Piro Supports the Next Generation of Chefs at The Culinary Institute of America

The Culinary Institute of America has shaped generations of chefs since 1946. From its flagship campus in Hyde Park to St. Helena and San Antonio, the CIA has become one of the most respected culinary schools in the world, with alumni leading some of the most celebrated kitchens, restaurants, hotels, and food companies across the industry.

In 2026, Olio Piro joined the CIA’s Gift-in-Kind program to support students and faculty across all three campuses with donated extra virgin olive oil throughout the year.

For Piro, the collaboration feels especially meaningful. Olive oil is one of the most essential ingredients in the kitchen, yet often one of the least understood. The way it is harvested, blended, protected from oxygen, or even stored can completely change its flavor and performance in cooking.

At the CIA, students spend years learning not only how to cook, but how to taste, question, and understand ingredients at a deeper level. Supporting that environment felt like a natural fit for Piro.

Produced in Tuscany from early-harvest olives grown on the volcanic slopes of Monte Amiata, Olio Piro has built a following among chefs and culinary professionals for its distinctive freshness, grassy intensity, and long peppery finish. The oils are crafted with a level of precision more often associated with wine production than commodity olive oil.

The partnership will place Piro oils into kitchens where future chefs are refining their palate, developing their technique, and building the foundation of their culinary career.

“Some of the most important conversations in food begin in culinary schools,” said Marie-Charlotte Piro. “The CIA has influenced the way generations of chefs think about ingredients and craftsmanship. Supporting that mission is something very special for us.”

Beyond the product donation itself, Piro will also provide educational materials and resources to faculty and staff throughout the year, helping contribute to broader conversations around extra virgin olive oil quality, origin, and production.

For a brand built around craftsmanship, origin, and respect for the ingredient, the collaboration marks another step deeper into the culinary world that helped shape Piro from the beginning.