# Grace Zhou

![Grace Zhou](/resources/cognition/portraits/grace-zhou.webp)

Corporate Chef at Cognition (Devin, Windsurf); founder of Graceful Kitchen  
Cognition  
San Francisco Bay Area

## At Cognition

- Role: Corporate Chef (Finance/Ops)
- Joined: Jun 2025
- How they joined: Directly
- Before Cognition: Chefluncer, Building Decarbonization Coalition

## Identity
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/graceful-kitchen
- X: @GracefulKitchen
- Website: https://www.gracefulkitchen.net/
- Domain: cognition.ai

## Notes
- Corporate Chef at Cognition (maker of Devin and Windsurf) since Jun 2025; her role is food service, not engineering: she currently leads dinner service and earlier led lunch service, helping scale daily production 'from a small team meal program to approximately 100+ employees'. (https://www.linkedin.com/in/graceful-kitchen)
- Cognition engineer Jeff Wang publicly posted 'One of the biggest perks at Cognition is our private chef' (2026-06-24); Grace replied in the comments (search-indexed text, truncated): "Thank you, Jeff Wang! It's been a pleasure cooking for the Cognition team. Great ...". (https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jefflinwang_one-of-the-biggest-perks-at-cognition-is-activity-7475633801155592192-vAmA)
- At Cognition she develops rotating menus of Asian, California, Mediterranean and globally inspired cuisine, plans high-volume production, leads culinary team members through prep, service and cleanup, and manages ingredient sourcing, purchasing and inventory around changing headcount and special events. (https://www.linkedin.com/in/graceful-kitchen)
- Founded Graceful Kitchen in England in Sep 2012 and later moved it to California (Richmond, CA). It offers catering, cooking classes, private dining, pop-up dinners and chef-prepared meal delivery. This is the 13-year independent business she brought into corporate dining. (https://www.linkedin.com/in/graceful-kitchen)
- On Akira Shibata's 2026-05-08 post about onboarding at Cognition's San Francisco office ('great food throughout the day!'), Grace commented (search-indexed text, truncated): "Hope you enjoyed meals ...". (https://www.linkedin.com/posts/akirashibata_excited-to-have-completed-onboarding-at-the-activity-7458590613030993922-Hx-E)
- Since May 2024 she has been a 'Chefluencer' for the Building Decarbonization Coalition, demonstrating induction cooking and advocating all-electric, fossil-fuel-free kitchens at community and industry events. (https://www.linkedin.com/in/graceful-kitchen)
- Public headline says "Corporate Chef | Founder, Graceful Kitchen | Chefluncer | Culinary Educator | Sustainable Cooking Advocate". (https://www.linkedin.com/in/graceful-kitchen)
- Her LinkedIn post of 2026-08-30 shared the Switch Is On feature: 'better technology doesn't have to compromise the cooking experience. Induction gives me the responsiveness and control I need as a chef'. (https://www.linkedin.com/posts/graceful-kitchen_a-chefs-choice-a-builders-opportunity-activity-7499696238301229056-6Jti?utm_source=social_share_send&utm_medium=member_desktop_web&rcm=ACoAAHCgeYIBwuHlpJvlJFXJfm2lCclqPEMeCiw)
- Quoted in The Switch Is On feature: "As a chef, I spend a tremendous amount of time in the kitchen, so I wanted my home kitchen to be beautiful and efficient, but also healthier and more comfortable to cook in every day... An all-electric kitchen, especially with induction, was a natural choice." (https://www.switchison.org/builder-content-portal/induction-cooking-chef-grace)
- Co-led a free 'Induction Cooking Experience' with Chef Ronald Pei for the City of Cupertino at the Quinlan Community Center on Wednesday, June 25 (2025), with live demos and samples such as polenta squares, garlic noodles and chocolate strawberries. (https://www.cupertino.gov/Events-directory/Induction-Cooking-Experience-with-Chef-Ronald-Pei-and-Chef-Grace-Zhou)
- I’m a corporate chef, culinary entrepreneur, culinary educator, and founder of Graceful Kitchen, with a passion for creating food that is thoughtful, flavorful, approachable, and made for real life.
 
My culinary journey began with my roots in Shanghai and has continued through Europe and the United States, shaping a cooking style influenced by Asian flavors, California ingredients, Mediterranean influences, and modern culinary techniques.
 
