are
Founded in 2006, CulinaryCorps® is the nation’s first volunteer service organization designed specifically for culinary professionals.
During our week of service, we support local organizations by custom-designing culinary volunteer projects in these five key areas:
- Emergency hunger relief
- Cooking and nutrition education
- Food insecurity and healthy food access
- Childhood wellness
- Culinary heritage preservation
The New York Times dubbed our work Sauciers Sans Frontiers; but we like to think of ourselves as culanthropists. It’s a life-changing experience. But don’t just take our word for it!
CulinaryCorps ® Inc. is a non-profit entity incorporated under New York State, and recognized by the IRS: EIN Number 26-4652789
Why We Do What We Do
At our core, we are culinary diplomats using our strengths in the kitchen to improve to our communities, our country, and our world.
We believe our visits are like dropping a small stone into a still pond. The splash we make is important, but it’s the ripples heading towards distant shores that continue to make a difference long after we depart.
To date, we have helped launched dozens of new and innovative culinary programs for adults and children, secured necessary funding and press for our non-profit partners, spearheaded yearly festivals and events that continue to thrive, and provided our chef-volunteers with the tools to start programs of their very own.
Plus, we’ve brought smiles to faces, joy to hearts, and delicious food to many empty plates.
Our Current Leadership Team
Christine Carroll, Founder and Executive Director
Christine graduated from the College of William and Mary with a degree in neuropsychology, and received her Grand Diploma in Culinary Arts from the French Culinary Institute in 2006. Prior to CulinaryCorps, Christine worked as an Americorps VISTA volunteer in Alaska, and a researcher at the Harvard School of Public Health. She eventually found her place in the culinary world as a cook at the historic restaurant, Fitzbillies, in Cambridge, England where she worked her way up from a prep cook to chef.
Christine started CulinaryCorps following a Share Our Strength conference in New Orleans, Louisiana, which she attended as a Henckels Cutting Edge scholarship recipient. In New Orleans, she experienced first-hand one of America’s important indigenous cuisines, and learned so much from those fighting to preserve it during the post-Katrina rebuilding. Shortly after her return home to New York City, Christine realized cooks could help with their fight, and launched her first chef-volunteer team to New Orleans.
Christine has also run the Bowery Culinary Center, a recreational cooking school for Whole Foods Market in Manhattan. While there, she had the pleasure of writing cooking curriculum for kids of all ages. Now a mom and author, her first cookbook Come In, We’re Closed was published in September 2012 by Running Press and nominated for a James Beard Award. She lives in California with her husband and son, and is writing children’s books with a culinary twist.
Christine Ranieri, Trip Coordinator and co-Leader, Houston 2017
After several years of working as a baker, soup maker, caterer, sous chef and live-in personal chef, she is now a research dietitian and university chef-instructor. Currently, she works as the Program Manager for the Bionutrition Research Core at MD Anderson Cancer Center. She designs and implements clinical feeding studies for our researchers interested in the links between diet and cancer prevention, treatment and survivorship.
Jessica Botta, Board Member, Houston 2017
Jessica Botta is currently the Director of Training and Culinary Development for Chef Fabio Trabocchi at his Washington DC restaurants Fiola, Casa Luca, and Fiola Mare. Jessica was the chef-coordinator of the School of Italian Studies at the International Culinary Center (formerly FCI) in New York City, from 2008 until 2012. During that time she competed on Iron Chef America with Chef and Dean Cesare Casella, participated in the Sfoglino D’Oro, a pasta-making competition in Bologna, Italy and coordinated editorial production and photography, food and prop styling for Chef Casella’s book, The Fundamental Techniques of Classic Italian Cuisine, nominated for a 2013 James Beard Award. Prior to her career in food, Chef Jessica graduated from the University of Virginia, where she studied Italian literature and specifically the Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri. Jessica is on the board of Culinary Corps and is a member of Les Dames d’Escoffier Washington, DC chapter. participated in the Sfoglino D’Oro, a pasta-making competition in Bologna, Italy
Thomas Medrow, Board Member, Multiple Trips
After graduating from Shippensburg University, Thomas worked at JPMorgan Chase as a Business Analyst for half a decade. Realizing all along that food was his true calling, Thomas enrolled in culinary school and earned a Classic Culinary Arts degree from The French Culinary Institute in New York City. After graduation, Thomas returned to Philadelphia to cook full time at Eric Ripert’s Philadelphia outpost 10 Arts at the Ritz-Carlton. An avid sports fan, Thomas is now the the head chef at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, and a founding board member of CulinaryCorps.