We’re pleased to welcome back Katie Stone as a special guest and culinary judge. Katie serves as president of The Cleverley Stone Foundation, which produces Houston Restaurant Weeks and Eat Drink HTX. Founded by her late mother, philanthropist, and media personality Cleverley Stone in 2003 and now in its 20th year, Houston Restaurant Weeks is the largest annual fundraiser for the Houston Food Bank and to date has raised $20 Million.

Katie is also a food contributor for FOX26 and hosts a weekly live TV show, ‘Foodies & Friends’, which airs every Wednesday at 3 pm.

Katie grew up in Houston playing basketball and chess. She spent four years with the Houston Rockets as a ball kid during their championship years and went to UT Dallas as part of their internationally acclaimed chess program. While in college, Katie founded a company that organized summer chess camps for children in over 100 cities across the U.S.

Like many chess professionals, Katie turned to professional poker in the mid-2000s and became one of the most recognized and skilled female poker players and commentators in the world. In 2022, Poker Stars recognized Katie as one of the “Most Inspirational Women in Poker” at a presentation in Barcelona, Spain.

In memory of Cleverley Stone who was inducted into the Wine & Food Week Hall of Fame in 2022.