Feeding the Soul: A Conversation with José Andrés and Laysha Ward

This episode features an extraordinary conversation between chef and humanitarian José Andrés and Target strategic advisor Laysha Ward. Andrés’s work with World Central Kitchen recently earned him a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize. In this conversation, which was recorded at the 2023 Pennsylvania Conference for Women, we’ll hear about his work fighting hunger, the power of compassion, adaptive leadership, and effecting positive social change. Learn from his vision for creating a more equitable and nourished world — and identify small ways in which you, too, can make a difference and have an impact. Our Guest: José Andrés José Andrés, named one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in 2012 and 2018, and awarded the 2015 National Humanities Medal from President Barack Obama, is an internationally recognized humanitarian, culinary innovator, educator, and New York Times bestselling author. A pioneer of Spanish tapas in the United States, he is also known for his groundbreaking avant-garde cuisine and his award-winning restaurant collective, JoséAndrésGroup. In 2021, he launched José Andrés Media (JAM) which produces television series, books, podcasts, and digital content with a focus on food-related stories and the culture of food. JAM projects include the Emmy-nominated series José & Family in Spain for Max and the Longer Tables podcast. In 2023, Andrés and George Washington University partnered to lead the world in delivering food system solutions through a Global Food Institute, powered by interdisciplinary research and teaching. In 2010, Andrés founded World Central Kitchen, a non-profit which uses the power of food to nourish communities and strengthen economies in times of crisis and beyond. WCK continues to respond to natural disasters ranging from hurricanes, wildfires, and earthquakes, as well as humanitarian emergencies around the world. Andrés’ work has earned awards and distinctions, including Outstanding Chef and Humanitarian of the Year by the James Beard Foundation and the 2017 Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Association of Culinary Professionals. Andrés and World Central Kitchen were awarded the Princesa de Asturias Foundation’s 2021 Concordia Prize. As a naturalized citizen originally from Spain, Andrés has also been a tireless advocate for immigration reform. Guest Host: Laysha Ward Laysha Ward is an accomplished C-suite executive with 32 years of leadership experience at Target, where she now serves as Strategic Advisor. In 2017, Ms. Ward was named Executive Vice President, Chief External Engagement Officer, overseeing Target’s enterprise-wide approach to engage and deepen relationships with cross-sector stakeholders to drive positive business and community impact. She is a founding member of the Racial Equity Action and Change committee(REACH), established in 2020 to help lead the organization’s strategy to drive lasting impact for Black team members, guests and communities. Ms. Ward began her career with Target in 1991 as a member of the store sales and management team of Marshall Fields in Chicago. She was named Director of Community Relations in 2000 and promoted to Vice President of Community Relations and Target Foundation in 2003. She previously served as Executive Vice President, Chief Corporate Social Responsibility Officer before being named to her current position. In 2008, President Bush nominated and the U.S. Senate confirmed Ms. Ward to serve on the board of directors of the Corporation for National and Community Service, the nation’s largest grantmaker for volunteering and service.