PRESENTER BIOGRAPHIES - CIA ProChef

PRESENTER BIOGRAPHIES
ZOE ADJONYOH is on a mission to bring African food to the masses. Born to a Ghanaian
father and Irish mother, the writer and cook from South-East London deepened her
understanding of West African cuisine after a trip to visit her extended family in Ghana.
There she spent time exploring recipes in her grandmother’s kitchen and at the famous
Kaneshi street market, where she met with cooks who shared their own takes on
traditional recipes. Described by The Observer as a “standard bearer for West African
food” and picked up by Nigel Slater as one to watch on the topic of immigration food in
Britain, Zoe has been making waves in the food scene ever since her first sell-out
successful supperclubs in 2011 at her home in Hackney Wick. Zoe has taken her fresh
interpretation of classic Ghanaian flavours to popup venues across London and Berlin as
well as prominent streetfood festivals around the U.K., including Bestival and Camp
Bestival as part of The Feast Collective. Named as one of “London’s hottest chefs” by
Time Out, Zoe launched her first fixed restaurant space in 2015, at shipping container
community project Pop Brixton. Zoe’s Ghana Kitchen is the epitome of social, relaxed
and affordable dining—where guests gather to enjoy Ghanaian favourites, notable for
their heartiness and spice, alongside Zoe’s contemporary West African creations. Zoe’s
stunning debut cookbook Zoe’s Ghana Kitchen was published by Octopus Books in 2017.
(London, UK) @zoeadjonyoh

CHRISTINA AROKIASAMY (“aro-keeya-samee”), born and raised in Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia, is a spice expert and award-winning cookbook author. She was Malaysia’s first-
ever official Food Ambassador to the United States and brings with her over 25 years of
world class culinary expertise as a former chef of various Four Seasons Resorts
throughout Southeast Asia. Christina’s passion for cuisine is rooted in a life immersed in
spices, blending many different cooking techniques from various cultures and being a
5th generation descendant of spice merchants—who have traded spices since the
supremacy of the British East India Company. Christina hosted The Malaysian Kitchen for
The Cooking Channel, showcasing flavors and traditions of the spice trade. Her expert
knowledge in spices appeared in Oprah.com, Huffington Post, CBS, NBC News, Fox
News, The New York Times, The Food Network Magazine, The Milk Street Magazine, Yahoo

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News and other international media. She is the author of The Spice Merchant’s Daughter
(Clarkson Potter, 2008), and The Malaysian Kitchen: 150 Recipes for Simple Home Cooking
(Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2017). Christina lives in the Pacific Northwest with her
family and is currently the chef ambassador for GAGGENAU, BSH Home Appliances
Corporation. Christina’s joy is to give Americans an insider experience into her tropical
homeland through cooking classes and culinary tours she leads to Southeast Asian
destinations each year. (Kent, WA) @mkpusa

SOPHIE ATTWOOD is Senior Behavioral Scientist at the Better Buying Lab (World
Resources Institute). She develops, tests and scales food service interventions that
encourage diners to switch to plant-based alternatives to meat. Her latest publication,
WRI’s Behavioral Playbook, summarizes the most up-to-date research on consumer
behavior change for more sustainable diets. Sophie holds a doctorate in Behavioral
Science from the University of Cambridge, is a chartered Health Psychologist and Public
Health Nutritionist. She has published a range of academic papers on health behavior
change, including physical activity promotion, alcohol reduction, diet and smoking
cessation. (London, England)

