The Iconoclast Dinner Experience Marks Its 11th Year with a 2026 Season at Carnegie Hall, NYC and on Martha's Vineyard

Founder Dr. Lezli Levene Harvell pictured with 2025 honorees at The Iconoclast Dinner

Eight Honorees. One Night. A Menu That Will Never Be Made Again – Carnegie Hall Opens a Season That Continues on the Vineyard This August

NEW YORK CITY, NY, UNITED STATES, May 5, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Iconoclast Dinner Experience (IDE), a pioneering culinary platform dedicated to elevating diverse voices in the food and beverage industry, will host its highly anticipated annual gathering, The Iconoclast Dinner at Carnegie Hall on June 6, 2026. Now in its eleventh year, the experience continues to redefine what it means to convene, celebrate, and invest in the future of culinary leadership.

The Iconoclast Dinner Experience is an immersive cultural movement that champions innovation, representation, and cultural storytelling through food. What began as a single intimate dinner at the prestigious James Beard House, evolved into a nationally recognized dining experience and cultural platform, hosting diversity-focused power tables that spotlight the culinary industry’s most innovative leaders with cultural icons and tastemakers who champion them. Past attendees and honorary Chairs have included Former First Lady Michelle Obama, filmmaker Spike Lee, Academy Award‑nominated director Ava DuVernay, EGOT recipient Cynthia Erivo, and celebrated chef and television personality Carla Hall, a testament to the experience's cultural impact.

"The Iconoclast Dinner Experience exists because the most innovative voices in this industry weren’t always in the room and the seats that existed rarely reflected the full brilliance of this industry,” said Dr. Lezli Levene Harvell, Founder of the Iconoclast Dinner Experience. “We curate power tables through culture, creating space where haute cuisine is celebrated from every lens and the diverse voices driving culinary innovation get the recognition they've always deserved. What’s most meaningful is seeing that impact come full circle. Honorees from past years are now opening doors for the next generation, and today we’re not only celebrating trailblazers, but their protégés, and mentees who are shaping what comes next.”

2026 Iconoclast Dinner Hosted by Carnegie Hall Honorary Chair
The Iconoclast Dinner Experience is proud to announce Esi Eggleston Bracey as the Honorary Chair for the 2026 Iconoclast Dinner. A transformative global leader and most recently Unilever’s Global Chief Growth and Marketing Officer, Esi is a co-founder of the CROWN Coalition and a human-centric leader who believes business must be a force for good. A true iconoclast in every sense, she brings a vision of purpose-driven excellence that is deeply aligned with the spirit of this gathering.

2026 Culinary Chair
The Iconoclast Dinner Experience is proud to announce Chef Preston Clark as the Culinary Chair for all IDE events. Born into a culinary legacy as the son of the late Patrick Clark and the first Black chef to win a James Beard Award, Preston Clark trained at the Culinary Institute of America and honed his craft under Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Charlie Trotter. Known for his refined seafood and French technique, he earned a James Beard Rising Star nomination and now leads Lure Fishbar and Bar Mercer. As Culinary Chair, Preston brings a legacy-driven perspective that champions both established voices and the next generation shaping the industry.

On June 6th, Carnegie Hall will transform into an immersive, multi-course gastronomic experience curated by Dr. Lezli alongside this year's eight distinguished honorees – chefs and beverage professionals who are rewriting the narrative of culinary leadership. An intimate cocktail hour gives way to a seven-course journey where each course tells its own story - conceived and executed by talent who have never worked together before and collaborating for what will continue to elevate and recognize creativity in culinary. One hundred guests will gather for an evening that is equal parts celebration, conversation, and community.

The 2026 Iconoclast Dinner honorees represent a dynamic cross-section of the industry including:

Culinary Honorees
• Renata Ameni: Chef Partner, Birdee (New York City)
• Juan Camilo Liscano: Executive Chef, Palma (Miami)
• Max Guillaume: Chef de Cuisine, Kabawa (New York City)
• Sanchit Sahu: Head Chef, Nadu (Chicago)
• Martel Stone: Chef de Cuisine, Dõgon by Kwame Onwuachi (Washington, D.C.)
• Natalia Vallejo: Executive Chef, Cocina al Fondo (San Juan, PR)

Wine
• Loris Jones-Randolph: Sommelier, Waldorf Astoria (Beverly Hills, CA)

Spirits
• Erika Flowers: Creative Artist and Award-Winning Bartender (New Orleans)

Net proceeds from all events directly support international students at Spelman College, specifically from Jamaica and sub-Saharan African countries. This ongoing commitment ensures the impact of the evening extends beyond the table fueling opportunity, access, and the next generation of global leaders.

Tickets and registration information for The Iconoclast Dinner are now available via Ticketbud. Full details and RSVP information are included below:
The Iconoclast Dinner | Saturday, June 6, 2026 | 6:30 PM | Carnegie Hall, New York City.
Patronage starts at $1,500: Includes one (1) ticket to the reception and a seven-course culinary and beverage experience, along with IDE’s signature curated gift tote.

Save the Date: The King Is Dead. - Martha’s Vineyard
The Iconoclast Dinner Experience continues its 2026 season with "The King Is Dead." — a farm-to-table culinary experience on Sunday, August 9, 2026 at 5:30 PM at The FARM Institute, Martha's Vineyard. This year’s Honorary Chair is internationally renowned painter Tschabalala Self, and the evening will be hosted by acclaimed culinary innovator and founder of Black Joy Kitchen, Chef Ting. This woman-led experience celebrates the soil, sustainable agriculture, and haute cuisine in an intimate setting where the farm itself becomes the kitchen. This year’s lineup will be announced, and tickets will be available on June 9th. More details here.

About The Iconoclast Dinner Experience
The Iconoclast Dinner Experience is an experiential culinary movement dedicated to celebrating leadership, diversity, and innovation across food, wine, and spirits. Founded by Dr. Lezli Levene Harvell, the platform was built on a singular belief: that the diverse voices shaping the culinary world deserve to be seen and celebrated at the highest levels of the industry. What began as a single dinner at the James Beard House has grown over eleven years into a global platform curating power tables through culture and gathering the industry's most innovative chefs, beverage professionals, and cultural leaders for a series of marquee events that are as meaningful as they are extraordinary. Net proceeds from all Iconoclast Dinner Experience events benefit Spelman College students from Jamaica and sub-Saharan African countries.

Camille Gordon
First and Last PR
+1 201-648-5403
IDE@firstandlastpr.com

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