HOUSTON – This year marks 50 years of the World’s Championship BBQ contest at NRG Park. Last year more than two hundred thousand attendees showed up to eat, drink and dance the night away.
It’s a massive operation, and the force behind one of the hottest tents, The Cotton Q Club, is 29-year-old Zinat Ahmed. Zinat is the Vice President of Marketing and Branding for Cotton Holdings, Inc. Cotton Holdings partners with public and private entities to provide restoration, temporary housing, construction, roofing and culinary wherever they are needed around the globe. Zinat is often deployed to disaster zones as communities are starting to rebuild.
While bringing the Cotton Q Club tent to life every year is not her fulltime focus, Zinat is a leading force in creating an unforgettable experience for the cookoff’s 50th anniversary.
Born and raised as a Texan to parents who emigrated from Bangladesh, she hopes to inspire other people of color.
“Do not ever take no for an answer. Do not let who you are be discounted. Take who you are and make that your brand,” said Ahmed. “Yes, I am a young female of color. And that’s exactly why I’m going to be at that board room table.”
Get to know her in the video above.