Leonor Espinosa

After studying economics and fine art, Leo eventually worked as an advertising executive, but the need to find an outlet for her more creative skills brought her to cookery. And so it was that in 2007 Espinosa opened Leo, a restaurant in Bogotá where the culinary fare calls on the popular local aspects of Colombian flavourings, in a combination of contemporary art and an anthropological vision of the various parts of the country.

After she created Leo, Espinosa expanded her gastronomic-anthropological vision, launching FunLeo alongside Laura Fernández - her daughter and sommelier. The chef avails herself of the foundation to recoup the indigenous secrets and ancestral techniques of Colombia's ethnic communities, with a view to showcasing them and making them part of Colombia's gastronomic discourse.

In 2022 she won the award for the best female chef in the world, according to The World's 50 Best Restaurant list.

Leonor Espinosa has been one of the most influential voices in the transformation of Latin American gastronomy, positioning it as a tool for cultural expression, sustainable development and social justice. A pioneer in the sustainable use of biodiversity, her work has gone beyond the kitchen to become a model for the regeneration of ecosystems and the empowerment of communities.