Pierre Thiam is a celebrated chef, restaurateur, cookbook author, and entrepreneur. Born and raised in Senegal, he is known for his innovative cooking style, at once modern and eclectic yet rooted in the rich culinary traditions of West Africa. His critically acclaimed new restaurant Teranga, located in Harlem, NY, introduces healthy, fast, casual fare directly sourced from farmers in West Africa. He is the founder of Yolélé Foods, which distributes African food products across the USA, introducing such ingredients like Fonio, a resilient and nutritious ancient grain from the Sahel region of West Africa. Pierre is the author of three cookbooks including his latest, The Fonio Cookbook, released in October 2019. He has won numerous awards and accolades for his cooking and advocacy.

In addition to being one of IDEO.org's Board Members, Pierre is also involved with organizations such as SOS Sahel, IFAD, Ted Global, Knoll, and UNFP.

A fun fact about Pierre is that he loves okra!