STÉPHANIE AUDET is chef-owner of Senhor Uva, a natural food, wine bar, and boutique
in Lisbon, Portugal. She is also the author of Cuisine Botanique, and was formerly the
executive chef of LOV restaurant in Toronto, Canada. Stéphanie travels the globe sharing
her culinary creations and teaching the food ethics of her generation. After opening her
first restaurant in 2007 in Hawaii—where she worked exclusively with local and organic
produce—she was recruited back to her homeland of Quebec and soon became a leader
of the first raw food movement as well as one of the founders and directors for
l’Academie Culinaire Crudessence. An expert in plant-based cuisine, her kitchen
celebrates the use of seasonal, local, and organic food from the earth where freshness is
one of the key pillars. Stéphanie’s inspiration begins long before she picks up a knife.
Whether it be traveling to new countries to discover the culture and native food each has
to offer or what is growing in her neighbor’s garden, Stéphanie is constantly searching
for innovative ways to highlight vegetables on her menus. She embraces the use of
natural foods by presenting vegetables as the star of her dishes. Elevating what are
typically second-tier elements in most dishes, she excels at bringing finesse and elegance
to her tasty and colorful plates without altering the initial produce, but instead shining a
bright light on them. (Lisbon, Portugal) @stephaudet (Instagram)

DEREK AZEVEDO is executive vice president of Bowles Farming Company, a 6th
generation, 160-year-old, 12,000-acre diversified farm striving to produce food and fiber
in the most ethical and sustainable ways possible in rural Los Banos, California. Derek's
roles on the farm involve strategic crop planning, contract negotiations, and oversight of
special projects, including on-farm composting and habitat restoration. Prior to joining
the Bowles' team, Derek spent 12 years in the food processing industry working with
farmers throughout the San Joaquin Valley, coordinating the purchase and delivery of

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raw of fruit and farm services. Derek is a graduate of Kansas State University, the
California Ag Leadership class 45, and currently resides in Gustine, California. (Gustine,
CA)

MICHIEL BAKKER, MS, MBA is the director of global programs for Real Estate &
Workplace Services, Google’s renowned workplace programs and services such as food,
transportation, events, sustainability, and fitness and well-being. Michiel is focused on
providing integrated workplace services and experiences that enable Google and
Googlers to thrive. He is also focused on supporting the growth of Google through the
scalability of the programs and innovating the future of workplace services. From 2012
to 2017, he led Google’s Food program, supporting all foodservice-related activities and
initiatives for Google’s global community as well as developing internal and external
partnerships to explore and tackle the challenges and opportunities in the broader food
system. Before joining Google, Michiel spent 17 great years with Starwood Hotels &
Resorts Worldwide Inc. in various roles. He continues to be very involved in the ever-
evolving and growing intersection of food, health, and sustainability through various
roles and organizations around the world such as The Culinary Institute of America’s
Menus of Change Business Leadership Council; the EAT Forum Advisory Board; and the
Yale School of Management Center for Customer Insights' Advisory Board. He holds a
bachelor of business administration degree from the Hotel Management School
Maastricht (The Netherlands), an MBA from the University of Bradford (UK), a master
of hospitality administration degree from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and a
master’s degree in real estate and construction management from the University of
Denver, Colorado. (Los Gatos, CA)

BRAD BARNES ‘87, CMC is the director of consulting and industry programs at The
Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, NY. Brad is responsible for the
oversight of all operational consulting, ProChef® certification, and custom professional
training. His clients include Google, U.S. Department of Defense, and Stanford
University. Brad is the author of two books and the creator of food concepts such as
Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn and The Pythian Market in New Orleans. Previously, he
served as the senior director of culinary education and senior director of continuing
education at the CIA. Before joining the education administration, he was the president
of GigaChef, LLC and chef/owner of B&B Solutions. Brad is a Certified Master Chef, one
of 66 in the U.S., a Certified Culinary Administrator, and an inductee of the American
Academy of Chefs, the American Culinary Federation’s honor society. (Hyde Park, NY)

PAUL BARTOLOTTA is the co-founder and owner of The Bartolotta Restaurants, a
nationally recognized restaurant and catering organization co-founded with his brother,
Joe Bartolotta, that has grown to become the premier culinary brand in the Greater
Milwaukee region, offering first class service and cuisine across a portfolio of 17 one-of-
a-kind restaurants and catering facilities. Drawing upon his 30+ years as an
internationally celebrated chef and restaurateur, Paul provides deep insights into plant-

