Hudson County Community College (HCCC) will welcome Chef Elle Simone Scott, Executive Editor, Inclusion Leader, and one of the hosts of the PBS hit show, America’s Test Kitchen. She will be the featured speaker at two virtual sessions of the HCCC Speaker Series – on Tuesday, April 27 from 12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., and Wednesday, April 28 from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Members of the community may submit questions for Chef Elle Simone Scott by emailing studentlife@hccc.edu with the subject line, “Chef Elle Simone Scott,” by April 19, 2021. Registration for the Speaker Series event is available online at https://hccc.life/chefscott1 (for April 27) or https://hccc.life/chefscott2 (for April 28).
Elle Simone Scott is a career-changer who has demonstrated strength and resilience in the face of financial turmoil. The Michigan native, who holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Services from Eastern Michigan University, began her career as a social worker in Detroit.
At the age of 28, she lost her job, car, and home during the 2008 recession. In 2010, she attended culinary school to pursue her love of cooking. Her studies and experience led to an internship with the Food Network, and production jobs at Bravo, Cooking Channel, ABC’s The Chew, and PBS’ Cook’s Country.
In 2016, Chef Scott became the first African American woman to appear as a regular, on-screen cook on America’s Test Kitchen. She creates content for America’s Test Kitchen as well as the show’s social media, and works to boost the program’s diversity efforts and culture of inclusion by focusing on mentoring, recruiting, and retention. Chef Scott is also a food stylist for Cook’s Country, and the host of America’s Test Kitchen’s “The Walk-In” podcast, which features intimate conversations with culinary difference makers.
In 2013, Chef Scott, who is on the board of Women Chefs and Restaurateurs, founded SheChef, Inc., a professional mentoring and networking organization to support and help grow the number of women of color in the culinary field.
