Emery Whalen

Emery Whalen was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, where the city’s rich culinary traditions and her grandmother’s cooking inspired a passion for both food and the preservation of the region’s indigenous culture. After graduating from Princeton, Emery joined TeachNOLA to teach French and Spanish to high school students before becoming a hostess at Restaurant August in 2010. She spent the next few years moving up in the company, becoming an integral part of the company's operations. With partner Brian Landry she founded QED Hospitality. Emery has been named a Forbes "30 Under 30" and lives in New Orleans.