Speaker Faculty

Chef Oumar Diouf was born in Senegal. He got his start cooking at age 13, when his father passed away. He helped his mother out in the kitchen until he went to college. After college, he headed to Argentina to pursue a career in soccer. When an injury sidelined his career, Diouf decided to attend culinary school. He went on to own restaurants in Argentina — his first was selling pizza and empanadas — then moved to Brazil, where he worked in hotels and catering businesses. In his journey after culinary school, Oumar has worked with and led many different teams in several restaurants in Argentina, Brazil, and the United States ranging from casual dining to luxury fine dining.

During the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Oumar proudly led a kitchen team in charge of cooking for five Houses: the NBA House, Australian Olympic Center, New Balance’s House, Casa Cartan and Casa Time Brazil. The daily number of guests to serve exceeded five thousand people.

During his time in Brazil, Oumar was struck by the similarities between Brazilian cuisine and the food he ate growing up. “In Bahia, which is the north of Brazil … about 80 percent of their food was actually brought by slaves 500 years ago,” Oumar said. “So those cooking style techniques, even the names are very close from Africa — especially West Africa.”

Those similarities, along with an Anthony Bourdain episode about the Bahia region, inspired Oumar to pursue an Afro-Brazilian style of cooking. In 2016, Oumar moved to the Bay Area, and started a catering company called Afro-Brazilian Cuisine (ABC). In addition to ABC, Oumar also owns and cooks at the Damel, an Afro-Brazilian restaurant in Oakland. The name Damel was the title given to the king of Wolof Kingdom of Cayor which was located in modern day Dakar, the capital of Senegal.

At The Damel, Oumar set out to tell his story through cuisine, the menu reflecting his lived experience in Senegal, Argentina, and Brazil. Above all, Oumar’s goal is to demonstrate the influence of African cuisine — not just in Brazil, but all over the world.

“A lot of dance has African background, a lot of fashion has African background, but food, too, has an African background,” Oumar said. “And that’s what I want to stand for — to try to take back what’s from us and have people that want to find more about their ancestors … eating the same food their ancestors brought from Africa to here.” Oumar uses the best local ingredients to create a fusion between traditional culinary and global cooking.

Andria Barrett is President of the Canadian Black Chamber of Commerce. She is also a nutritionist and pre-diabetes food & wellness expert.

She believes there is a direct correlation between the food we eat and the way we look and feel. Daughter of a Diabetic, she has first hand experience about the impact of high blood sugar on the body. She works with people diagnosed with pre-diabetes and who need to lose weight. By educating her clients on the power of real food and reinforcing the importance of simple lifestyle changes, her clients experience less complications related to their disease and enjoy a higher quality of life.

Andria is also a Consultant with the Diversity Business Network and is the CEO of The Diversity Agency.

Yasser Bagersh is a Humanist. Culturalist. Advocate.

He is involved in multiple sectors in Ethiopia and runs the largest communication network in the country. Through his work in this sector, he has transformed and led the industry in Ethiopia. Yasser Bagersh also runs one of the biggest catering companies in Ethiopia which produces over 10,000 meals a day for the employees of major corporations around the country. In food, he has explored both western and Ethiopian cuisines. His cooking classes are sold out months in advance, especially in traditional food. In the arts, he has curated multiple contemporary art spaces and continues to be a driving force in the artistic community. He volunteers regularly at Our Father’s Kitchen a community kitchen he founded 10 years ago, which on a daily basis, feeds 300 children who are living under severely challenging and underprivileged circumstances. Bagersh also caters for some of the most prestigious venues in Ethiopia and his restaurant, Lime Tree is one of the top restaurants in Ethiopia. He has cooked for heads of states and celebrities including the Pulitzer family, Brad Pitt and Candace Bergen. He is also an expert in Ethiopian spices consulting for Unilever and Nestle in developing seasonings for the Ethiopian market.

In communication…

Bagersh has been heavily involved in the growth of the communication and advertisement industry in Ethiopia. He currently runs the largest communication network in Ethiopia including Cactus Communication which is a creative and strategy agency handling some of the most exciting accounts in Ethiopia ranging from Coke, Unilever and Heineken to MasterCard Foundation, UNDP and the Ethiopian Government. Prologue – Burson, Cohn & Wolfe is the top events and public relations companies in Ethiopia the biggest launches and events in the country. Omnimedia is a content-creation company that produces radio and TV shows as well as publications. Finally, Way Marketing, is one of the most important communication agencies in Ethiopia focusing on experiential marketing. With 11 offices around the country and over 250 full time staff it boasts the largest nationwide network in the country.

In the arts…

Bagersh is an avid art collector. He annually organizes the Big Art Sale taking place in the Hilton Hotel which is the single biggest contemporary arts event in Addis Ababa – over 150 artists sell their work to thousands of art collectors.

Bagersh annually produces the Art Tour with multiple embassies. Last year the art tour took place, in addition to his own residence, at the French Embassy, the Belgian Embassy, the Germany embassy and the Jubilee Palace hosted by the president of Ethiopia.

Bagersh produces the annual prestigious Bag Show at the Sheraton launching the newest line of bags of the top bag designers in Ethiopia. He also produces the Ballet Gala at the National Theatre. Both events are fundraisers.

Bagersh curated several art shows and spaces in the last 20 years. His most recent work was curating the USAID art collection.

Bagersh also launched the Design Master Class flying in some of the most prolific figures in design to speak on different aspects of design and fashion.

In theatre and arts-in-education (past career)….

Worked in children’s theatre in Houston, Texas. The theatre he founded in 1991, Express Theatre, performs to over 75,000 children annually in Texas and beyond. Express Theatre is the winner of 2 Austin Circle of Drama Awards, 3 B. Iden Payne awards for Children’s Theatre, and garnered the cover story on Stage Directions magazine. Express Theatre produces the annual Children’s Hilltop Festival at Miller Theatre. It was named the 2010 Best Theatre Production for Children by Houston Press.

Bagersh was on the theatre panels and/or boards for many organizations in the US including the Cultural Arts Council of Houston/Harris County (now called Houston Arts Alliance), Business Volunteers for the Arts and the Texas Commission on the Arts.

Bagersh has penned over ten theatre productions and directed over thirty productions for children. As a performer, he toured professionally in the US and beyond in musicals and plays.

Bagersh ran numerous workshops for teachers and students in the area of theatre, multi-culturalism, media literacy, performance arts and incorporating the arts in education.

He has been recognized by multiple figures for his accomplishments in the arts in the US including President Bill Clinton, Governor George W. Bush. In addition, he received a proclamation (Yasser Bagersh Day) from the Mayor of Houston for his work with children.

Most Current Articles on Yasser Bagersh

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