Tom Douglas at Microsoft

Tom Douglas, Seattle-based chef, has been cooking up Pacific Northwest cuisine since 1984, opening his own restaurant, Dahlia Lounge, in 1989. For the last 30 years, he’s made a name for himself alongside business partner and wife Jackie Cross and business partner (since 2006) Eric Tanaka by opening 13 full-service restaurants; an event space, Palace Ballroom; a cooking school, Hot Stove Society; and a product line including rubs, sauces, mustards, and knives. The James Beard Outstanding Restaurateur, self-described as “middle-aged, tall, and round,” can be found at any of his restaurants on a given day putting in the work to create a successful restaurant group. As he reminds himself and his staff, “no one can out effort us.”