Kimbal Musk is an entrepreneur and restaurateur who has founded and advised several companies and non-profits including: The Kitchen, The Kitchen Community, Zip2 (acquired by Compaq), PayPal (acquired by Ebay), Everdream (acquired by Dell), Tesla Motors (Publicly listed: TSLA), SpaceX, OneRiot (acquired by Walmart) and SolarCity.
After success in the technology business, Kimbal decided to pursue his passion for food and cooking and attended the renowned French Culinary Institute in New York City. Following graduation, he moved to Boulder, CO to start The Kitchen, Boulder's Community Bistro, with partners Hugo Matheson and Jen Lewin. The Kitchen is now a family of four restaurants (The Kitchen, The Kitchen [Upstairs] and [Next Door], and The Kitchen Denver). Since opening, The Kitchen has been named one of "America's Top Restaurants" according to Food & Wine, Gourmet, and the James Beard Foundation.
The Kitchen created its 501c3 non-profit in 2011, The Kitchen [Community], to further its goal of 'Community Through Food' by creating Learning Gardens in schools and communities across America. Learning Gardens are designed as a catalyst for community-wide behavioral improvements in childhood nutrition, socialization, and student achievement in under-served neighborhoods across the country.
In 2011, The Kitchen [Community] launched its first Learning Garden at Schmitt Elementary in Denver, CO. In 2012, The Kitchen [Community] created 55 Learning Gardens and expanded its reach to Chicago. In 2013, 180 Learning Gardens are planned for Colorado, Chicago and Los Angeles, as well as 10 new districts across the country.