A proud Oakland native, Aminah “Chef Mimi” Robinson-Briscoe is the founder of the Black Food & Wine Experience. She is passionate about bringing Black culture and food together for the most amazing culinary experiences. For more than a decade, she has focused on the often-overlooked intersection of food, social justice, and entertainment. In her article “Black Girls Don’t Eat Avocados: A Holistic View of Food Disparities in the Black Community,” Chef Mimi shares her own personal food journey and the philosophy that informs her work.

 

Through Chef Mimi LLC, Chef Mimi has brought to life three distinct brands: The Black Food & Wine Experience, an interactive annual event that bridges food, beverage, education, health, and Black culture, "Bringing It to The Table," the first culinary competition show highlighting the talent and passion of Black chefs, and Chef Mimi Catering, a boutique catering company that services Bay Area tech companies such as Facebook, Slack, Twilio and Lyft as well as non-profits and cultural events like the Coalition of Black Excellence and ESSENCE Festival. 

 

A graduate of the California Culinary Arts Academy in San Francisco, Chef Mimi is an active board member of the Oakland African American Chamber of Commerce and Diablo Valley College’s culinary and wine program. Most recently, she was recognized as 2022 Wine Enthusiast Top 40 tastemakers and the list of 2021 Forbes Next 1000, and 2023 Comcast Black Joy Icon Award.  Chef Mimi expanded BFWE24 to Detroit City for the first time. Check out the video.