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Schedule

Tuesday, March 29, 2022
6 p.m. Reception
7 p.m. Program

In an age of food blogs, viral social media, and innumerous cooking shows on competing streaming networks, the public has gained new accessibility to the cutthroat food and restaurant industry. In many ways this has allowed a more diverse cadre of women chefs and food bloggers to rise to fame. From YouTube personalities to immigrant founders of catering businesses, Asian American women have found new ways to share their cultural history and identity to wider audiences through their food and recipes.

Asia Society welcomes renowned food writer Priya Krishna for a conversation on the transformation of the industry in recent years, including the challenges around being tokenized as an Asian woman in the food industry, the impact of COVID-19, and how her food – and her writing – reflects her relationship with herself and the world.

About the Speaker

Priya Krishna is an Indian-American food journalist and YouTube personality. She is a food reporter for The New York Times and has previously contributed to The New Yorker, Eater, and TASTE (as a columnist). She is also the author of multiple cookbooks, including Indian-ish, a cookbook she wrote along with her mother. Krishna previously worked for Bon Appétit and appeared on their popular YouTube channel from 2018 to 2020. Before that, she also worked in the marketing department of Lucky Peach, a food magazine established by David Chang. More recently in 2021, she has also written a cookbook together with Chang titled Cooking at Home: Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying About Recipes (And Love My Microwave). Krishna was raised in Dallas, Texas. Her parents emigrated from India to the United States in the 1980s. Krishna attended Dartmouth College where she was a double major in government and French and graduated in the class of 2013.

About the Moderator

Pooja Lodhia joined KTRK and the ABC13 Eyewitness News team as a general assignments reporter in the spring of 2012. Before making her leap to Houston, she reported at Eatel News Magazine in Baton Rouge; WLUC in Marquette, Michigan; and WFTX in Fort Myers, Florida. Some of her most memorable stories include covering final space shuttle launch in Cape Canaveral, Hurricane Isaac in New Orleans, and a moose on the loose in Michigan. She truly believes that every person has a story worth telling, and she's honored to be able to do so. Pooja was born and raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and has family here in Houston. She has degrees in English Literature and Journalism and a minor in Modern Dance from Emory University in Atlanta.

Asia Society hosts today's leading voices, providing commentary on events in news, society, and culture. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect Asia Society views.

About the Women's Leadership Series

The Women's Leadership Series (WLS) celebrates influential, diverse women making a substantive impact in both the business and culture arenas, locally and globally.

Previous programs:
Bank of America Women's Leadership Series: Asian American Leaders Standing Up for Racial Justice
Bank of America Women’s Leadership Series Spotlights Trailblazing Women Breaking Barriers in Space Exploration
Bank of America Women’s Leadership Series Emphasizes Roles of Corporations, Government in Climate Change Solutions
Sixth Year of Bank of America Women’s Leadership Series Opens with Stirring Discussion on Black and Asian Solidarity
Bank of America Women’s Leadership Series Concludes Fifth Year, Highlights Houston Nonprofits, NYC Chef Feeding the Community During COVID-19
Asia Society Welcomes Journalist Ann Curry for Bank of America Women's Leadership Series
Asia Society Launches the 2019–2020 Bank of America Women's Leadership Series with Former PepsiCo Chairman and CEO Indra Nooyi
Asia Society Concludes 2018-2019 Bank of America Women's Leadership Series Season with Focus on Women in Entertainment
Bank of America Women’s Leadership Series Spotlights Local Energy Executives, Importance of STEM Education
Bank of America Women’s Leadership Series Kicks Off 2018-2019 Season with Celebrated Female Asian Chefs
Asia Society Concludes 2017-2018 Women's Leadership Series with Women in Fashion Evening
Technology Trailblazers on the Business of Innovation
Third Year of Women’s Leadership Series Begins with Medical Innovators
Former UK First Lady Leads Dialogue on Women’s Education
Women's Leadership Panel Addresses Female Representation in the C-Suite
Former Secretary of Labor Credits "Strong Families, Education, and Hard Work" for Success
Local Leaders Share Personal and Professional Successes at Inaugural Women's Leadership Program

The Women's Leadership Series Steering committee is chaired by Niloufar Molavi. Members include Nancy C. Allen, Dr. Dina Alsowayel, The Honorable Theresa Chang,  Dr. Anne Chao, Kathy Goossen, Dr. Ellen Gritz, Richa Himani, Brigitte Kalai, Mandy Kao, Shirley Kwan, Sultana Mangalji, Vani Rao, Sue Sim, Y. Ping Sun, and Rita Touma.

Title Sponsor

Presenting Sponsors

Anne and Albert Chao
Nancy Pollok Guinee

Lead Sponsors

Additional Support

The Honorable Theresa W. Chang and Dr. Peter Chang
Kathy and Marty Goossen
Mandy and William Kao
Dr. Peter and Shirley Kwan
Y. Ping Sun and David Leebron
Sultana and Moez Mangalji
Niloufar Molavi/PwC
Sue and Randy Sim

About Asia Society Texas

Asia Society Texas believes in the strength and beauty of diverse perspectives and people. As an educational institution, we advance cultural exchange by celebrating the vibrant diversity of Asia, inspiring empathy, and fostering a better understanding of our interconnected world. Spanning the fields of arts, business, culture, education, and policy, our programming is rooted in the educational and cultural development of our community — trusting in the power of art, dialogue, and ideas to combat bias and build a more inclusive society.