Khaled Albanna, chef and co-owner of Chattanooga restaurant Calliope, will be a presenting honoree at this year s annual Iconoclast Dinner in New York City.
Spelman College
âThere is an expectation that Spelman women do not wait to be asked for a seat at the table. We are taught to bring our chairs or, more importantly, make our own tables. The Iconoclast Dinner Experience (IDE) is my table.
âIDE is a series of thoughtfully curated events that I host annually in Chicago, Marthaâs Vineyard, and New York City. Each one has its own unique paradigm-shifting theme: Impolite Conversation focuses on amplifying cultural topics through a nontraditional lens; The King Is Dead celebrates young women of color (under 35 years old) who are U.S. based chefs; and The Iconoclast Dinner shines a spotlight on culinary and beverage trailblazers of color globally. At Spelman, I learned to unapologetically take up space, and IDE is a testament to that experience.â