


The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. The San Francisco native hosts Wanda’s Cooking Pop-up restaurant events around the Bay Area that feature her signature handcrafted Pepper Chowchow and Creole Spice. Connect: leading national forum open to all for the impartial discussion of public issues important to the membership, community and nation. It’s about relating with others over a flavor, a dish or a meal. With an impressive client roster, she has cooked for many celebrities, including the Oakland A’s, Houston Rocket’s, Golden State Warriors, Robin Thicke, Charlie Wilson, Anita Baker, Stephen and Ayesha Curry and more. Connect: Chef Wanda Blake, cooking is all about serving others. More specifically, through authentic storytelling via the country’s first Black culinary lifestyle magazine Cuisine Noir and its multilanguage podcast "Diaspora Food Stories." Connect: Michele McQueen has more than 25 years in the restaurant industry that includes her latest concept Town Fare, located inside the Oakland Museum. Sheree Williams is the founder of The Global Food and Drink Initiative, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that preserves history and culture of the African diaspora through food, drink and travel. This panel will talk about the rise and connection among people of African descent globally to tell the stories of their ingredients, food traditions, culture and heritage and how they are shaping food experiences for consumers today.
