Based in Houston, Texas, Chris Shepherd and Lindsey Brown are the Co-Founders and husband-and-wife team behind Southern Smoke Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides emergency relief funding, mental health services, and other resources for food and beverage industry workers in need of support. Before taking on a full-time role with Southern Smoke Foundation in 2023, Lindsey looked after the public relations for Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau before opening her own firm where she continued championing Houston’s culinary scene. Today, she serves as both Co-Founder and Executive Director for Southern Smoke Foundation and is heavily involved in other Houston-based non-profits.

A longtime Houstonian, Chris began his fine dining career at Brennan’s Houston, working as a chef and looking after the wine program before opening his own concepts Catalan Food & Wine and Underbelly, where he earned national recognition for his culinary work. Today, in addition to his role at Southern Smoke Foundation, Chris is a cookbook author, a food and beverage writer, culinary consultant, television host, and public speaker.

In this episode, Chris and Lindsey join Steve for a conversation on their journey creating the Southern Smoke Foundation, how the industry shows up to support those in need, and their hopes for the future of hospitality.

Thank you to Stolon Food Lab for allowing us to use the space to film this episode.