Jen Hidinger-Kendrick

WORK HISTORY

ABOUT JEN HIDINGER-KENDRICK

Along with my late husband, Ryan Hidinger, I am a founder of Giving Kitchen. I advise on brand awareness and community involvement while providing a personal account in telling the story of GK to audiences near and far. As the spokesperson for GK, I have received the Community Hero Award from the Atlanta Braves and Fox Sports South, have been featured on the covers of Entrepreneur Magazine and Atlanta Magazine, was the recipient of the 2022 Claes Nobel World Betterment Award, and am participating in Leadership Atlanta’s Class of 2024.As co-founder of the acclaimed Staplehouse Restaurant, I was a key member of the team that earned Bon Appétit magazine\'s Best New Restaurant in America in 2016 and a nomination as Best New Restaurant by the James Beard Foundation. I joined the staff of GK full-time in 2019, the same year I shared the stage with GK colleagues to receive the James Beard Foundation\'s 2019 Humanitarian of the Year award on behalf of Giving Kitchen. Two of my proudest moments include accepting the James Beard Award in 2019 and seeing Giving Kitchen recognized as one of Fast Company’s Brands That Matter in 2022.I received a bachelor’s degree in broadcast communication from Indiana University in 2004 before moving to Atlanta. Prior to founding GK, I served as a manager at Seed Factory, a prominent children’s boutique, and held the position of Account Manager at Austin Kelley Advertising where I managed relationships with clients such as Piedmont Hospital, Papa John’s Pizza, and Hands On Atlanta. I live in Atlanta, GA, with my husband John Wayne Kendrick, our son Blue, and dog Goonie. My passions include design and travel, dogs, food and beverage, and the art of tidying. My most cherished quote is: “Anything long-lasting or worthwhile takes time and complete surrender.” — Ryan Hidinger