Over the years, we've opened our corner of DUMBO Design District to a comprehensive range of collaborators. Each brings a unique talent, a distinct point of view, a particular taste.
Nothing here is manufactured. Every iteration is a natural extension, born from casual conversations and creative exchange, in our showroom and beyond. Connection drives inspiration and we are proud to watch so many inspired ideas take shape in our space.
Carli Gordon has been part of the Hudson Wilder story for years now leading our culinary programming. Her work has helped shape the menus and moments that bring people to our table.
Alongside that work, she built something of her own: The Libi Project — a mission-driven culinary community and creative studio uplifting early-stage entrepreneurs, creatives, and farmers.
Through thoughtfully designed programming, Libi fosters real connection across the food and beverage industry. It celebrates craft. It celebrates culture. It celebrates community. And it opens doors to learning, to collaboration, to alternative paths of career growth.
In July, we hosted the launch of the Libi Journal, an extension of that instinct, and a chance to celebrate one of our own.
The Libi Journal is an independent print publication documenting the stories of mission-driven people working at the intersection of food, culture, and entrepreneurship, featuring those who have built the Libi community over the past two years.
Hosting the launch felt full-circle so we sat down with Carli to hear more about how it came together.
Q: What were you doing, or where were you when the idea for The Libi Project first took shape? And how did that transition into the creation of Libi Journal?
A: About three years ago, I was working full-time in hospitality operations in New York City and working closely with Michelin-trained chefs. It was very long hours, especially for the chefs, and I started doing culinary programming as a way to give back.
At the same time, I wanted to close the gap between these talented chefs and local farmers and make sourcing from local farmers and purveyors feel more accessible. That’s where the idea for Culinary Industry Night came from, wanting to get more chefs and farmers in the same room and create opportunities for collaboration and partnership.
The first one was a tour hosted at Farm.One, featuring 10 local producers, and essentially serving the people who so often spend their time serving everyone else. Since then I’ve hosted 10 seasonal Culinary Industry Nights, and it’s grown beyond just connecting farmers and chefs but as a way to bring together the broader, multidisciplinary creative culinary community in New York.
After that first Industry Night, I was no longer working in my full-time role and decided to run with freelance work and Libi. As I started building my own path, I realized the lack of mentorship, education, and career development opportunities for early-stage culinary entrepreneurs and creatives which I also was experiencing myself.
The Journal grew out of that same idea as another way to say thank you to the culinary creatives and entrepreneurs who inspire us to carve our own paths, find our niche, and build careers that don’t necessarily follow a traditional hospitality path. It’s about celebrating people who love this industry but want to do things in their own way.
Q: What did you notice was missing in the food and beverage industry that made you feel Libi needed to exist?
A: What I noticed most was that there were so many talented people in food and beverage, but not enough spaces built around supporting them. There’s a real lack of stability in access to health insurance and financial security, to mental and physical health support, especially given the long and often demanding hours that are so common in the industry.
There are so many opportunities to consume but far fewer opportunities for the people behind those experiences to connect, learn from each other, find mentorship and explore paths outside of a traditional career - spaces that offer support and give back to the FOH and BOH staff who give so much of themselves to creating beautiful experiences for everyone else.
Libi came from wanting to create those spaces. Not just for chefs, but for the larger culinary community, including farmers, bartenders, servers, designers, writers, photographers, entrepreneurs, and people who are figuring out what their place in the industry can look like.
Q: What's a moment that made you feel like Libi was doing exactly what you hoped it would?
A: Honestly, it’s been in a lot of small moments. I’ve received so many really gracious messages from people saying that something Libi created helped them find a new role, gave them the confidence to start their own business or passion projects, introduced them to someone who became a mentor, or helped them discover a career path they didn’t know existed.
“Those are the moments that make me feel like it’s working. When something we created becomes a catalyst for someone else, even in a small way, that means a lot to me.”
I think the most meaningful part is knowing that Libi can be a small piece of someone’s larger story. We’re not trying to tell people what their careers should look like. We’re trying to create the space, connections, and encouragement that help people figure that out for themselves.
Q: What does Libi look like in its next chapter -- is there something you haven't built yet that you want to?
A: I think the next chapter is really a result of everything I’ve learned over the past three years. Between running Libi and consulting with small F&B businesses and culinary creatives, I’ve seen where people are getting stuck and what they need to move forward.
From the start of Libi, I’ve thought about ways we could better showcase the incredible talent within the hospitality industry, including ideas like The Libi Listings. I’ve connected so many talented Libi friends over the years through texts, DMs, and introductions at events, and it’s made me realize how much easier networking and finding opportunities could be with a more streamlined way to connect.
The next mission I have been working on is to build more infrastructure around the community I’ve created, whether that’s through career development, education, or simply creating better ways for people to find each other and discover new opportunities. Ultimately, I want Libi to continue creating space for the people who make this industry what it is and helping them build careers on their own terms.
We still have a lot of work to do, but I’m excited to share more when it’s ready and continue building alongside the industry that I love.
We can't wait to see where The Libi Project goes next and we're grateful Carli's story keeps being written, in part, with us.
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The Libi Journal Contributors:
Words by Sarah Palmieri @sarahkatepanini
Design by Sarah Bourge @frenchbreadstudio
Photos by Omer Kaplan @omerkesemkaplan