Faculty Spotlight: Roshara Sanders ’12/’14

Chef Ro Shares Her Story and Building Spaces for Women to Thrive

Author Anna Fain is a Baking and Pastry Arts major.

In celebration of Women’s History Month, I had the pleasure of speaking with Chef Roshara Sanders, also known as Chef Ro—an award-winning chef, mentor, and entrepreneur whose impact touches the lives of many students. With a career rooted in community, purpose, and culture, her work reaches far beyond the kitchen, helping shape the future of hospitality. With a growing focus on mentorship and new ventures, including an upcoming boutique hotel, she continues to inspire the next generation of women in the industry.

What first inspired your love for cooking, and how did those early experiences shape the chef you are today?

My love for cooking started in community and memory! My mom has been in the industry and just retired after 35 years. Being around women who cooked with intention, not recipes just nurturing got me started. Everything had a story; everything had a purpose. Food wasn’t just nourishment; it was identity, survival, and celebration. That shaped me early on. I don’t cook to impress I cook to connect. Those early experiences taught me to trust my palate, honor tradition, and understand that food is a language. That’s still the foundation of everything I do today.

What challenges have you faced as a woman in professional kitchens, and how have they shaped your leadership style?

The industry doesn’t always make space for women especially women of color and who lead with clarity and conviction. I’ve had to navigate being underestimated, overlooked, and at times, outright dismissed. But I don’t shrink to fit spaces where I build new ones. Those challenges made me very intentional about how I lead. I’m structured, I’m disciplined, but I also lead with humanity. I create kitchens where people are seen, trained, and held accountable. You can be excellent and still be held to standards. I guess that is the military background that lives within me. Women have to work three times as hard just to be as excellent as any average man.

You were recently featured as a mentor on Netflix’s Next Gen Chef, filmed right here on campus. In what ways do you hope your work and mentorship influence the next generation of chefs, especially women in food and hospitality?

Representation matters but beyond that, access and honesty matter. I want the next generation to understand that this work requires discipline, resilience, and curiosity. It’s not just talent. Especially for young women, I want them to see that there is power in owning your voice and your perspective. You don’t have to conform to lead. Through mentorship, I aim to give them real tools on how to move in kitchens, how to think critically, and how to build something sustainable. I’m not interested in gatekeeping. I’m here to open doors and make sure they know how to walk through them.

You and your partners are planning on opening a boutique hotel in 2027—what is your vision for the space, and how do you hope it will reflect your culinary skills?

The vision is rooted in bridging the past and the future, especially through our architecture. The Post Hotel is a 200-year-old building, and we are playing off the historical building structure and building something new alongside this. Every detail intentional, every offering connected to culture and place. It’s not just about a hotel, it’s about creating a destination where food, design, and hospitality tell a story. My culinary voice will be present especially through my speakeasy called Archive, which is named after my restaurant group Archive Hospitality Collective; in a way that feels immersive, not performative. Guests should feel like they’re stepping into something layered with flavor, history, and energy. It will reflect the same things I value in my cooking: art, history, mystery, warmth, and a deep respect for where things come from.

With so many roles—chef, educator, mentor, and now entrepreneur—how do you find balance and make time for what matters most to you?

Balance isn’t about doing everything at once; it’s about being clear on what matters in the moment. I move with intention. There are seasons where one role requires more of me than another, and I honor that. Structure helps, discipline helps, but so does knowing when to step back. I protect my time and my energy the same way I protect my standards in the kitchen. That’s how I sustain the work.

You recently won the Women in Hospitality Rise Award—what does this recognition mean to you?

It means that the work is being seen but more importantly, it reflects the people and communities that shaped me. I don’t do this in isolation. That recognition belongs to every kitchen I’ve worked in, every student I’ve taught, and every mentor who poured into me. It’s an acknowledgment, but it’s also a responsibility to keep building, to keep showing up, and to keep creating opportunities for others.

What advice would you give to young women pursuing a career in food and hospitality today?

Be clear on your “why,” because this industry will test you. Learn your craft fully, deeply. Don’t rush the process. Find environments that challenge you but also respect you. And don’t wait for permission to take up space. There is room for your voice, your perspective, your story, but you have to be willing to stand in it. Excellence will open doors, but integrity is what keeps them open.