On this episode we are grateful to have Brandon Chrostowski. Brandon envisioned and established in 2007, EDWINS, whose mission is to give formerly incarcerated individuals a foundation in the hospitality industry while providing a support network necessary for successful re-entry into the workforce. Brandon is a classically trained chef and sommelier, who honed his skills at fine dining establishments in Paris, New York, and Chicago, including Lucas Carton, Chanterelle, Picholine, Le Cirque and Charlie Trotter’s. Brandon has won numerous local and national awards over the last 17 years, including IFMA’s 2020 Silver Plate Award, inclusion in CNN’s 2016 Heroes, and a 2021 Manhattan Institute’s Civil Society Fellow. EDWINs was the subject of the Oscar-nominated documentary “Knife Skills” in 2018. And Brandon was a finalist in 2023 for the James Beard Award for Outstanding Restaurateur.