Iron Chef, father, husband, James Beard Award-winner, entrepreneur, and food innovator, Chef Jose Garces is known as a leading culinary authority of Spanish and Latin-American food. From the Spanish tapas at Amada, his first restaurant, to the award-winning burgers and whiskey flights at Village Whiskey, Chef Garces continually pushes the boundaries of culinary excellence. While he maintains his successful career owning and operating full-service restaurants, Chef Garces is also looking toward the future, with an increased focus on bringing restaurant-quality experiences to the homes and businesses of culinary enthusiasts in new and interesting ways. From enhanced home delivery options and virtual online cooking demos, to live online cooking classes, Chef Garces is excited to connect with both fans of his work on television, as well as the home cook who’d like to experience “chef life” in their own kitchen. As a child of immigrants and a leader in the diverse and inclusive hospitality industry, the wellbeing of his community in Philadelphia has always been dear to Chef Garces’ heart. To help provide ongoing and actionable assistance to the immigrant community, Chef Garces co-founded The Garces Foundation in 2011. The Garces Foundation provides services, including community health days, English language skills classes that target the restaurant industry, and most recently, an increased focus on procuring and providing food supplies to the food insecure. Chef Garces is the author of two cookbooks, Latin Evolution and The Latin Road Home, published by Lake Isle Press

Dr. Beatriz Mirabal Garces is a dentist, entrepreneur, and community advocate whose own immigrant journey has always informed her life’s work. Born in Havana, Cuba, she moved to Miami, Florida in 1994 to earn her Bachelor's in Biology at Florida International University, and later earned her Dental Medicine Degree in 2002 from Temple University School of Dentistry. In 2012, she co-founded the Garces Foundation to ensure that Philadelphia's immigrant community has access to the healthcare, education, and support needed to succeed. She remains deeply active in the Foundation's work, as a board member and health care provider for the Foundation's Sonrisa dental program. For decades, she worked as Founder and Principal of Garces Dental Group, her dental practice in Philadelphia, as well as a part-time faculty clinician at Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry, Delaware Technical Community College, and Christiana Care Hospital. She currently focuses her work in public health, treating the incarcerated population for the Departments of Correction in both Delaware and Alaska, and expanding soon to serve the Native American communities in rural villages in Alaska.

Executive Director

robin@garcesfoundation.org

Director of Programs

jillian@garcesfoundation.org

Case Manager

olivia@garcesfoundation.org

 Financial Administrator

geri@garcesfoundation.org

Executive Assistant

haby@garcesfoundation.org

Board Chair, Garces Foundation

World Jewish Relief USA

Executive Director

David I. Weisberg is Executive Director of World Jewish Relief USA, where he is building national visibility and philanthropic support for the organization’s more than 90-year legacy of protecting lives and livelihoods in vulnerable communities around the world.  A nonprofit leader for more than three decades, David has raised over $100 million for humanitarian, social justice, environmental, and Jewish communal causes. 

Vice Chair, Garces Foundation

Community College of Philadelphia

Educator

Mallory is a Philadelphia based educator and consultant with nearly 20 years of experience in education. She has extensive teaching experience in the k-12 sector and higher education; she has also worked in a variety of roles in non-profit program management. She currently serves as adjunct faculty at Temple University College of Education and is a full time Assistant Professor of English as a Second Language (ESL) at the Community College of Philadelphia.

Board Secretary, Garces Foundation

Vanguard

Data Specialist

Lucero is a Data Specialist at Vanguard with a strong foundation in analytics, data visualization, and quantitative methods. Her focus is on translating complex data into clear insights that support strategy, improve experiences, and guide decision‑making.

Board Treasurer, Garces Foundation

Investor

Chris was Chief Financial Officer of Hajoca Corporation for more than 20 years. Since leaving full time work, Chris has been an Investor in social impact businesses and active on corporate and non-profit boards. 

Live! Hospitality and Entertainment

Hospitality Leader  

Lion's Share Management Consulting

Principal

Jeffrey Krisciunas has greater than three decades of experience in finance, operational management, strategic planning, systems implementations, and profit maximization. Jeff is principal owner and operator of Philadelphia based consulting company, Lion’s Share Management Consulting, which services both local and country-wide privately-held and private equity companies

Noble Dental Group & Opus Dental Esthetics

Dentist

Dr. Derek Conover is the founder and managing partner of the Noble Dental Group in Philadelphia, focused on delivering the highest caliber of dental care the city has to offer. He continues to see patients at Opus Dental Esthetics, limiting his practice to advanced esthetic care. Dr. Conover is on staff and Jefferson Hospital and currently serves as President of the Philadelphia County Dental Society.

Virtua Health

Senior Vice President

Virtua Health

 AVP of Clinical Operations 

Klasko Immigration Law Partners LLC

Co-chair of Corporate Immigration Practice.

Michele Madera is co-chair of the Klasko Immigration Law Partners’ Corporate Immigration Practice. She focuses her practice on providing strategic immigration guidance to a broad spectrum of corporate and institutional clients. She counsels them in attracting and retaining top international talent. She also advises individual clients facing complex immigration challenges.

Haggerty, Goldberg, Schleifer & Kupersmith, P.C.

Mark  is a shareholder at HGSK Injury Lawyers and has a long history of leadership and service to community organizations throughout Pennsylvania. He is a founding board member of the Latino Hispanic American Community Center in Harrisburg and the Hazleton Integration Project & Hazleton One Community Center. Mark also serves as a board member of WEPA in Lebanon and previously served as president and continues to serve on the board of Old York Road Temple-Beth Am in Abington

The Philadelphia Orchestra & Ensemble Arts

Vice President of Communications

Andrea is Vice President of Communications at the Philadelphia Orchestra and Ensemble Arts. Fluent in Spanish, she has over a decade of experience leading communications across corporate, government, nonprofit, and international organizations, with a focus on impact communications, stakeholder engagement, and inclusive storytelling.

Oxford Presbyterian Church (PCUSA)

Pastor

Rev. Carla Jones Brown is an ordained minister of Word and Sacrament in the PCUSA and the Designated Pastor of Oxford Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia. She serves as Dean of the Jarena Lee Preaching Academy for WomanPreach! Inc. and as a facilitator for the Philadelphia Presbytery's Expanding the Pulpit program. She also serves as a facilitator for Omaha Presbyterian Seminary Foundation's Certificate in Proclamation program.

Princeton Strategies

Founder & CEO

Adam founded Princeton Strategies in 2016. Before starting the firm he worked on several high-profile political races, including campaigns for Congressman Frank Pallone (NJ), Congressman Charles Rangel (NY), and Congressman Brendan Boyle (PA. Adam’s work earned national attention, including the #1 Grassroots Campaign award from the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee in 2012; in 2022, Adam was named a Top 50 Political Consultant by Pennsylvania City and State magazine.