--- description: Find out how Tracy Malechek-Ezekiel and Arjav Ezekiel is shaping the future and defining the next generation of leadership. title: Tracy Malechek-Ezekiel and Arjav Ezekiel Is on the 2025 TIME100 Next image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltafa02750b56044b7/6998c9fff1b082387f6f1b57/t100-next-2025-birdie.jpg?branch=production&width=2400&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 --- Sep 30, 2025 # Tracy Malechek-Ezekiel and Arjav Ezekiel by Grant Achatz  Jeff Schear—Getty Images/James Beard Foundation At Birdie’s in Austin, co-owners Arjav Ezekiel and Tracy Malechek-Ezekiel have created something rare. With Arjav as beverage director and Tracy as chef, Birdie’s employs a counter-­service model that supports a profoundly personal menu. Paired with creative drinks, it has redefined expectations of how high‑level food can be served. There’s no hushed formality, just generosity, joy, and rigor. Equally influential is the culture the husband-­and-wife team have built around it. Fair pay, work‑life balance, and accessibility aren’t afterthoughts; they’re the foundation. In a world where fine dining often narrows its circle, Birdie’s rises above, warmly inviting everyone in. In 2025 Arjav’s work won a James Beard Award, and last year Tracy was a finalist for best chef in Texas. They prove that excellence and equity can share the same table. That’s not just a model for restaurants—it’s a model for the future. _Achatz is a James Beard Award–winning chef_ Tracy Malechek-Ezekiel and Arjav Ezekiel: TIME100 Next 2025 ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Article","@id":"https://time.com/collections/time100-next-2025/7318812/tracy-malechek-ezekiel-arjav-ezekiel/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/collections/time100-next-2025/7318812/tracy-malechek-ezekiel-arjav-ezekiel/"},"headline":"Tracy Malechek-Ezekiel and Arjav Ezekiel","datePublished":"2025-09-30T10:45:43.000Z","dateModified":"2026-03-03T00:54:45.587Z","description":"","url":"https://time.com/collections/time100-next-2025/7318812/tracy-malechek-ezekiel-arjav-ezekiel/","keywords":["TIME100 Next","sponsorshipblock","t100nextinnovators25"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltafa02750b56044b7/6998c9fff1b082387f6f1b57/t100-next-2025-birdie.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"TIME Staff","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/time-staff/"}],"creator":"TIME Staff","articleSection":"World","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltafa02750b56044b7/6998c9fff1b082387f6f1b57/t100-next-2025-birdie.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/world/","name":"World"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time100-next/","name":"TIME100 Next"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/collections/time100-next-2025/7318812/tracy-malechek-ezekiel-arjav-ezekiel/","name":"Tracy Malechek-Ezekiel and Arjav Ezekiel"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"See Everyone on the 2025 TIME100 Next List","description":"","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/ICSs7gXk/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2025-09-30T10:00:00.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/ICSs7gXk.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/collections/time100-next-2025/7318812/tracy-malechek-ezekiel-arjav-ezekiel/","duration":"PT1M59S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/collections/time100-next-2025/7318812/tracy-malechek-ezekiel-arjav-ezekiel/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```