Austin women leading this city into 2025 and beyond.
By Jenny Hoff
Photos by Annie Ray
Styling by Empress Bey
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Austin Woman’s Change Makers issue highlights four women in our community who are working to improve the city’s landscape. These women embody what it means to be a change maker, despite the adversities each have overcome. Their stories are varied, but what connects them is their passion. Each woman has great zeal that propels them forward. These women forge their own paths when there isn’t one. They’re the type of women who create their own methods when the existing ones aren’t working. They bring others up with them, as they ascend on their journeys. They are visionaries, disrupters and trailblazers.
Shanaz Hemmati
Shanaz Hemmati exudes the brand of her company. In the world of startups and business leadership, Shanaz Hemmati is a quiet force – one could almost say “zen.” As a woman who’s built a thriving company, ZenBusiness, helping thousands of entrepreneurs navigate the complexities of starting and running their own businesses, she’s not the typical firebrand entrepreneur who’s always on the go. She’s a calm, measured leader whose strength lies in her ability to focus, build and empower those around her. Perhaps that’s because she’s always had to depend on her inner strength to survive. Hemmati started out in Austin as a young immigrant who had to leave her family behind as she moved across the world to make her own dreams come true.
Shanaz’s journey from Iran to Austin, from software engineer to co-founder of a fast-growing business, is one of resilience, deep purpose and quiet determination. But her story is more than just a career trajectory – it’s a story of community, leadership and a lifelong commitment to helping others succeed.
Hemmati’s story begins thousands of miles away in Tehran, where she was the youngest of five siblings in a family that placed a premium on education. Her parents, both hard-working and intent on raising strong children, saw education as the key to independence. Growing up in a country teetering on the edge of revolution, Hemmati learned early on to focus on her goals, regardless of the turbulence around her.
At just 16, Hemmati made a bold decision to leave Iran and pursue her education in the U.S. It was a time of great upheaval – the Iranian Revolution was just around the corner – and her decision to move was fueled by a belief that the U.S. offered more opportunities for young people, particularly women, who were eager to learn.
“When the unrest started, I pushed my parents into sending me sooner rather than later,” Shanaz remembers. “I’m so grateful they agreed.”
She wouldn’t see her parents again for several years or her homeland, again, until she was nearly 30.
Arriving in Austin, Texas, in the late 1970s, Hemmati was alone, facing the challenges of being a teenager in a foreign country. She didn’t have a roadmap, but she had something that would serve her well: a singular focus on her education and future. With the support of her sister and new mentors, Hemmati began to lay the foundation for what would become a successful career, in Austin.
“The first years were tough,” she says quietly, reflecting on how she navigated life as an immigrant in a country that was just beginning to wrestle with its own issues of immigration and identity. “But I didn’t think too much about those things. I was just focused on my goal.”
It’s this single-minded determination, this quiet resilience, that defines Shanaz as a person and leader. At 16, far from home and family, she pushed forward with a vision for herself – no matter the obstacles.
After earning a degree in electrical and computer engineering from UT, Hemmati’s early career was steeped in software engineering. She entered the tech industry during the dot-com boom – a time of rapid growth and opportunity. But it wasn’t just the technical side of business that caught her attention; it was the ability to create something from nothing, to solve real problems for people that inspired her.
“I love building stuff from scratch,” she says. “Solving a pain point, doing something meaningful.”
This passion for creating and solving problems would be the catalyst for her future ventures. In the early 2000s, Hemmati joined HomeAway, a vacation rental platform, at a time when it was still a small company. It was here that she honed her skills, learning not only about building a business but about scaling it – taking a company from a nascent idea to a household name. HomeAway would later be acquired by Expedia, but her experience there would stay with her.
By the time she left HomeAway, Hemmati found herself at a crossroads.
“I left with no real plans,” she reflects. “I wondered if I even wanted to work anymore. I felt like I’d worked enough for two or three people already. But when my co-founder and longtime friend Ross Buhrdorf approached me with the idea of ZenBusiness, I felt that spark again.”
