In the culinary world, “time” is usually a measurement of speed. It is the seconds left on a ticket, the frantic minutes before service starts, or the long, blurring hours of a double shift. It is rarely a luxury. For the mid-career chef, the idea of stepping away from the line to think, breathe, and create without the pressure of a dinner rush does not exist.
Chef Marcus Samuelsson is trying to change that.
The Samuelsson Group announced that applications are officially open for the 2026 cohort of the Rise Residency, a fellowship designed to offer experienced culinary professionals the one thing the industry rarely provides: a pause.
The program is a stark departure from the typical stage or apprenticeship. Instead of asking chefs to work for free in a high-pressure kitchen, the Rise Residency offers a six-month fellowship centered on mentorship, archival research, and creative development.
The centerpiece of the experience is a two-to-three-week retreat at Denniston Hill, an artist residency in the southern Catskill Mountains co-founded by renowned visual artists Julie Mehretu, Paul Pfeiffer, and Lawrence Chua. There, selected residents are given a private studio, room and board, and access to a community of interdisciplinary artists.
“We are giving proven talent, with clear ideas of what they want next, the space to pace forward,” Samuelsson said in a statement regarding the launch. “We serve professionals committed to various elements of the culinary space, including restaurateurs, writers, farmers, and sommeliers.”
The fellowship is specifically targeted at mid-career professionals, those with at least five years of experience who find themselves at a crossroads. It addresses a notorious “glass ceiling” in the hospitality industry where talented cooks, often from BIPOC backgrounds, get stuck in sous-chef roles without the capital or network to launch their own concepts.
The package is robust. In addition to the retreat, fellows receive a $5,000 living stipend, a 1:1 mentorship with Samuelsson, and access to a high-powered advisory board that includes industry heavyweights like Margaret Anadu (Senior Partner at The Vistria Group) and Chip Wade (CEO of Union Square Hospitality).
The curriculum focuses on the “business of food” as much as the art of it. Residents work on investment strategies, legal structures, and personal development. The program culminates in October 2026 with a “four-hand dinner” and public conversation, effectively serving as a launchpad for the resident’s next venture.
For the New York food scene, which is currently grappling with high rents and a labor shortage, programs like Rise represent a necessary shift in how talent is nurtured. It suggests that the next great American restaurant might not be born in the pressure cooker of a basement kitchen, but in the quiet of a Hudson Valley garden.
How to Apply
Applications for the 2026 Rise Residency are open now through March. The selection committee is looking for two residents who demonstrate a clear vision and a commitment to food culture. Interested chefs, writers, and entrepreneurs can apply directly on the program’s website.
