James Beard Foundation
REDEFINING EXCELLENCE
Challenge
Despite the vast number of people of color and women who have led America’s culinary evolution, very few are recognized. That absence of recognition has real consequences—making it harder for their restaurants to attract investors, diners, and opportunities that can make or break a career. The James Beard Awards—the “Oscars” of the food world—have long been a gateway to success, but the nominees and winners rarely reflected the full spectrum of talent driving the industry forward.
Approach
After the 2021 awards, the James Beard Foundation hired RALLY to help overhaul the program. Together, we rebuilt it from the ground up. That meant hard conversations, deep self-reflection, and a willingness to rethink how excellence is defined and celebrated.
We examined every step of the process—from applications to judging—to uncover where bias crept in and talented chefs were overlooked. Then we reshaped the system to widen the pipeline of applicants and strengthen the judging process so that the awards could better recognize the breadth of talent across the industry.
The results spoke for themselves: the 2022 awards were the most representative in the foundation’s history, setting a new standard for how the culinary world celebrates its leaders.
Related work
One of RALLY’s strengths is helping clients create, launch, and sustain advocacy agendas that are both authentic and credible. For example, we partnered with OLLY to assess its culture, brand reputation, and reach to determine how to make a meaningful impact in the mental health space. We also worked with PolicyLink to unveil a roadmap to help companies put fairness and opportunity at the center of their business strategies.