The idea was simple, but powerful: to build a one-stop shop for small business owners, offering the tools and services they needed to start, grow and maintain their businesses. It was clear to Hemmati that the pain points in business formation – overwhelming paperwork, complicated compliance processes – were barriers that needed to be broken down. And she had the experience, the skills and the vision to do it.
ZenBusiness was born out of this vision: to make entrepreneurship easier, more accessible, and ultimately, more successful.
“We wanted to help small business owners with the things they weren’t experts in,” she says. “We use technology to simplify what’s usually a very manual process.”
But beyond the technology, what has set ZenBusiness apart is the deep sense of community it’s built – not just around the company, but for the entrepreneurs who rely on it. Hemmati’s leadership style is quiet yet powerful, focused on creating a supportive environment for both her team and the customers they serve. The company has grown into a powerhouse of innovation and customer service, helping over 700,000 entrepreneurs across the country launch their businesses.
One of the core principles that guides Hemmati’s work at ZenBusiness is the belief that business success should go hand-in-hand with creating a positive social impact. From the start, she made it clear that ZenBusiness wouldn’t just be about profit – it would also be about making a difference in the world.
“We wanted to do things differently,” Hemmati explains. “It’s not just about growing the business; it’s about giving back to the community and helping others.”
As part of this commitment, ZenBusiness became a Public Benefit Corporation (PBC), a legal structure that ensures social impact is embedded in the company’s DNA.
“We wanted to make sure we were focused on more than just the bottom line,” Shanaz says. “It’s about supporting organizations like Lemonade Day, which encourages children to think like entrepreneurs. It’s about creating opportunities for others to thrive.”
Her passion for supporting small businesses isn’t just about making entrepreneurship easier – it’s about fostering a deeper sense of community and empowering others to chase their dreams. “The more I can help entrepreneurs succeed, the more it feels like I’m contributing to something bigger,” she says.
Having been the only woman in many board rooms, Hemmati often found herself having to literally shout to be heard. She’s made it her mission to provide a much different culture at her own company. That begins with having half the leadership female. Nearly 50 percent of ZenBusiness employees are women, with women occupying leadership roles across the company. “We believe diversity is essential to building a strong team,” she says. Hemmati emphasizes that diverse perspectives lead to better decision-making and greater innovation.
What stands out most about Hemmati is the way she leads with purpose – grounded, focused on the long-term impact she wants to make, and with an open mind to change and growth. She sees that the most successful entrepreneurs are also the ones who not only believe in what they’re doing, but are willing to listen and make change when needed.
“I really see the successful entrepreneurs are the ones loving and having passion for what they do,” she explains. “That gives them the drive and makes them more open because they want it to work. Sometimes entrepreneurs are thinking so narrowly about what they want to do that they don’t take the feedback of other people’s thoughts and ideas. Being open minded helps you think differently.”
As ZenBusiness continues to grow, Hemmati’s vision remains clear: to make it the most trusted brand for entrepreneurs, to help them start their businesses and to empower them to succeed in an ever-evolving world. Through her leadership, work and quiet commitment to making a difference, Hemmati has proven that leadership isn’t about being the loudest voice in the room. It’s about being the one who listens, builds and creates something that lasts.
Pooja Lakshmin
In a world that often tells women to do it all, be it all and look good doing it, Pooja Lakshmin, M.D. is offering a radical – yet essential – reality check. As a psychiatrist, author and speaker, Lakshmin has made it her mission to help women redefine what self-care really means. And it’s not about the next wellness trend or Instagram-perfect routine. It’s about something much deeper: the courage to set boundaries, the willingness to let go of perfection and the strength to prioritize your own mental health above everything else.
Lakshmin’s own journey to embracing this truth has been anything but linear. Raised in Redding, Pennsylvania, by Indian immigrant parents, she was the epitome of the “good daughter” – a high achiever who followed the blueprint laid out for her. With a father who was a physician, there was little room for questioning what her future might hold. “Like most good Indian girls, it was decided in the womb that I would be a doctor,” she laughs. And, as many children of immigrant parents can relate to, that meant checking all the boxes – academic excellence, career success, stability.
