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Marcus Samuelsson

EXCLUSIVE
  • James Beard Award-Winning Chef and Restaurateur
  • TV Personality and Host, VOX/Eater's 'No Passport'
  • New York Times Bestselling Author, 'Yes, Chef', 'Make it Messy', and More
  • Entrepreneur and Founder, Food Republic

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Acclaimed chef, restaurateur, New York Times bestselling author, and beloved TV host Marcus Samuelsson inspires audiences with his powerful storytelling and engaging cooking demos. Samuelsson is the chef behind many renowned restaurants worldwide, including Red Rooster Harlem, Red Rooster Shoreditch, and Marcus B&P. He made history as the youngest chef ever to receive a three-star review from The New York Times and has earned eight James Beard Awards, but his work has always extended beyond the kitchen. Samuelsson is also the author of multiple books including the New York Times bestselling memoir Yes, Chef – which The New York Times called “one of the great culinary stories of our time,” Make It Messy, The Red Rooster Cookbook, and his latest groundbreaking cookbook The Rise: Black Cooks and the Soul of American Food. Samuelsson serves as co-chair of the Culinary Careers Program (C-CAP), which helps young people
from underserved communities build careers in the culinary world. He also works closely with World
Central Kitchen and other nonprofit partners to expand access to food and economic opportunity.

On stage, Samuelsson connects food to how ideas take hold and how culture moves. His sessions feel immediate and grounded in real experience, often incorporating live cooking in a way that draws audiences in.Through his insightful conversations and thoroughly delightful live demos, Samuelsson offers uplifting, entertaining, and though-provoking experiences that resonate with audiences of all kinds.

For his sought-after programs, Samuelsson receives consistent rave reviews: ”Wow! You were utterly amazing. Added such depth and perspective. We can't thank you enough! Hope you'll join another at some point in the future” (Crain’s New York Business) and ”Marcus was thoughtful, personable, and left us wanting more!” (Kraft Heinz Company)

 


Marcus Samuelsson headshot
Marcus Samuelsson photo 3
Marcus Samuelsson photo 2
Past Hosts Include:
  • Qualtrics, LLC
  • Food Bank for the Heartland
  • Thuzio
  • A Financial Institution
  • Kraft Heinz Company
  • Whole Foods
  • New York Public Library
  • Crain’s New York Business
  • TimesTalks
  • Talks at Google
Rave Reviews About Marcus Samuelsson
“
Wow! You were utterly amazing. Added such depth and perspective. We can't thank you enough! Hope you'll join another at some point in the future.

”
More rave reviews

"Marcus was absolutely fabulous! He was personable with the staff , major donors, and entertaining. It is going to be hard to top him. He related to our mission and did a fantasy job helping drive home how important community is when fighting hunger. Excellent Excellent Excellent!"

-Food Bank for the Heartland

"The feedback was great! They said Marcus was an absolute hit with the audience and everything went swimmingly."

-Thuzio

"Marcus delivered an amazing session! His conversation with our moderator was fluid and insightful. Marcus opened up for Q&A at the end of the presentation and we had really great engagement from the audience as well. With our event including a lot of business content, the session was a perfect way to mix things up and keep our audience engaged."

-A Financial Institution

"Marcus was thoughtful, personable, and left us wanting more!"

-Kraft Heinz Company

"We’ve received amazing feedback from our team members. Marcus is truly inspiring and energizing!"

-Whole Foods

"How WONDERFUL it was to have Marcus Samuelsson here--I loved every moment--from the arrival to going to the Special Collections (I hope you will be able to return) to of course our moment on stage together. The joy and strength of Marcus' vision, the intelligence, seriousness and soul of his responses, the humor as well."

-New York Public Library
Collapse rave reviews

Interview clip - Ina Garten Interviews Marcus Samuelsson | Be My Guest with Ina Garten | Food Network [3:45] - Get Sharable Link
Talks & Conversations with Marcus Samuelsson
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Cooking and Conversation with Marcus Samuelsson

James Beard Award-winning chef and Owner of the famed Red Rooster MARCUS SAMUELSSON loves to cook for a crowd. Samuelsson expertly balances an insightful and inspiring moderated conversation with an interactive live cooking demo, engaging audiences of all kinds. This unique and memorable format can ...

James Beard Award-winning chef and Owner of the famed Red Rooster MARCUS SAMUELSSON loves to cook for a crowd. Samuelsson expertly balances an insightful and inspiring moderated conversation with an interactive live cooking demo, engaging audiences of all kinds. This unique and memorable format can be programmed in person or virtually.

Virtual Interactive Cooking Demos with Chef Marcus Samuelsson

James Beard Award-winning Chef and Owner of the Red Rooster MARCUS SAMUELSSON loves to cook for a crowd. In his virtual cooking demonstrations he shows guests how to make something for a special occasion or how to upgrade that cozy Tuesday night supper - even if using ingredients you have in your fr ...

