Genoa Pieron
Lazy Bear | San Francisco, CA
September 2026
Genoa Pieron has wanted to be a chef since she was five years old. She grew up in Carson City, Nevada, watching Chef Emeril Lagasse on television, before enrolling in her high school's formidable culinary arts program. The program, run by Chef Penny Reynolds, instilled in her a deep love of cooking and helped her develop her talent, skill, and speed through competitions like ProStart and SkillsUSA. In 2017, she graduated from Johnson & Wales University in Providence with a bachelor's degree in food service management. Pieron did her externship at Rising Stars alum Dominique Crenn's Atelier Crenn in San Francisco and joined the team full-time after finishing her degree. She spent the next three years at the celebrated California restaurant, working her way up to sous chef and helping the team secure a third Michelin star while working under Chefs Kevin Finch, Connor Chase, and Michelle Renee.
In 2020, Pieron took a six-month break from the industry, but eventually made her way to Lazy Bear, where, eager to work her way up from the bottom, she started as a commis. After six months, she was promoted to sous chef and then executive sous chef. She then spent time as the restaurant's research and development chef, collaborating closely with Rising Stars alum David Barzelay. In 2025, she was promoted to chef de cuisine. Since then, Pieron has built a supportive, collaborative kitchen while also creating new dishes that are as playful and nostalgic as they are innovative and precise, like her dry-aged lamb chop with a sour cherry barbecue sauce and a savory cherry and lamb pie. As she continues to bring more of her voice and perspective to the menu at Lazy Bear, Pieron is also focused on creating an environment where her staff can learn and grow as both cooks and leaders.
2026 StarChefs San Francisco-Oakland Rising Stars Award Winner