By her late 20s, Lakshmin had done just that. She had earned a dual degree in women’s studies and psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, gone to med school at George Washington, gotten married – and yet, something was missing. “I had everything on the outside, but I felt empty on the inside,” she admits. Despite the outward success, she struggled to find happiness, not realizing that her external achievements weren’t the key to internal fulfillment.
It was during this period that Lakshmin experienced a shift. Feeling disillusioned with both her personal life and medical training, she took a dramatic leap. She left her marriage, burned bridges and moved to a wellness commune in Los Angeles. There, she immersed herself in the world of meditation and female sexuality. It was empowering, it was freeing – or so it seemed.
“The Dedonne method, the commune, it spoke to me. It was female-centric and empowering,” Lakshmin recalls. She drank the Kool-Aid. But two years later, she came to an eye-opening realization: there was as much hypocrisy in the self-help world as there had been in the medical world she’d left behind. On her 30th birthday, when she thought she would be in the midst of a wildly successful medical career, she found herself divorced, grappling with the repercussions of having been in a cult and crying at her parents house with no idea what her future would hold.
“I realized that real self-care is making hard decisions in your life and making sacrifices,” she says.
That realization led her back to her roots – medicine. But this time, it was on her own terms. “I realized that real self-care had to come from me,” she says with conviction. She returned to her psychiatry training, focusing on women’s mental health, and slowly began building a new career that blended her medical expertise with her newfound passion for helping others.
The next step in Lakshmin’s evolution came as she found herself craving a deeper connection with her audience. “I didn’t want to just do research. I wanted to speak to real people – laypeople,” she explains. So, she launched her Instagram account, The Mental Health Doc, where she began offering personal insights into her own mental health struggles – anxiety, depression, and yes, taking antidepressants.
“I found my strength in being authentic. I’m not coming off as this perfect, polished doctor from an ivory tower,” she says. “I’m showing women that I struggle, too – that I have the same worries and challenges they do.”
And women responded. Her audience grew, and soon her writing appeared in The New York Times. All of this led to her book, Real Self-Care: A Transformative Program for Redefining Wellness, which hit shelves in 2023 and became a game-changer for many readers seeking a more holistic, realistic and sustainable approach to well-being.
But success, as Lakshmin quickly learned, is not without its own challenges. After the book release, she was flooded with speaking engagements and media requests. And while it’s tempting to say “yes” to every opportunity that comes your way, she soon found herself on the brink of burnout. With a small child, a life partner and an insatiable customer base, Lakshmin found herself repeating old patterns.
“I was exhausted,” she admits. “It had gotten so bad that when I had to go to the hospital with gallstones and have my gallbladder removed, it felt like a vacation.”
It was a wake-up call. She had written an entire book about real self-care, and yet, she found herself ignoring her own needs.
“I didn’t know how to set boundaries in this new phase of my life,” Lakshmin confesses. “It was humbling. But it also reminded me that we’re all a work in progress.”
So, she did what any self-respecting advocate of mental wellness would do: she slowed down. She called it “the Fall of Slow” – a time where she disconnected from the media and turned inward, journaling to reconnect with herself and her audience.
“My goal was to make space for slowness,” she says. “Journaling became a way for me to hear my own thoughts. It’s how I could show up as my authentic self and stay grounded.”
In her latest chapter, Lakshmin is focused on creating balance and prioritizing what truly matters – her health, her family and her personal growth.
“I’m working on my next book, which will focus on transitions,” she says. “I’m learning that life is full of different chapters and that being open to change is key. We have so much life ahead of us, especially women in their 40s and 50s. It’s not over by any means.”
Lakshmin firmly believes it’s never too late to chase dreams or make changes. “I got a message from a woman the other day who was 76 and read my book,” she recalls. “She said she had never been able to set boundaries and after reading my book she was able to do it finally and her marriage is so much better.”
Lakshmin says we live in a world where people are facing young old age and old old age, which means life is a lot longer than it used to be and there are always new opportunities. “We are at a turning point in what it means to have a 2nd, 3rd and 4th act,” she says.
Her work is all about embracing these transitions and the fluidity of life. Lakshmin’s advice to other women? Make time for yourself, even when the world pulls you in every direction.
