Adé Carrena is a chef and storyteller who specializes in Neo-West African cuisine. She is the North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association’s 2023 Chef of the Year and the Beyond: the Cary Film Festival’s People’s Choice award recipient for Bite of Bénin. Her mission is to bridge cultural gaps, reimagine West African food, and create safe spaces for important conversations that inspire healing across the African diaspora. Adé has spent the last 6 years curating culinary experiences highlighting Black foodways while supporting local Black Farmers. She is the founder and owner of iLéWA Foods, an innovative CPG Brand that aims to build more equitable futures by creating economic opportunity that empowers women producers in West Africa as agents within global markets.