James Beard Award-winning Chef and Owner of the Red Rooster MARCUS SAMUELSSON loves to cook for a crowd. In his virtual cooking demonstrations he shows guests how to make something for a special occasion or how to upgrade that cozy Tuesday night supper - even if using ingredients you have in your fridge.  Marcus can share the recipes and ingredients in advance so guests can cook along.  Cooking and chatting with Samuelsson feels like having a friend in your kitchen, and is a special treat for your guests.

Yes, Chef

MARCUS SAMUELSSON was only three years old when he, his mother, and his sister—all battling tuberculosis—walked seventy-five miles to a hospital in the Ethiopian capital city of Addis Adaba. Tragically, his mother succumbed to the disease shortly after she arrived, but Marcus and his sister recovere ...

MARCUS SAMUELSSON was only three years old when he, his mother, and his sister—all battling tuberculosis—walked seventy-five miles to a hospital in the Ethiopian capital city of Addis Adaba. Tragically, his mother succumbed to the disease shortly after she arrived, but Marcus and his sister recovered, and one year later they were welcomed into a loving middle-class white family in Göteborg, Sweden. It was there that Marcus’s new grandmother, Helga, sparked in him a lifelong passion for food and cooking with her pan-fried herring, her freshly baked bread, and her signature roast chicken. From a very early age, there was little question what Marcus was going to be when he grew up.

In this inspiring speech, Samuelsson shares his remarkable journey from Helga’s humble kitchen to some of the most demanding and cutthroat restaurants in Switzerland and France, from his grueling stints on cruise ships to his arrival in New York City, where his outsize talent and ambition finally come together at Aquavit, earning him a coveted New York Times three-star rating at the age of twenty-four.

But Samuelsson’s career of “chasing flavors,” as he calls it, had only just begun—in the intervening years, there have been White House state dinners, career crises, reality show triumphs and, most important, the opening of the beloved Red Rooster in Harlem. At Red Rooster, Samuelsson has fufilled his dream of creating a truly diverse, multiracial dining room—a place where presidents and prime ministers rub elbows with jazz musicians, aspiring artists, bus drivers, and nurses. It is a place where an orphan from Ethiopia, raised in Sweden, living in America, can feel at home. With disarming honesty and intimacy, Samuelsson also opens up about his failures—the price of ambition, in human terms—and recounts his emotional journey, as a grown man, to meet the father he never knew. The audience experiences a tale of personal discovery, unshakable determination, and the passionate, playful pursuit of flavors—one man’s struggle to find a place for himself in the kitchen, and in the world.

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Speaker News

Success Story: Celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson delivers an incredible program with his inspiring conversations and entertaining live cooking demos

James Beard award-winning chef MARCUS SAMUELSSON offers a marvelous program balancing inspiring moderated conversation with a highly engaging live cooking demo, receiving rave reviews. Whether the event is programmed in person or virtually, the acclaimed chef and owner of multiple lauded restaurants including Red Rooster Harlem inspires and entertains audiences of all kinds. As one host raved, “You were utterly amazing. Added depth and perspective. We can’t thank you enough!” (Crain’s New York Business) In a recent program for a major financial institution, Samuelsson shared his journey – from his childhood in Ethiopia, to growing up with his adopted family in Sweden, to becoming a globally renowned culinary thought leader – offering insights about the determination, following your passion, and celebrating culture through food. He then seamlessly transitioned to a thoroughly delightful live cooking demo, engaging the audience and offering a memorable and interactive session.

The beloved host of No Passport Required expertly delivers this unique format, making a major impact. The host raved, “Marcus delivered an amazing session! His conversation with our moderator was fluid and insightful. Marcus opened up for Q&A at the end of the presentation and we had really great engagement from the audience as well. With our event including a lot of business content, the session was a perfect way to mix things up and keep our audience engaged.”

Watch Marcus Samuelsson balance cooking and conversation at The Whitney >>

Marcus Samuelsson shares his struggle to find a place for himself in the kitchen, and in the world

MARCUS SAMUELSSON was only three years old when he, his mother, and his sister—all battling tuberculosis—walked seventy-five miles to a hospital in the Ethiopian capital city of Addis Adaba. Tragically, his mother succumbed to the disease shortly after she arrived, but Marcus and his sister recovered, and one year later they were welcomed into a loving middle-class white family in Göteborg, Sweden. It was there that Marcus’s new grandmother, Helga, sparked in him a lifelong passion for food and cooking with her pan-fried herring, her freshly baked bread, and her signature roast chicken. From a very early age, there was little question what Marcus was going to be when he grew up.

Samuelsson shares his remarkable journey from Helga’s humble kitchen to some of the most demanding and cutthroat restaurants in Switzerland and France, from his grueling stints on cruise ships to his arrival in New York City, where his outsize talent and ambition finally come together at Aquavit, earning him a coveted New York Times three-star rating at the age of twenty-four.

