6. Dominique Crenn — First American woman to receive three Michelin stars

As co-owner and chef at three-Michelin-starred San Francisco restaurant Atelier Crenn, Dominique Crenn is known for her inventive fine French cuisine.

Having worked in the kitchens of revered restaurants across the globe, Crenn decided to open her own establishment in January 2011, and Atelier Crenn achieved its first Michelin star in October of the same year, followed by a second one in 2012, which made Crenn the first female chef in the US to receive this honor.

But Crenn didn't stop there — in November 2018 she beat her own record by being awarded a third Michelin star.

She now owns two restaurants in San Francisco, having opened Petit Crenn in the summer of 2015. The restaurant is an ode to the home cooking of Brittany, inspired by the dinner parties held by Crenn's mother and grandmother, where she first became mesmerized by the art of cuisine and dining. And in March 2018, Crenn opened Bar Crenn, a wine bar which pays homage to the Parisian salons of the early twentieth century and has since received a Michelin star.

As much as she champions French cuisine, Crenn focuses on sustainability and encourages diners to think about the origins of what they're purchasing and their global impact.

In May 2019, Crenn announced she had been diagnosed with breast cancer, but said she was going to try her best not to let it slow her down: "As I work through this new challenge I will be in my kitchen as much as humanly possible because being there, engaged in my craft, and with those I love so dearly is what fuels me," she said.