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forward and whole vegetable culinary strategies from Italian cuisine. Paul has shared his
culinary talent in kitchens around the globe—from Paris to New York to Las Vegas— and
has been instrumental in shaping Milwaukee’s culinary scene since The Bartolotta
Restaurants launched its first concept, Ristorante Bartolotta dal 1993. Paul graduated
from the restaurant and hotel management program at Milwaukee Area Technical
College in 1980, and began his professional training in New York with famed restaurateur
Tony May. With May’s support, Paul traveled to Italy and France, and trained in some of
the countries’ most prestigious restaurants. Paul received the James Beard Award for Best
Chef Midwest for his work at Chicago’s Spiaggia in 1994; the James Beard Award for Best
Chef Southwest for Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare at Wynn Las Vegas in 2009; and he was
a finalist for the Outstanding Restaurateur award in 2020. (Milwaukee, WI) @bartolottas

ABRA BERENS is chef at Granor Farm, and author of Ruffage: A Practical Guide to
Vegetables, which is a James Beard Book Award finalist. She believes that the meals we
eat should change with the seasons and that their ingredients should come from nearby.
She strives to make simple, delicious meals that champions the region. Abra started
cooking at the storied Zingerman’s Deli in Ann Arbor, MI. She then went on to train in
the garden-focused kitchen at Ballymaloe Cookery School in Cork, Ireland. In 2009 she
co-founded Bare Knuckle Farm in Northport, MI, where she farmed and cooked for eight
years. After years of farming, she returned to the kitchen full time, opening and helming
the café at Local Foods in Chicago, IL. In 2017, she left her executive chef position to
return to the mitten state to join the team at Granor Farm in Three Oaks, MI, where she
combines her love of farms and restaurants to create one-of-a-kind dinners on the farm
celebrating the best of South West Michigan’s diverse agriculture. (Galien, MI)
@abraberens

BILL BILLENSTEIN ‘10 started his career in the kitchen at the age of 13 working on the
weekends in a bakery and cafe in his home state of Connecticut. After several years of
baking he decided that he wanted to pursue “hot” food and began his journey toward
becoming a chef. Since graduating from The Culinary Institute of America in St. Helena,
CA, Bill has worked with many acclaimed chefs including Top Chef Masters Winner
Chris Cosentino, and Jeremy Fox at the now defunct Michelin-starred vegetable-focused
restaurant, Ubuntu, in Napa, CA. He has cooked in and run several restaurants in
California, Montana, Arizona, and South Carolina, and is one of the founding members
of the Virginia Tech Dining program, “The Right Track,” which was one of the first
programs nationally to bring plant-based meals to students daily. Bill spent several years
leading the Guckenheimer at Google culinary team to create delicious plant-forward
options and dining experiences. Bill is currently based in the San Francisco Bay Area, and
is senior director culinary & nutrition strategy for ISS - Guckenheimer. (San Mateo, CA)
@billbillenstein

JANE BLACK is a Washington, DC-based food writer who covers food politics, trends, and
sustainability, and has a particular interest in how we shop, eat, and think about food.

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Jane's career has taken her from San Francisco, where she helped to launch one of the first
real-time online news services, to the BBC in London, BusinessWeek in New York and the
Washington Post where she was a staff writer at the James Beard-award winning Food
section. Her work appears regularly in the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, and
the New York Times. In her free time, she cooks, eats, and travels to eat—most often to
Italy, her favorite country in the world. (Washington, DC) @jane_black

