Monogram Partners with The LEE Initiative to Empower Up-and-Coming Female Chefs

Luxury Appliance Brand Provides Tools for Women Culinary and Spirits Program

LOUISVILLE, Ky.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Founded to increase gender equity within the restaurant industry, The LEE Initiative and its Women Culinary and Spirits Program offer mentorship and continuing education for female chefs. Monogram luxury appliances has joined the effort as part of the brand’s commitment to support rising stars in culinary arts.

“We are thrilled to partner with The LEE Initiative and stand behind the groundbreaking work that they do across our local community and the U.S. We are especially inspired by their Women Culinary and Spirits Program that shines a spotlight on unsung women in the culinary industry under the mentorship of the incredible Chef Edward Lee. We take pride in the quality and artistry of our appliances and aim to elevate those around us with this attention to detail,” said Julie Burns, Monogram executive brand director.

As part of the partnership, Monogram designed the kitchen layout for The LEE Initiative and donated a full suite of its latest professional appliances to be used by the visiting chefs when they are in town for instruction from Chef Edward Lee. Monogram will also host the chefs at the Monogram Experience Center when they train in Louisville, Ky. later this summer.

“We are really only interested in partnerships that live up to our standard of excellence, and Monogram is the ideal partner to fit that criteria. Its appliances are top-of-the-line, and we are training the next generation of top-of-the-line chefs. We are grateful for their contributions and know they will make an impact on our chef mentees this year and in the future,” said Chef Edward Lee, co-founder and creative director of The LEE Initiative.

For more information about the Women Culinary and Spirits Program, visit www.leeinitiative.org/women-culinary-spirits.

About Monogram

Monogram™ takes pride in its quality and artistry, crafting appliances that are expertly engineered and purposefully designed with a minimalist elegance that reflects the feedback, personality and lifestyles of owners with distinctive tastes. With an uncompromising attention to every detail, every material and every industry-exclusive, award-winning feature, Monogram Appliances Elevate Everything™ in the kitchen. For more information on Monogram ranges, cooktops, microwaves, pizza ovens, refrigerators, freezers, ice makers, wine reserves, dishwashers, and compactors, visit www.monogram.com. Learn more about the Monogram Designer Council and the designers at https://www.monogram.com/creative-partners/designer-council/.

ABOUT THE LEE INITIATIVE

The LEE (Let's Empower Employment) Initiative, founded in 2017 by Lindsey Ofcacek and Edward Lee, aims to address issues of equality and diversity in the restaurant industry by implementing programs to directly support people in hospitality. The first initiative was the Women Chefs in Kentucky program which provides mentorship opportunities to female chefs in Kentucky. In response to massive layoffs in the hospitality industry due to the COVID-19 outbreak nationwide The LEE Initiative, in partnership with Maker's Mark, launched The Restaurant Workers Relief Program. This program started on Tuesday, March 17 out of the catering kitchen of Lee's restaurant, 610 Magnolia, and has since expanded to include services offered out of 19 kitchens nationwide, and 600,000 meals served thus far. As restaurants start to reopen, The LEE Initiative launched the Restaurant Reboot Relief Program to help fix the supply chain, committing to invest $1 million into sustainable farms. Farms will then give that product to restaurant partners as the restaurants reopen. Following the death of Chef David McAtee, The LEE Initiative launched McAtee Community Kitchen, which serves fresh meals and groceries to families in Louisville's Shelby Park, Smoketown and West End neighborhoods. For more information, please visit www.leeinitiative.org.