“We all need to make time for what matters to us,” she says. “You might have had dreams of being a singer, but you ended up an accountant. Can you find a way to nurture that dream? Maybe it’s taking singing lessons or giving yourself time to practice a little bit every day. Whatever it is, give yourself the permission to make space for it.”
The big lesson Lakshmin has learned is that self-care is not a one-time fix or a checklist – it’s a continuous process.
“With every new stage of life, you’ll need to relearn how to take care of yourself,” she explains. “It’s about being willing to be uncomfortable, setting boundaries, and constantly coming back to what works for you. And it’s OK if you mess up.”
Her journey is an example of what it looks like to evolve – and to embrace the messy, imperfect process of becoming who you’re truly meant to be.
“For so long, I was trying to prove something to myself,” Lakshmin reflects. “But now, I realize that I’ve already proven it. Now it’s about having a life that feels good, not constantly grinding for the next achievement.”
Lakshmin’s life is not longer about achieving more – it’s about being more. And through her work, she’s empowering other women to do the same: to be authentic, set boundaries and practice self-care in a way that feels real, sustainable and deeply aligned with who they are.
“You are worthy of taking the time for yourself,” she says. “You’re worthy of setting those boundaries. And no matter where you are in life, it’s never too late to start.”
In the spirit of her work, Lakshmin continues to inspire through her newsletter on substack, Dear Pooja, which offers life advice on everything from mental health to career transitions. She also continues to speak to audiences, including a recent appearance at the Texas Women’s Conference, sharing her message of self-compassion and the importance of slowing down.
At the end of the day, Lakshmin’s journey is a reminder that taking care of ourselves isn’t just a luxury – it’s a necessity. And it’s a journey that we can all begin, at any time.
Susan Ramirez
Stepping into Susan Ramirez’s home office, you immediately feel the vibrancy of the space. The floral wallpaper reflects her own spirit – optimistic and full of life. In the background, her two young sons, Reed and Ryder, can occasionally be heard. It’s a reminder of the balancing act Ramirez navigates daily as a mom, wife and social entrepreneur. Her office is where her mission unfolds, yet it’s undeniably a place where family and life intersect with purpose.
As the founder and CEO of National Angels, an organization supporting children in foster care, Ramirez has poured her heart into creating a system that empowers youth and their caregivers. The work is far from easy, but she approaches it with strength and unwavering faith that keeps her grounded in her purpose. Every decision she makes is driven by the simple yet profound belief that every child deserves to be seen, heard and loved – especially those who’ve experienced the trauma of foster care.
Ramirez’s journey to this point wasn’t part of some grand master plan. She didn’t set out to change the foster care system or become a nonprofit leader. For years, she built a successful career in real estate, earning a high income and enjoying the status that came with the position. But there was something missing. She longed for a life with more meaning.
In 2010, she and a group of friends decided to volunteer once a month. It was a simple commitment, but it set in motion a profound change. At a foster care conference that same year, Ramirez heard Judge Hathaway speak about the staggering statistics surrounding youth in foster care. His words changed Ramirez. At that moment, she knew something had to change. She felt as if God was speaking directly to her saying, “This is your burden to bear – do something about it.” It was a turning point that would forever alter the trajectory of her life.
With that clarity came an incredibly difficult decision: to walk away from a secure, well-paying job to pursue this new calling. She was no longer satisfied with a life that lacked purpose, even if it meant sacrifices.
“I knew I was being led by something bigger than myself,” she reflects. “I didn’t know how it would work, but I knew I had to follow it.”
That leap wasn’t easy. It came with the fear of financial uncertainty, of giving up a stable career, but Ramirez’s faith in the mission fueled her through the doubt.
“If you are doing something that has purpose, the financial side will work itself out,” she says. “You’ll get by.”
As the leader of a fast-growing nonprofit, Ramirez has faced her fair share of hard decisions. She’s been on the receiving end of well-meaning advice telling her she couldn’t do this work without a strong partner at home or without a secure financial foundation. But Ramirez is determined not to be defined by that narrative. She points out that like any couple, she and her husband have faced their own challenges. But, this journey was hers to take.
