Kelly Ijichi ​is a Chicagoan and culinary graduate of Johnson and Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island. She has been engaged in the Chicago Japanese-American community her whole life and is passionate about sharing Japanese-American cuisine across the city. Before Mom's, Kelly worked at several Michelin-starred Chicago restaurants, and co-hosted a semi-regular pop up known as Hungry As F*ck. Mom's was founded in 2019.