Born into a large southern family, Mavis-Jay began mastering southern cooking before she could even see over the counter. Legend has it, she perfected poundcake before her abc’s. Looking to cultivate her talent, MJ attended the Culinary Institute of America after receiving a BS in hotel and restaurant management from Georgia Southern University. Later, she would impress with her ability and natural leadership at Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Blue Hill, and Untitled in New York. She went on to be part owner of the award winning food truck Pico House in Los Angeles. Frustrated witnessing good food as a luxury for the rich, Mavis-Jay moved back to NYC to join the team at The Brownsville Community Culinary Center as Director of Operations to provide free, paid, world class culinary and hospitality training to marginalized communities in Brooklyn that culminated in guaranteed career placement.

Mavis-Jay is a chef who believes in sustainably raised ingredients, thoughtfully prepared. She is a social equity advocate that has dedicated her career to fighting for food justice in black and low-income communities. In 2019, she was honored as one of Star Chefs’ New York Rising Star Chef. She is a James Beard Chef’s Boot Camp alum, a Chef’s Collaborative scholar, and is frequently a featured chef of the New York’s Queer Soup Night.