“I think so many women don‘t have support, and I knew the economic sacrifice it would put on our family,” she says. “But, even if you don’t have someone who can help with the bills, my suggestion to women would be to remember that this is your life. And you are the only one who has the right to make a decision for your own life.”
That sense of purpose has kept her going. Even when the demands of her nonprofit and family life threaten to overwhelm her, Ramirez finds a way to keep moving forward.
“I knew I had to make this work,” she says. “When you feel led by something bigger than yourself, the sacrifices become manageable..
And her belief in this mission has been reinforced by the support she has received from her mentors, community and team.
“I know God doesn’t need me to do this work,” she says. “But I’m honored to be His hands and feet in this. He has called me to it, and I’m going to give it my all.”
Her faith plays a central role in this process. She remembers a time early in her journey when she had to give up the security of her corporate job to pursue her passion for foster care advocacy.
“I was terrified,” she admits. “But I also knew that when God leads you, He will provide.”
It was this faith in her mission, coupled with an unshakeable belief in the power of the community and mentorship, that led her to take the leap.
Ramirez’s story is deeply shaped by the power of one person seeing potential in her when others didn’t. As a child, Ramirez struggled with a severe learning disability. By high school, her school counselor told her mom that Ramirez might need lifelong care due to her low IQ. Her self-esteem was battered by the label others placed on her. But everything changed when she attended college and a professor took the time to notice her.
“I remember asking him, ‘What is it like to have a daughter who goes to Harvard?’ He looked at me and said, Ramirez, you’re that smart. You could go to Harvard too.’”
That moment changed everything.
“It was the first time anyone saw me for what I could become, not what I had struggled with. Just that one conversation made me realize I was capable of so much more,” she says. “Every child needs someone who knows the color of their eyes and the passions of their heart. That’s all it takes to help a child see their own potential.”
For Ramirez, that one moment of validation was a powerful catalyst, and it’s a lesson she applies every day in her work with foster children. Through National Angels, Ramirez has made it her mission to provide that same kind of support and validation for children in foster care – kids who have often been told they’re not enough, that they won’t succeed or that they’re broken. Her organization’s programs – Love Box, which provides emotional and practical support to foster families, and Dare to Dream, which offers mentorship for youth aging out of foster care – are all based on this principle: every child deserves to be seen for who they truly are. Whether it’s helping a caregiver navigate the overwhelming challenges of fostering or mentoring a young adult as they step into the world on their own, Ramirez is driven by the belief that a single person, one mentor, can make all the difference.
“I always say that kids spell “love” T-I-M-E. And, that’s what we’re helping give them through supporting their foster parents and matching them with mentors who live in their zip code,” says Ramirez. She’s also bringing those same lessons home to her own family, encouraging her children to practice giving their time and attention to others.
“I ask my children every day how they’ve been a helper and a leader,” she says. “It’s not about grades; it’s about giving back. You do your best and let that be enough.”
Looking ahead, Ramirez’s vision is even bigger. By 2050, she hopes to have every child in the foster care system enrolled in National Angels’ programs. Annually, she’s already helping 3,000 foster kids across the country and employs more than 100 people in 19 cities and 14 states. She envisions a future where children who have experienced the trauma of foster care are given the tools, love and mentorship they need to succeed in life.
“We can’t just hope the system will improve on its own. We have to be the ones to create change,” she says.
Her ultimate goal is not just to provide temporary support, but to help young people rise to their fullest potential, which, in turn, has a far-reaching impact on communities, healthcare costs and even homelessness.
“There are so many kids who are falling through the cracks because they don’t have that one adult who sees them for who they truly are,” Ramirez says. “But if we change that, if we make sure every child has the love, guidance and community they deserve, we can create a new generation of leaders – kids who are confident, capable and ready to make the world better. I just want every kid to have at least one healthy adult who is in awe of them, who sees them for who they are.”
For Ramirez, the journey is just beginning. And though the road ahead will certainly be challenging, she remains unwavering in her belief that the work she is doing is not just important, but necessary. With faith as her foundation, a heart full of compassion and a vision that’s already transforming lives, Ramirez is committed to changing the world – one child at a time.
