Jen, along with her late husband, Ryan Hidinger, is a founder of Giving Kitchen. She advises on brand awareness and community involvement while providing a personal account in telling the story of GK to audiences near and far. As spokesperson for GK, Jen has received the Community Hero Award from the Atlanta Braves and Fox Sports South, and has been featured on the covers of Entrepreneur Magazine and Atlanta Magazine, was the recipient of the 2021 Claes Nobel World Betterment award and is participating in Leadership Atlanta’s Class of 2024.
As co-founder of the acclaimed Staplehouse Restaurant, Jen was a key member of the team that earned Bon Appétit magazine’s Best New Restaurant in America in 2016 and a nomination as Best New Restaurant by the James Beard Foundation. She joined the staff of GK full-time in 2019, and one of her proudest professional moments was sharing the stage with GK colleagues in receiving the James Beard Foundation’s 2019 Humanitarian of the Year award on behalf of Giving Kitchen and seeing GK recognized as a Brands That Matter by Fast Company in 2022.
Jen received a bachelor’s degree in broadcast communication from Indiana University in 2004 before moving to Atlanta. Prior to founding GK, she served as a manager at Seed Factory, a prominent children’s boutique, and held the position of Account Manager at Austin Kelley Advertising where she managed relationships with clients such as Piedmont Hospital, Papa John’s Pizza, and Hands On Atlanta.
Jen lives in Atlanta, GA with her husband John Wayne Kendrick, their son Blue, and dog Goonie. Her passions include design and travel, dogs, food and beverage, and the art of tidying.
Her most cherished quote is:
“Anything long-lasting or worthwhile takes time and complete surrender.” — Ryan Hidinger
You can get in touch with Jen at jen@thegivingkitchen.org
