Kysha Harris

Kysha Harris has a joyous passion for food and a never-ending curiosity for the business of food. From farmers and purveyors to cooks and chefs to consumers and the industry as a whole, Kysha's appreciation and respect cannot be denied. This is always her inspiration for what she does.

After a decade in entertainment and advertising, working with top creative and business executives at Def Jam, Universal Music and Pictures and Deutsch Advertising, Kysha began her almost two-decade, entrepreneurial food career with SCHOP! (shop+chop), a personalized in-home food business offering weekly menu planning, shopping, prepping and cooking service in the New York TriState area. Through this work, Kysha built her brand around a core competence of "the business of food" by seeking and creating opportunities in writing and editing, consulting, publishing, producing, teaching and public speaking.

While cooking for celebrities and titans of industry at SCHOP!, Kysha worked with James Beard Award winning chefs, served as Culinary Producer for network television (most recently, Hot Ones the Game Show) and cookbooks (Melba's American Comfort), as brand copywriter for consumer packaging (Steve & Andy's Organics) and for the annual Harlem EatUp! festival created by chef Marcus Samuelsson and Herb Karlitz for which she is now the Associate Producer. Kysha continues her 15-year tenure as columnist and Food Editor at The Amsterdam News, the nation's oldest African American newspaper, highlighting food makers, small businesses, hospitality, and her unique voice.

Kysha received a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics, majoring in Marketing and Entrepreneurship from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Go Quakers!

5 Questions With Kysha

What food or drink are you?

I am certainly a Haribo gummy bear and anything banana plus dark chocolate. Facts! Ask around.

What food trend would you like to forget?

Sourdough...too soon?

What's the first legit recipe you cooked?

Gotta give this up to my first menu for my first SCHOP! client in 2002. Don't exactly remember what it was but I know it was bomb. Otherwise my collard green "pappardelle" with browned butter pork ragu.

Who eats what you make?

Of course my clients, but in my home, only me and my fur-sons Angus Bear and Benzo Theodore.

Family fun fact?

I am a native New Yorker born, bred and currently live in Harlem USA. Also, through a DNA site, I uncovered I am 25% Italian which makes total sense for my obsession with Mediterranean food. Grazie mille!

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