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The World’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards celebrates hospitality trailblazers in its 2023 Champions of Change initiative. This year, we acknowledge two standout stories: Nora Fitzgerald Belahcen, the founder of Amal in Marrakech, Morocco, and the resilient pair, Othón Nolasco and Damián Diaz, from No Us Without You LA.

The Champions of Change initiative, a vital part of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023 programme, has become a powerful platform since its introduction in 2021. The initiative, backed by sponsors S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna, honours unsung heroes bringing transformative change in the hospitality industry. This year’s Champions of Change, Nora Fitzgerald Belahcen, Othón Nolasco, and Damián Diaz, have redefined resilience and established a roadmap for a more compassionate and inclusive hospitality sector.

Nora Fitzgerald Belahcen, the American-born Moroccan, is a beacon of empowerment and innovation in Marrakech, Morocco. The brainchild behind the thriving non-profit organization Amal, Fitzgerald Belahcen, empowers marginalized women through culinary training and hospitality skills. Launched in 2013, Amal Centre has since transformed lives, providing these women with a chance to carve out their careers in the food industry and some cases, kickstart their own ventures.

Amal’s latest endeavour, the Sign Language Café, is another groundbreaking move towards inclusivity. Manned by deaf women, this café serves around 4,000 students within a language school, showcasing the potential of deaf-run businesses and further challenging societal norms. The café is a testament to Fitzgerald Belahcen’s belief in treating these individuals as “experts in resilience”, a driving force behind Amal’s mission.

Upon receiving this award, Fitzgerald Belahcen shared her joy, “I’m thrilled to win this award on behalf of all the women I have worked with and for whom gastronomy has been a life-changing path… The support and recognition that come with this award reinforces that belief and will help us create many more opportunities for deserving women.”

From the bustling streets of Marrakech to the vibrant cityscape of Los Angeles, we meet Othón Nolasco and Damián Diaz. They’re the force behind No Us Without You LA, a food security project that saw the light during the pandemic. The non-profit organization supports undocumented restaurant and bar workers, an often-overlooked community who cannot afford government assistance despite their significant contributions to the industry.

What began as a personal endeavour to feed 30 struggling families in early 2020 has snowballed into a movement supporting 700 families monthly, thanks to the tireless work of 85 volunteers. Nolasco and Diaz have even repurposed a city lot into an organic garden to supplement their food packages, which doubles as a fundraising event space.

Expressing their gratitude, the pair said, “We are honoured that our food security program is being recognised. Undocumented back of house workers are the heart and soul of the restaurant and bar industry… No Us Without You LA offers food relief packages as a way to show that they are not forgotten.”

Recognizing their efforts, William Drew, Director of Content for The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, expressed, “After launching Champions of Change in 2021, we are thrilled to recognise the incredible work that Nora, Othón and Damián are doing for their communities… we’re honoured to be able to support their brilliant work.”

The champions’ stories set the stage for the forthcoming The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023 awards ceremony, to be held on 20th June at Les Arts opera house in Valencia, Spain. Stay tuned as we bring you more stories from the Champions of Change and the heroes behind your favourite meals.