Kareen "Chef Coco" Linton

Kareen is originally fron1 Barbados and was raised in Brooklyn, New York. She is the Founder and CEO of A Dash of Coco LLC. based in downtown Tampa. The co1npany brings the worlds of food, fashion, and lifestyle together. She is also the Founder and CEO of The Coco Foundation Inc, which is also located in down­town Ta1npa. The organization's n1otto is, ''Food is our vehicle to connecting and building a greater conu11unity." Coco, which she's fondly called is also a Ce1tified Inte1national Speaker and Author, her 1st book "Tun1 Your Sours Into Sweets" is available on Amazon. Most recently, Chef Coco was honored with her second National American Culinary Federation, ACF Cutting Edge Award at the national convention in Phoenix, Arizona. She has also been featured in an article for the Septen1ber issue of Hospitality News Magazine NY. She has also been nru11e the 2024 ACF Ta1npaBay Member of the Year for her dedication to the industry and community. Chef Coco has been invited by the country of France and the Tourisn1 Board of the island of St. Ma1tin to represent the USA and her Barbadian heritage at the St, Martin Gastronomic Festival, November 11th to 22nd, 2024.

 
September 2023, Chef Coco was invited by the Disciples of Escoffier Inte1national to represent the US delegation and perform a demo presentation at the Eiffel Tower in Paris at the VILLAGE INTERNATIONAL DE LA GASTRONOMIE. In celebration of National Child Nutrition Day, October 16th, 2023, and International Chef Day, October 20th, 2023, Chef Coco kicked off a n1onthly series of cooking events for the youth in the downtown Tan1pa area. She has partnered with: tvfeacha1n Urban Farm, the ACF Tampa Chapter, Tampa Downtown Pa1tnership, The Encore Ten1po Alts District, Tampa Housing Authority, American Culina1y Federation Chef to Child Foundation, which she is also it's Southeast Regional Representative. March 2023, Coco was a keynote speaker at WYN Conferences, "3rd Inte1national Wo1nen Influencers Network (WIN) and Won1en Leadership Congress." where she received an inte1national speaker ce1tification in Paris, France. March 2022 she was honored with the Inte1national Health 2.0IFood 2.0 Conference "Outstanding Leadership Award" in Dubai and was also a Keynote Speaker. She was also invited to be a keynote speaker at the Health 2.0IFood 2.0 Conference in Las Vegas April, 2022. As an Inte1national Speaker, Coco has spoken by webinar to audiences fi:on1 10 countries, including India, USA, Bangladesh, China, Philippines, South Africa, France, Denmark, and Prague and in person to audiences in Dubai, Paris, and the USA.