Irene Shiang Li is a Boston-based chef and restaurateur and a winner of a 2022 James Beard Leadership Award. The youngest person to win the award (32), Li is also a six time finalist in the Rising Star Chef category.[1]

A self taught chef, Li founded Mei Mei as a food truck, Mei Mei Street Kitchen, with brother Andrew and sister Margaret in 2012.[2] They opened Mei Mei Restaurant a year later in 2013,[3] and Mei Mei now operates as a dumpling company, teaching virtual classes and selling packaged dumplings at farmers markets with their headquarters in Suoth Boston.[4]

With Lily Huang and Tracy Chang, Li co-founded Project Restore Us in 2020, which is a nonprofit that sought to use a restaurant's supply chain to help feed immigrant and working-class families.

Prepshift is a coaching, consulting, and workforce training business that Irene co-founded with Dylan Gully and Carla Cornejo. Originally created as an online tool to help restaurant owners run their businesses, Prepshift is now a technical assistance partner to the City of Boston, City of Cambridge, and other entities.[5]

Mei Mei means little sister in Mandarin.[4]

Irene Li is the daughter of medical scientist Frederick Pei Li and granddaughter of military general Li Hanhun.[6]

References

  1. ↑ Mitchell, Jack (March 17, 2022). "Boston chef and restaurant owner Irene Li wins James Beard Award for leadership". WBUR News. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  2. ↑ "Irene Shiang Li". Irene Shiang Li. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  3. ↑ "IRENE LI Co-founder of Mei Mei and Prepshift". James Beard Foundation. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  4. 1 2 "Chef Irene Li of Boston-based Mei Mei shifted the business to dumpling making amid the pandemic; 10 years after founding it with her siblings, Li sees growth and recognition". MassLive. April 28, 2022. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  5. ↑ "prepshift". prepshift. Retrieved 2023-08-28.
  6. ↑ Goodyear, Dana (2023-07-31). "The Sisters Behind the Fridge-Cleanout Dinner". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved 2023-11-19.


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