From award-winning restaurateurs and chefs to food media leaders, hotel managers and entrepreneurs, our alumni continue to rank among the most noteworthy names in the food and hospitality industries.
Graduates can pursue positions as executive, pastry or private chefs; event or public relations professionals; food policy or non-profit leaders; retailers or product developers; authors or on-air hosts; and, of course, wine or mixology experts. See how former students have achieved success in catering, hotel management, product sourcing and beyond.
Check out the recent headlines featuring ICE graduates below. And meet some of our all-star alumni here
ICE graduates make headlines with awards and nominations, restaurant rankings in the media, television appearances and dining reviews. Read more about the latest restaurant openings and expansions, promotions and successes among ICE’s community of alumni.
A great way to network and find new opportunities in the culinary and hospitality industries is to get involved with industry organizations. ICE students and graduates participate in many highly regarded institutions in their fields.
See above for a list of industry organizations.
Our graduates have pursued a wide array of careers in the culinary and hospitality fields with ICE diplomas and certificates, from cooking and baking positions to restaurant, bakery or food business ownership, hotel management, and event planning. See where an ICE education can take you.
Here are some of the ICE alumni who have inspired us in the past year:
Christina delli Santi (Hospitality, ’15) is now a project manager for Saira Hospitality, a nonprofit that works with hotel partners and communities to provide free education in areas where hospitality centers are being developed in order to train local talent.
Elisa Strauss (Pastry, ‘00) appears on Pastry Arts Magazine’s podcast to discuss her career path from fashion to cake designer to teaching and consulting.
Frenchette Pastry Chef Michelle Palazzo (Pastry, ’09) is collaborating on the pastry and bread offerings at the Frenchette Bakery, which just took over the old Arcade Bakery space in Tribeca.
Eden Grinshpan (Culinary/Management, ’08) released a cookbook, "Eating Out Loud: Bold Middle Eastern Flavors for All Day, Every Day," on Sept. 1.
Simone Tong (Culinary/Management ‘11) gained wide recognition for her contemporary take on Yunnan rice noodles called mixian at Little Tong Noodle Shop. Now she’s opened the doors at Silver Apricot, on a mission to introduce a new type of seasonally driven Chinese-American cuisine to New Yorkers.
Four ICE alumni share how they fought food insecurity and supported social justice amid the impact of the pandemic and Black Lives Matter, including Bisma Akhtar (Pastry, ‘19), Jen Jensen (Pastry, ‘04), Connor Kalantari (Culinary, ‘20) and Jazmin Johnson (Culinary, ‘20).
Guy Vaknin's (Culinary, '07) Beyond Sushi group of plant-based restaurants, with six locations in Manhattan, expanded to Long Island City.
The James Beard Foundation announced its 2020 award finalists, featuring Rachel Yang (Culinary, ‘01), who was nominated for Best Chef: Northwest & Pacific, and Missy Robbins (Culinary, ‘95), who was nominated for Outstanding Chef.
Paras Shah (Culinary, ‘07) reshaped the menu at Valencian Gold, their fast-casual paella operation in Las Vegas, to donate food to first responders and essential workers.
Simone Tong (Culinary Arts/Management, ’11) and Winston Chiu (Culinary, ’13) work together to make Little Tong Noodle Shop part of Rethink Food's restaurant response program.
ICE alumni Adrienne Cheatham (Culinary, '07), Michael Jenkins (Culinary/Management, '06) and Kwame Williams (Culinary, '07), visited our New York campus for a panel moderated by James Beard Foundation Culinary Director Jameeale Arzeno in honor of Black History Month.
Rose Noel (Culinary, ‘13) opens Union Square Hospitality Group’s first full-service restaurant in D.C., Maialino Mare, as executive chef.
232 Bleecker, Dig Food Group's first full-service restaurant, opens in New York's West Village with Suzanne Cupps (Culinary, ‘05) as executive chef.
A great way to network and find new opportunities in the culinary and hospitality industries is to get involved with industry organizations. ICE students and graduates participate in the most highly regarded institutions of their fields, including the following industry organizations:
