Roshara Sanders

Roshara Sanders is an American chef and cooking instructor. In 2020 she became the first Black woman to teach in the culinary department at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA). In 2024 she was named to Food & Wine magazine's Game Changers list.

Early life and education Sanders was born and raised in Bridgeport, Connecticut. She has said her mother was addicted and homeless while pregnant with her and was offered a job by a local restaurateur to help her get off the streets. She has said she grew up in a house built by Habitat for Humanity.

Sanders graduated from Bullard-Havens Technical High School in Bridgeport in 2007 with a concentration in culinary. She was accepted to the CIA but was unable to afford tuition even with financial aid and decided to enlist in the army to fund her education.

Sanders is gay.

In 2020, when she was 29, Sanders became the first Black woman to teach in the culinary department at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA).