Jeff Henderson is an award-winning chef, bestselling author, television personality and popular public speaker. He is also a former felon, having served nearly a decade in federal prison for drugs. Having run kitchens as Executive Chef at Café Bellagio and Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, he became an inspiration to others. In 2001, Henderson became the first African-American Chef de Cuisine at Caesars Palace. He eventually became an executive chef at several top restaurants including Café Bellagio, where he worked until 2006. Henderson found his passion for cooking while incarcerated and turned his life around, a story he recounted in his autobiography, Cooked. The book was a New York Times bestseller. Actor/producer Will Smith and his production company, Overbrook Entertainment, along with Escape Artists and Columbia Pictures are developing a major motion picture based on the story, with Smith playing the lead role. Henderson received national attention on numerous TV and radio programs and print publications including The Oprah Winfrey Show, Good Morning America, The Montel Williams Show, CNBC, NPR's All Things Considered, People and USA Today. He also had his own reality series on the Food Network, The Chef Jeff Project. Jeff spends considerable time working with at-risk young people throughout the country.

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