Amanda Turner
Shakespeare once said, “All the world’s a stage,” but Amanda Turner, chef at Austin’s Olamaie, has a different perspective. To her, life is more like a video game – one filled with levels that get progressively harder, with moments where you fail and have to learn how to start over. But there’s always a strategy, a path forward and, above all, a game to win.
Turner’s journey to becoming one of Austin’s top chefs is anything but conventional. A chef with a background in fine dining, Southern cuisine and even pastry, Turner’s culinary style reflects the same adaptability and strategy she learned from playing rhythm-based video games – a niche genre where timing and precision are key. Her experience in the gaming world mirrors her kitchen skills, as both require the ability to think on your feet, adapt quickly and understand the bigger picture.
“It’s all about reaction time, thinking ahead and strategy,” she explains. “Paul Qui, who was my first chef, said to me once, ‘Amanda, I know you’re good at cooking because you’re good at video games.’ I didn’t understand it at first, but it makes sense now. You need the same skills in a kitchen – reaction time, thinking several steps ahead and keeping track of multiple moving parts at once.”
As the Chef de Cuisine of Olamie, one of Austin’s most lauded restaurants, Turner has built a reputation for blending Southern flavors with innovative techniques, but her path to this stage has not been a straightforward one. Born in Arlington, Texas, Turner’s early interests veered away from food entirely. Instead, she was immersed in art – ceramics, textiles and 3D design. Her talent was undeniable. In high school, she was accepted to the prestigious Savannah College of Art and Design as a junior. But her dreams of attending art school evaporated when her family couldn’t afford it. Instead, Turner set her sights on becoming a professional gamer – and potentially finding love. “That’s when I moved out to East Texas, to follow a boy I met in a video game forum.”
At 22, Turner found herself moving into management at Olive Garden in Tyler, Texas, after years of working with the restaurant. It felt like a safe, attainable path that also allowed her to continue gaming. Thus far, Olive Garden had been a good gig and had introduced her to the restaurant world, not something that she had particularly aspired to join but allowed her to use a lot of her skills – thinking quickly on her feet, pivoting when needed and working within tight time constraints. What she didn’t expect to overtly confront was racism and sexism. In a somewhat segregated town where she was often the only Black person in the room, Turner’s ambitions were stifled when her manager – who told her she couldn’t advance because she was a woman and didn’t speak Spanish – shattered her belief that the restaurant industry was a welcoming space.That moment, she says, was a pivotal one. “I went home that night, really angry, and decided to search for culinary schools.” She applied to Le Cordon Bleu and, six months later, made the move to Austin. From that point forward, cooking became more than just a career. It became a form of self-expression, a chance to prove to herself that she could succeed in an industry that had long excluded people like her. And, it turns out, the chance to prove your naysayers wrong can be very motivating.
Turner spent her days in culinary school and nights working at a food service hall at the University of Texas, preparing meals for students. It wasn’t glamorous, but it allowed her to refine her skills while managing the social anxiety that had always been a part of her.
“I’ve always been very introverted and quiet, and I’ve struggled with social anxiety for as long as I can remember,” Turner admits. “I was the kid who wanted to stay in the background, just doing my thing, but somehow I always ended up in leadership roles.”
Despite her preference for solitude, Turner’s leadership skills – though often unspoken – seemed to draw attention. Her career accelerated quickly as she worked in some of Austin’s most iconic restaurants, including Uchi, Eastside King, Odd Duck and Juniper. Turner’s ability to operate under pressure, think several steps ahead and adapt quickly to shifting circumstances made her a natural fit for roles that required more than just culinary skill. She rose from line cook to pastry chef to chef de cuisine – all before becoming the chef de cuisine at Olamie in 2021.But even as she took on these roles, Turner remained conflicted about the concept of leadership
“I wasn’t the type of person who would step up and say, ‘Put me in charge.’ But I’ve always been put in positions where I had to take the lead,” she says. “I never ran for leadership positions; they always seemed to fall in my lap, and I just made the best of it.”
