Local chef working daily to give back to community

Everybody learns the meaning of giving back in different ways, some by doing volunteer work with the less fortunate, others by giving away clothes and other items that were in their collection, Chef Supreme Dow does both. But his story is one that took a long turn before he was able to settle into his mission in life.
Growing up, Dow was raised in a household that emphasized confidence and maximizing opportunities when presented. “My father was a politician, and not only did he instill in me to be strong in the body and mind, but be mindful of the impact I could make when the moment presents itself,” Dow said. “I took those lessons and applied them to my life, as my challenges would test my foundation.”
Dow went to culinary school in Philadelphia and, after completion, enlisted in the U.S. Army. But after two years, he left due to experiencing an immense amount of bullying and verbal assault that led to him being in a depressive state for years after his discharge. “It was a long healing journey to get over what happened to me in the Army. Once I healed, I didn’t even acknowledge my time there and ignored filing for benefits because I didn’t want any triggers revealed.” Dow was part of the 13th Bravo platoon. Dow was able to recover mentally and emotionally and accepted the benefits owed to him from his service.
After leaving the Army, Dow traveled around the country as a chef, learning different recipes and techniques to improve better his craft. “I moved back to Philly, then to Florida, Arizona, San Diego, then LA over 15 years. Every place I went, I made sure to learn something new and to better myself.” Dow worked at Erewhon in Ventura County, where his hard work led him to transfer to an Erewhon in Venice, where his career as a private chef started. ” I socialized a lot with the customers at work, and eventually people knew who I was. On a random day, I met artist India Arie, and after the conversation, I offered to cater her birthday party, and from that point on, I was her chef.”
Dow met several celebrities either at work or through other people. Using his charisma, he was blessed with the opportunity to become their chef and cook for organizations. Once the pandemic happened, Dow sought to offer his services another way. “I noticed that people were having an extremely hard time getting groceries from the store, so I already knew the homeless and people struggling had it worse. I started going to Leimert Park and connecting with community leaders to see how we could help people, but after a while, I just started cooking and feeding people myself.” Dow started cooking and serving food out of his car, which gained support from prominent figures.
Since 2022, Dow has served over 70,000 people, made the Guinness World Record by serving more than 1,000 meals in just one hour, and started his nonprofit organization, The Harvest Academy. Dow accomplished this using his own money, time, and resources, but since garnering national media attention, he has worked with Kyrie Irving, social media influencer Tabitha Brown, and several organizations across Los Angeles.
“Everyone throughout the planet has the right to be whole, healthy, and happy. Food is the medicine that we eat to live. I ensure that those who don’t have the highest quality of anything receive the highest quality of food at the bare minimum.”