Jonil Casado

Flavors of Your Palate Chef

Jonil Casado Class of 2020 BEQ Pride LGBTQ+ Leader Under 40

(He/Him) is 37

 By 2030, all folks of the transgender experience will walk fearlessly down the street with their heads held up high!

Chef Jonil Casado is the founder and owner of Flavors of Your Palate, LLC, an LGBTBE® where he shares his culinary skills with private clients. He is also the creator and host of Dining with Strangers (DWS) pop up events where he brings strangers together to learn about one another’s culture, ideology, and community while having a delicious meal. This visionary concept provides a judgment-free zone where strangers cultivate friendships and unity while breaking bread together. This fresh approach to building community, acceptance, and understanding is simple yet inspired. 

Chef Jonil has been involved in the social services field for most of his life. He has worked tirelessly to ensure the LGBTQ+ community is represented in every population he has served (at-risk youth, epilepsy, HIV/AIDS, people in recovery). As a personal chef and owner of a food services business, he uses all of his contacts to ensure equity and inclusion for his community. Chef Jonil hosts a DWS event for LGBTQ+ people that are not welcomed by their own relatives for Thanksgiving. It should be no surprise that a portion of the proceeds from DWS is donated to organizations serving the LGBTQ+ community.

Recently, Chef Jonil and life partner, Rossy, got engaged. Additionally, Chef Jonil was featured in New England’s largest LGBTQ Newspaper, The Rainbow Times, declaring his intention to start new traditions in his community like DWS.