Like any good gamer, she is always looking for new opportunities to get to the next level and elevate her reputation as a chef. In 2024, Turner was selected to compete in Bravo TV’s Top Chef reality television cooking competition, a show her previous boss, Paul Qui, won in 2011. While she didn’t take home the top prize, Turner feels like a winner. She got to put a spotlight on chefs like herself who buck tradition of the male-dominated industry and bring their own outlook to cuisine. She hopes aspiring women cooks of diverse backgrounds who watched her on the show will have the confidence to also enter the industry. Still, despite her success, Turner has always felt the weight of being an outsider in the culinary world.
“I’m biracial, and I didn’t grow up with a family that had deep culinary roots,” she says. “My grandmother on my dad’s side was an incredible cook, but I didn’t get to know her in her later years because of her dementia. A lot of that knowledge was lost.”
Turner says her immediate family ate dinners made of Hamburger Helper and Rice-A-Roni.
“I didn’t have that personal connection to food that a lot of chefs do,” she says. “Cooking has always been a way to connect with my roots, but I’m also trying to figure it out on my own.”
She credits much of her success to her ability to learn quickly and her unflinching drive to improve. “There’s a lot of room to learn in the kitchen,” Turner says. “When I was in culinary school, there were 60 people in my class, and only three of us are still working in kitchens today. It’s about being inquisitive, wanting to understand why things are done a certain way and pushing the boundaries.”
The culinary world, especially in fine dining, has often been a place where the stories of women of color have been overlooked, and Turner has been vocal about the ways that the industry has marginalized voices like hers.
“When I look at the fine dining scene, it’s mostly men in the forefront. And when it comes to cooking Southern food, there’s this stereotype that Black women are only good for cooking fried chicken and collard greens,” she explains. “That’s a trope that I wanted no part of. But the more I got into Southern food, the more I realized that there’s so much richness and complexity to it, and that’s something I can bring my own voice to.”
As much as Turner has thrived in Austin’s restaurant scene, she’s also recognized the shifting tides in the city. The days of the rich benefactor offering a chef the chance to open their own restaurant are long gone.
“Austin’s restaurant scene has changed so much,” she says. “It’s been taken over by big restaurant groups that have the resources to dominate. It’s harder than ever to do it independently. But I still believe it’s possible.”
For Turner, her next level is about carving out a space where she doesn’t just work within the confines of a traditional restaurant model but creates something that reflects her values and experiences. She is actively pursuing the dream of opening her own restaurant in East Austin, an area rapidly gentrifying, where she believes there’s a void in affordable, high-quality dining options.
“I want to make good food accessible to more people,” she says. “I want to create something that isn’t just for the wealthy but for the community.”
And Turner is not stopping there. She’s also building a vision for a restaurant group that could one day offer mentorship and support for other chefs – especially those who come from backgrounds like hers. “I would like a restaurant group that finds and supports people who don’t come from a background of wealth. We would give them all the tips and tricks so they don’t have to struggle through.”
Turner says she wished would have learned earlier in her career to speak up about bucking the status quo.
“Restaurants are inherently masculine and white in fine dining,” she says. “Speak your truth and it will get better. The more influence I have, the more ability I have to affect other people’s lives. I don’t want other people to have those experiences in their lives. It’s absurd to think that anyone would want to limit anyones potential.”
She credits her time at Olamie as one of the most rewarding of her career. There, she blends the traditional flavors of Southern food with Japanese techniques, offering a fresh take on a familiar cuisine.
“Southern food is a fusion of so many different influences, and that’s what I love about it,” she explains. “But it’s also frustrating because there’s still so much to learn, so much to explore.”
As she works toward this next phase of her career, Turner continues to take each challenge in stride, confident in her ability to adapt, evolve and level up. Whether she’s perfecting a dish, strategizing a restaurant concept or navigating the complex terrain of the Austin restaurant scene, she brings the same calm, measured approach to everything she does. She is – a true reflection of the inner gamer who’s always thinking several moves ahead. In the end, the game may change, but Turner’s quiet determination will see her through to the final level, where her impact on Austin’s culinary landscape will be undeniable.