Today, I work as a Corporate Chef at Cognition, where ; this comes from the profile summary and preserves the person's own positioning. (https://www.linkedin.com/in/graceful-kitchen)
- Graceful Kitchen's site (gracefulkitchen.net) markets 'Specializing in Chinese cuisine', private chef services and event catering, with client testimonials praising her handling of dietary restrictions. (https://www.gracefulkitchen.net/)
- The Nextdoor business page describes her as 'a Shanghai native, European resident (France and UK) and now Californian' who blends Shanghai flavors with French and Italian cooking, made from scratch with home-grown ingredients. (https://nextdoor.com/pages/graceful-kitchen-richmond-ca/)
- Runs the X account @GracefulKitchen ('Personal chef, Supper Club host, Caterer', Richmond CA, created Oct 2012, about 84 followers). The account dates to the same month Graceful Kitchen was founded. (https://x.com/GracefulKitchen)
- Education history includes Bachelor of Science, Food Science and Technology, Wuxi Light Industry University. (https://www.linkedin.com/in/graceful-kitchen)
- Holds a B.S. in Food Science and Technology from Wuxi Light Industry University (now Jiangnan University), a technical food-science base beneath her chef career. (https://www.linkedin.com/in/graceful-kitchen)
- Location is San Francisco Bay Area. (https://www.linkedin.com/in/graceful-kitchen)

## Experience
- Corporate Chef at Cognition - San Francisco Bay Area (Jun 2025 - Present): Corporate Chef supporting a fast-growing technology company, leading high-volume meal service and developing globally inspired, seasonal menus for employees.
 
• Currently lead dinner service, overseeing menu development, preparation, execution, and daily kitchen operations
 • Previously led lunch service, helping scale daily production from a small team meal program to approximately 100+ employees
 • Develop rotating menus featuring Asian, California, Mediterranean, and globally inspired cuisine, with attention to seasonality, nutrition, variety, and dietary needs
 • Plan and execute high-volume production while maintaining food quality, consistency, presentation, and on-time service
 • Coordinate and lead culinary team members through prep, production, service, and cleanup
 • Manage ingredient sourcing, purchasing, production planning, and inventory based on changing service needs
 • Create vegetarian and dietary-conscious options while maintaining the same quality and creativity as the main menu
 • Adapt quickly to changing headcount, operational challenges, special events, and evolving company needs
- Chefluncer at Building Decarbonization Coalition - San Francisco Bay Area (May 2024 - Present): As a Chefluencer with the Building Decarbonization Coalition, I help educate and inspire communities about induction cooking, kitchen electrification, and the benefits of transitioning to all-electric kitchens.
• Demonstrate induction cooking at community and industry events
• Educate audiences about the practical benefits of induction and electric cooking
• Share hands-on experience and a professional chef’s perspective on kitchen electrification
• Engage with homeowners, culinary professionals, builders, and community members through cooking demonstrations and educational events
• Advocate for more sustainable, fossil-fuel-free kitchens through food, education, and real-world cooking experiences
- Founder & Chef at Graceful Kitchen - San Francisco Bay Area (Sep 2012 - Present): Founded Graceful Kitchen in England in 2012 and later brought the business to California, creating memorable food experiences through catering, cooking classes, private dining, pop-up dinners, and culinary education.

• Develop menus inspired by Shanghai roots, Asian flavors, California ingredients, and global culinary influences
 • Create customized culinary experiences for private clients, events, and community gatherings
 • Teach cooking classes designed to make professional culinary techniques approachable for home cooks
 • Develop recipes and menus with an emphasis on flavor, balance, seasonality, and practical cooking
 • Manage all aspects of culinary operations, including menu development, sourcing, preparation, service, and client relationships
 • Build relationships with clients, collaborators, and food-industry partners
 • Create educational and culinary content to connect professional cooking with everyday home kitchens

## Education
- Wuxi Light Industry University - Bachelor of Science, Food Science and Technology

## Sources
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graceful-kitchen
- https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jefflinwang_one-of-the-biggest-perks-at-cognition-is-activity-7475633801155592192-vAmA
- https://www.linkedin.com/posts/akirashibata_excited-to-have-completed-onboarding-at-the-activity-7458590613030993922-Hx-E
- https://www.switchison.org/builder-content-portal/induction-cooking-chef-grace
- https://www.cupertino.gov/Events-directory/Induction-Cooking-Experience-with-Chef-Ronald-Pei-and-Chef-Grace-Zhou
- https://nextdoor.com/pages/graceful-kitchen-richmond-ca/
- https://www.gracefulkitchen.net/
- https://x.com/GracefulKitchen
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/graceful-kitchen?miniProfileUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afsd_profile%3AACoAABiVZm4BgGmgbjd4K6Fo8S2r0GDtY2FlfnA
- https://www.linkedin.com/posts/graceful-kitchen_a-chefs-choice-a-builders-opportunity-activity-7499696238301229056-6Jti?utm_source=social_share_send&utm_medium=member_desktop_web&rcm=ACoAAHCgeYIBwuHlpJvlJFXJfm2lCclqPEMeCiw


Researched with Autumn (https://www.autumn.ai) from public sources. Updated 2026-11-04. Profile: https://www.autumn.ai/resources/cognition/people/grace-zhou · Everyone at Cognition: https://www.autumn.ai/resources/cognition/people