The Black Culinarian Alliance was born in 1998 when co-founder Alex Askew and Jason Wallace met with fellow graduates of the Culinary Institute of America. It was there that they discussed the status of African Americans in the culinary and hospitality industries. A few years later, the First Black Culinarian Alumni Chapter at the Culinary Institute of America was formed. Since then, the organization has been tasked with analyzing and addressing the lack of education and exposure for African Americans in the industry. Focusing on education as a cornerstone of success, BCAGlobal (founded as the Black Culinarian Alliance) advocated for improvements in career development in a demographic that has largely been sidelined from culinary, food service, and hospitality mid and upper management opportunities. For over 30 years BCAGlobal has focused on the importance of divsersity authenticity which is defined as recognizing one's cultural heritage as a critical component in diversity conversation.  In 2010, the organization expanded its demographic focus to promote not only people of color but to increase diversity overall and develop women as industry leaders. Today, BCAGlobal continues its efforts and advises entities all over the world on ways to achieve success in these areas. Together we are reaching beyond the borders of the United States and developing connections in a variety of cultural and culinary hubs worldwide.