Chef Antwon Brinson
Culinary's voice in the workforce conversation.
Two decades in professional kitchens. Nearly a decade building the workforce behind them. Chef Antwon Brinson helps hospitality leaders develop their people, strengthen their kitchens, and find talent where others overlook it.
The Experience Behind the Voice.
From Running Kitchens to Building the People Who Run Them.
Chef Antwon Brinson has spent more than 20 years in professional kitchens. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, he trained under three Certified Master Chefs at The Greenbrier and went on to lead kitchens in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Hawaii, Palm Springs, and San Francisco. Every kitchen taught him the same lesson: a kitchen is only as strong as the people in it.
In 2018, he founded Culinary Concepts AB in Charlottesville, Virginia, to close the gap between employers who need skilled cooks and the people ready to become them. Today, CCAB develops existing kitchen teams, trains and certifies new talent, and connects employers to pipelines they rarely reach.
Chef AB brings the kitchen's perspective to the rooms where workforce decisions are made. He has served on his regional workforce development board for nearly a decade and leads the Charlottesville chapter of the Virginia Restaurant, Lodging & Travel Association.
- Founder & President, Culinary Concepts AB
- Regional Workforce Development Board Member
- President, VRLTA Charlottesville Chapter
- Author, Cast Iron Cooking For Dummies
Bring the Kitchen's Perspective to Your Stage.
Chef AB speaks to hospitality leaders, workforce professionals, and policymakers about the people behind the plate: how to develop them, how to keep them, and where to find them when most employers stop looking.
The Kitchen's Side of the Workforce Story
Drawing on The Culinary Workforce Report 2026, Chef AB puts data behind what chefs have known for years and shows leaders where back-of-house stability begins.
Develop the Team You Already Have
Why investing in current employees is the fastest path to retention, consistency, and future leaders, and how to build a training culture that lasts.
Talent Where Others Aren't Looking
How second-chance, youth, and career-changing talent becomes a dependable pipeline when training, mentorship, and employers work together.
Leadership Starts at the Pass
Lessons from two decades of running kitchens on building culture, standards, and accountability under pressure.
Hospitality and restaurant associations · Club and resort chef conferences · Workforce boards and public-sector convenings · Culinary and hospitality schools · Corporate leadership teams
Request Chef AB for Your EventOne Voice. Every Kind of Room.
From policy panels to storytelling stages, Chef AB adapts his message to the audience in front of him, whether the goal is to inform, challenge, or inspire.
- The Moth
- NGA Conference panel with the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation
- American Culinary Federation panel
- VRLTA chapter meeting, featured guest
- Rouxbe Live with Ken Rubin
- Tom Tom Festival
- CreativeMornings Charlottesville
- Hospitality on Main Street with Chef Tanya Holland
- Graduation keynote speaker
- Every CCAB graduation
- Spark RVA entrepreneur showcase
- VPM
- Kitchen Brain Podcast
- HOW U? Podcast
- Let's Dig In with Chef Rosendale
- The Chris Alan Show
- The I Love C'ville Show
Stories, Interviews, and Media Resources.
For interviews, features, and media requests, contact our communications team at media@culinaryconceptsab.com.
Featured Chef on The Big Brunch with Dan Levy
Meet Chef Antwon Brinson
Antwon Brinson Cooks to Develop Palates and Change Minds
A New Recipe for Success: Chef Antwon Brinson's Culinary Boot Camp
You Get What You Focus On: Using Food to Build Community
Small Business Perspectives: A Q&A with Antwon Brinson
Training for Culinary Careers Inside the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail
From The Big Brunch to Hatch Kitchen: Chef Antwon Brinson's Next Adventure
Hatch Kitchen Teams Up with Charlottesville Chef for Entrepreneurship Program
Short Bio
Chef Antwon Brinson is the Founder and President of Culinary Concepts AB, a Virginia-based culinary workforce development company. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America with more than 20 years in professional kitchens, he has served on his regional workforce development board for nearly a decade and is the author of Cast Iron Cooking For Dummies.
Approved for print and event programs. A longer bio is available on request.
Fast Facts
- Based in Charlottesville, Virginia
- Founded Culinary Concepts AB in 2018
- Graduate, Culinary Institute of America
- Featured chef, HBO Max's The Big Brunch
- Author, Cast Iron Cooking For Dummies
- Author, SAGE Editor's Choice case study
Download Headshots
Select a photo to download. Please credit Culinary Concepts AB.
Media contact: media@culinaryconceptsab.com
The Culinary Workforce Report 2026 The Kitchen's Side of the Story.
Led by Chef AB, the report brings together data, stories, and insights on the state of the culinary workforce, giving the back of house the numbers it has long been missing.
Get Your CopyInvite Chef AB to Your Event.
Share a few details about your event, interview, or partnership, and our team will follow up to discuss dates, format, and topics.
Media inquiries: media@culinaryconceptsab.com