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Powered 500 Awards - 2026 

Awarded by the Editors of Powered Magazine to a select group of leaders whose work will define the decade ahead.

POWERED 500 AWARD PRESENTED TO

Amanda Freitag (Food Entrepreneur)

Chef / Restaurant Entrepreneur / Media Personality

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POWERED MAGAZINE

Editorial Board

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Disclaimer: Images are sourced from publicly available profiles and used for editorial purposes.

Amanda Freitag (Food Entrepreneur)

Chef / Restaurant Entrepreneur / Media Personality

POWERED 500 WINNER 2026

Amanda Freitag is a celebrated American chef, restaurant entrepreneur, and media personality whose career spans fine dining, television, and food entrepreneurship. Freitag has served as executive chef at numerous acclaimed New York restaurants including The Harrison and Cesca, and is a regular judge on Food Network's Chopped, one of the longest-running and most popular cooking competitions on American television. She is the author of The Chef Next Door cookbook and has built a substantial personal brand through television, social media, cookbooks, and speaking engagements. Freitag's journey from executive chef working 80-hour weeks in professional kitchens to building a multi-platform business around her culinary expertise represents the evolution of celebrity chef entrepreneurship in America. She has become a prominent voice on women in professional kitchens, mentorship, and the evolving restaurant industry. Her ability to translate culinary expertise into a diversified business portfolio-spanning television, publishing, consulting, and speaking-exemplifies how food professionals can build entrepreneurial careers beyond traditional restaurant ownership. Her visibility has inspired many aspiring chefs, particularly women, to pursue careers in professional culinary arts.

Highlights from the 2026 list

Elon Musk
Neuralink
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Jeff Bezos
Amazon
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Satya Nadella
Microsoft
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Sundar Pichai
Alphabet Inc.
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 Sara Blakely
Spanx
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Sam Altman
Open AI
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Jensen Huang
Nvidia
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Whitney Wolfe Herd
Bumble
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Mark Zuckerberg
Meta
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Brian Chesky
Airbnb
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Oprah Winfrey
Harpo Productions / OWN Network
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Mark Cuban
Owner of Dallas Mavericks (Former)
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