ALI BOUZARI, PHD is a culinary scientist, author, educator, and co-founder of Pilot R&D,
a culinary research and development company, and Render, a new food company that
collaborates with the best restaurant chefs in the country to reinvent the way food lovers
eat. As a chef with a PhD in food biochemistry, Ali has helped to lead the charge in
changing the way we think about cooking by teaching and developing curriculum at top
universities, from ivy league schools to The Culinary Institute of America, and
collaborating with the country’s most innovative restaurants including State Bird
Provisions, Benu, Eleven Madison Park, The Restaurant at Meadowood, and the Thomas
Keller Restaurant Group. Ali has been featured on Forbes' and Zagat's 30 Under 30 lists,
as a contributor to Popular Science, WIRED, Saveur, and Eater, and as a guest expert on
NPR, TEDx, The Splendid Table, Cooking Channel, and Iron Chef America. His book,
Ingredient: Unveiling the Essential Elements of Food, won the 2017 IACP award for Best
Reference Book. Ali also writes a monthly column for the San Francisco Chronicle called
“Housemade.” (Berkeley, CA) @alibouzari

JACQUELYN CHI, MA is director of programs and special projects for the Strategic
Initiatives Group, the thought leadership arm of The Culinary Institute of America (CIA).
In this role, Jacquelyn serves as co-program director for the Global Plant-Forward
Culinary Summit, and also oversees the Flavor Summit retreat, targeting food and
beverage executives in the hotel, resort, cruise line, casino, and upper-tier multi-unit
restaurants sector. She previously ran the CIA’s reThink Food initiative, exploring the
intersection of technology, behavior, design, and food; and Appetites + Innovation (A+I),
which advanced culinary excellence, health and wellness, sustainability, and cultures of
innovation in retail foodservice. In 2013, Jacquelyn project-managed the CIA’s first
mobile app for its flagship Worlds of Flavor® International Conference & Festival, which
won the 2013 Cvent Plannie Award for Best Use of a Mobile App. Prior to joining the
CIA, Jacquelyn earned her bachelor’s degree in radio-television-film from Northwestern
University, and her master’s degree in international communication from American
University, where she researched food as a tool of public diplomacy, and the social
construction of authenticity in foreign eating experiences. She has also served as
photographer and videographer for a Turkish coffee truck diplomacy project; managed
social media for a start-up food company; and worked in a chocolate factory. (Napa, CA)
@jaxiecracks

KYLE CONNAUGHTON is a chef, culinary educator, and cookbook author. He and his wife,
farmer Katina Connaughton, opened SingleThread Farm-Restaurant-Inn, in Healdsburg,

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CA, in December 2016. The restaurant received a perfect four stars from The San Francisco
Chronicle in March 2017 and a James Beard Foundation Restaurant Design Award in May
2017. In 2018, SingleThread received the "Miele One to Watch" award from World's 50
Best Restaurants. In 2019, the restaurant achieved a rare feat, receiving a three-star rating
in the 2019 Michelin Red Guide within two years of opening. SingleThread is also a member
of Relais & Chateaux, an international organization of the world’s top restaurants and
hotels. In 2018, SingleThread received the Miele “One to Watch” award from World’s 50
Best Restaurants. Kyle's culinary background includes working for Michel Bras in
Hokkaido, Japan and as head chef of research & development at The Fat Duck in Bray,
England. Kyle worked with Heston Blumenthal and the Fat Duck team to complete the
IACP award-winning The Big Fat Duck Cookbook. He also contributed to Nathan
Myhrvold's Modernist Cuisine series. Kyle is professor emeritus at The Culinary Institute
of America, and has developed the curriculum for the CIA's bachelors of culinary science
program. In 2015, Kyle co-published Donabe - Classic and Modern Japanese Clay Pot Cooking
and co-founded the culinary research and development firm, Pilot R&D. (Healdsburg,
CA) @kyleconnaughton

BILL CORBETT is executive chef and head of culinary at Salesforce where he oversees
their Ohana Floor Exhibition Kitchens and barista programs across the company’s
global towers. With a one-of-a-kind approach to hospitality, Bill’s team embraces food
and beverage as a tool for connection to create extraordinary experiences for the
company’s employees, customers, partners, and the community. Prior to Salesforce, Bill
spent time at Manhattan’s WD-50, San Francisco’s Michael Mina, two-Michelin star
COI, and The Absinthe Group, amongst other leading restaurants. Bill has been
recognized as the Best Pastry Chef 2011 from San Francisco Magazine and in 2013, he was
selected as one of the Top 10 Pastry Chefs in America by Dessert Professional Magazine.
(San Francisco, CA) @el_cuchillo

