The Hill’s Changemakers: José Andrés, celebrity chef and activist

Despite juggling a full plate — humanitarian work, a portfolio of dining hotspots, weighing in on politics, penning books and launching an institute focused on food systems — José Andrés is still hungry to make a difference. 

The acclaimed chef — who in 2010 founded World Central Kitchen, a nonprofit that provides meals to people in disaster areas and conflict zones — says he approaches life with a mantra: “What you wish for yourself, you must wish for others.” 

“It cannot be that what you want for yourself you don’t fight equally to provide for others,” he told The Hill.  

Andrés, who was born in Spain and became an American citizen in 2013, and his emergency food relief group faced multiple unspeakable tragedies this year. In April, an Israeli airstrike in Gaza killed seven World Central Kitchen workers. Four months later, one of the organization’s Palestinian team members was killed in Gaza.  

“It’s been a terrible year for humanitarians, not only in Gaza, but in other parts. Haiti is in disarray. Sudan is in disarray. Yemen is in disarray. Ukraine — it’s been hard,” he said.  

But Andrés’s work around the world and here at home continues.  

Last May, he marked the first anniversary of the launch of the George Washington University Global Food Institute, which he expects will “have a very huge impact in building true policies that we hope countries will adopt and different policy makers around the world use to have real effect.” 

He’s also floated a possible political run, writing to Rep. Andy Harris on social media in November, “I will retire and run for your seat,” after the Maryland Republican criticized President Biden and Vice President Harris.  

Asked if he planned on following through with a congressional bid, the 55-year-old restauranteur and author replied with a laugh, “I don’t have the discipline.” 

In his post on social platform X to the lawmaker, he said it “was just a way to say, ‘Come on.'”  

“Leaders, I think they forget very often that you’re there for everybody. It’s not about imposing on everybody, but instead trying to find always a difficult sometimes but necessary middle place,” said Andrés, a prominent critic of President-elect Trump.  

Reflecting on his life’s work with World Central Kitchen, Andrés said, “We exist because we occupy a space that somebody had to occupy.” 

“What we do is real,” he added. “I always ask, if we were not doing it, who will be doing it?”