Johanna Hellrigl is a chef, restaurateur, and culinary changemaker redefining what restaurants can be in service of. She is the chef-owner of Ama, an award-winning, mission-driven Northern Italian restaurant located just blocks from the US Capitol in Washington, D.C., rooted in the Italian poem that reminds us when love is the root, only good can grow.

In 2026, Johanna was named a semifinalist for Best Chef Mid-Atlantic by the James Beard Foundation. Since opening in June 2024, Ama has received the D.C. Department of Energy & Environment District Sustainability Award, been named one of Gambero Rosso Top Italian Restaurants for authenticity, and nominated for Best New Restaurant by the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington. Johanna has been featured in the New York Times and on the TODAY show. She is certified in integrative nutrition through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, bridging policy, advocacy, and nourishment through food.

In 2025, Johanna delivered the TEDx talk “The Plastic You Eat,” helping catalyze a national conversation about invisible plastic exposure inside restaurant kitchens, from packaging to storage to everyday tools that touch food long before it reaches the plate.

Beyond her restaurant, Johanna consults with mission-aligned restaurants, brands, sports teams, and hospitality groups to transform food and beverage operations toward cleaner sourcing, regenerative supply chains, and non-toxic kitchens. She serves as culinary director and leads all food and beverage programming annually for the Eudēmonia Summit.