But Samuelsson’s career of “chasing flavors,” as he calls it, had only just begun—in the intervening years, there have been White House state dinners, career crises, reality show triumphs and, most important, the opening of the beloved Red Rooster in Harlem. At Red Rooster, Samuelsson has fufilled his dream of creating a truly diverse, multiracial dining room—a place where presidents and prime ministers rub elbows with jazz musicians, aspiring artists, bus drivers, and nurses. It is a place where an orphan from Ethiopia, raised in Sweden, living in America, can feel at home. With honesty and intimacy, Samuelsson also opens up about his failures—the price of ambition, in human terms—and recounts his emotional journey, as a grown man, to meet the father he never knew. The audience experiences a tale of personal discovery, unshakable determination, and the passionate, playful pursuit of flavors—one man’s struggle to find a place for himself in the kitchen, and in the world.

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Books by Marcus Samuelsson
The Rise: Black Cooks and the Soul of American Food: A Cookbook

The Rise: Black Cooks and the Soul of American Food: A Cookbook

Marcus Off Duty: The Recipes I Cook at Home

Marcus Off Duty: The Recipes I Cook at Home

Yes, Chef: A Memoir

Yes, Chef: A Memoir

Make It Messy: My Perfectly Imperfect Life

Make It Messy: My Perfectly Imperfect Life

The Red Rooster Cookbook: The Story of Food and Hustle in Harlem

The Red Rooster Cookbook: The Story of Food and Hustle in Harlem

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Press & Media
Marcus Samuelsson: Erasing Black Culinary History Ignores 'The Soul Of American Food' - NPR
Restaurateur and chef Marcus Samuelsson continues to serve up plates of love - Rolling Out
Marcus Samuelsson says Top Chef Family Style inspire flavorful cooking, interview - Fansided
He turned the Met Gala Plant-based. Now, Chef Marcus Samuelsson teams up with Pepsi to spotlight Slutty Vegan. - Veg News
The 2021 Met Gala Is Going Plant-Based—Here’s Why - Bon Appetit
Marcus Samuelsson On The Importance Of Highlighting Black Chefs And Culinary Traditions In America - Worth
Marcus Samuelsson on the Joy of Juneteenth Cooking - Vogue
This New Marcus Samuelsson Restaurant Was Named One Of The Top In The World Read More: https://www.mashed.com/417840/this-new-marcus-samuelsson-restaurant-was-named-one-of-the-top-in-the-world/?utm_campaign=clip - Mashed
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Ideas for the Meeting Planner
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Biography

Award-Winning Chef, Restaurateur, Author, Activist

Marcus Samuelsson is a world-renowned chef, restaurateur, designer, and cultural icon whose
culinary influence spans continents. He is the creative force behind numerous acclaimed restaurants
across the United States and abroad, each reflecting his signature blend of global flavors and cultural
storytelling. An Emmy Award–winning television personality and accomplished author, Samuelsson
is also deeply committed to philanthropic work, particularly in expanding access to culinary
education and supporting underserved communities.

His expansive hospitality portfolio includes the internationally celebrated Red Rooster Harlem,
alongside Red Rooster Overtown in Miami, Hav & Mar in Manhattan’s Chelsea Arts District, and
Metropolis at the Perelman Performing Arts Center in Lower Manhattan. He also helms Marcus
restaurants in Atlanta and New Jersey, with international locations in The Bahamas, Canada, and
Ethiopia. His popular Streetbird and Vibe BBQ concepts are found across the U.S., Ethiopia, and in
the Bahamas. Most recently, he introduced his acclaimed modern brasserie Marcus DC at The
Morrow Hotel in Washington, D.C., along with Sly, a stylish rooftop bar and restaurant, and Goodie
Lounge, a speakeasy-inspired cocktail bar.

Samuelsson made history as the youngest chef ever to receive a three-star review from The New
York Times. He is an eight-time James Beard Foundation Award winner and was the guest chef for
President Obama's first state dinner. On screen, Samuelsson is widely recognized as a longstanding
judge on Food Network’s Chopped, and he’s a familiar face across the network—making frequent
appearances on shows like Tournament of Champions and Beat Bobby Flay. He’s also a regular on Top
Chef, where he hosted the Family Style spinoff, and was an Iron Chef on Netflix’s Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend. He served as the host and executive producer of the beloved PBS series No Passport
Required, created and hosted the Audible series Seat at the Table, and currently produces and hosts
Home Plate on the YES Network. In 2023, he earned an Emmy Award for the digital series My Mark.
He is the author of several books, including Yes, Chef: A Memoir, a New York Times bestseller, and
The Rise: Black Cooks and the Soul of American Food, which received widespread critical acclaim
for its celebration of Black culinary creativity.

Samuelsson serves as co-chair of the Culinary Careers Program (C-CAP), which helps young people
from underserved communities build careers in the culinary world. He also works closely with World
Central Kitchen and other nonprofit partners to expand access to food and economic opportunity.
In addition, he is a sought-after speaker, engaging corporate, cultural, and global audiences on the
intersections of food, business, and social impact.

Follow Samuelsson on Instagram, Facebook, and X at @MarcusCooks and on TikTok at
@Marcus_Cooks

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