Melissa Cookston was born and raised in the Mississippi Delta and is a trailblazing female food entrepreneur and seven-time world barbecue champion. She is the founder of the nonprofit World Junior BBQ League; the owner of Memphis BBQ Company, a successful barbecue restaurant in Horn Lake, Mississippi; the author of two cookbooks, Smokin’ in the Boy’s Room and Smokin’ Hot in the South; and an inductee into the Barbecue Hall of Fame. Recognized nationally for her many appearances on news, talk, and cooking shows, Cookston served as a judge on season four of Destination America’s BBQ Pitmasters and, most recently, on three seasons of Netflix’s Barbecue Showdown.