MICHAEL COSTA is concept chef at Zaytinya, where, together with chef José Andrés, he
offers an innovative mezze menu inspired by Turkish, Greek, and Lebanese cuisines
served up in a sleek and modern setting. Originally from Alexandria, VA, Michael
received a degree in government and foreign affairs from the University of Virginia. After
graduating, he moved to Dallas, TX with his brother, where he enrolled in culinary school
at El Centro College. Though he had previously spent time waiting tables throughout
high school and college, it was his enrollment in culinary school that led him to realize
his true passion for cooking. He began his culinary career at Abacus in Dallas, then later
moved to Washington, DC, where he worked as a private dining chef at Citronelle before
moving to the Michelin-starred restaurant, Michel Rostang, in Paris to work as chef de
partie. Once back in the U.S., Michael took an executive chef position at Pazo in Baltimore,
MD, where he was nominated for “Chef of the Year” by the Maryland Restaurant
Association in 2010, before joining Zaytinya that same year. Beyond cooking, Michael’s
favorite part of the industry is having the opportunity to mentor younger chefs, and
positively impacting them to achieve their own goals. When he’s not in the kitchen at

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Zaytinya, Michael enjoys spending time with his two daughters, cooking for his family,
and broadening his cooking expertise with podcasts and books. (Washington, DC)
@ZaytinyaChef

DOMINIQUE CRENN, chef/owner of three-Michelin-starred Atelier Crenn of San
Francisco, focuses on cuisine as a craft and the community as an inspiration. She began
her formal culinary training when she moved to San Francisco in 1988 to work at Stars,
under Jeremiah Tower and Mark Franz. In 2011, Dominique opened Atelier Crenn, a
deeply personal project, where her heritage and ode to “poetic culinaria” is embodied
through the whimsical creations she shares with her guests. Atelier Crenn received its
first Michelin star in 2011, its second in 2012, and its third in 2018, making Dominique the
first female chef in the U.S. to garner that honor. In the summer of 2015, Dominique
opened her second restaurant in, Petit Crenn, where she presents the core of her culinary
upbringing and inspiration in a more casual setting. Dominique was named the World’s
Best Female Chef by The World’s 50 Best organization in 2016; Best Chef: West by the
James Beard Foundation in 2018; and in 2019 Atelier Crenn was named to the World's 50
Best Restaurants at no. 35; she also then received a star for her most recent creation, Bar
Crenn. As an active member of the international culinary community, Crenn promotes
innovation, sustainability, and equality through her participation with various panels
and summits. In 2019, Dominique announced that all of her restaurants would stop
serving land-based meat in an attempt to effect real environmental change. Dominique is
the author of Atelier Crenn: Metamorphosis of Taste, published in 2015. (San Francisco, CA)
@dominiquecrenn

GREG DRESCHER is vice president of strategic initiatives and industry leadership at The
Culinary Institute of America (CIA). He oversees the college’s leadership initiatives for
the foodservice industry, including academic and other strategic partnerships,
conferences, invitational leadership retreats, digital media, and other global initiatives.
He is the creator of the college’s Worlds of Flavor International Conference & Festival
(now in its 21st year), as well as a portfolio of health and sustainability leadership
initiatives including Menus of Change and Healthy Kitchens, Healthy Lives, jointly
presented by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; the Menus of Change
University Research Collaborative, co-led by the CIA and Stanford University in
association with more than 50-plus leading colleges and universities; and the recently
launched annual Global Plant-Forward Culinary Summit and Plant-Forward Kitchen
digital media platform. Co-developer of the CIA’s new partnership with the University
of Barcelona—the Torribera Mediterranean Center, with its focus on the healthy,
traditional Mediterranean Diet and regional food studies—and a strategic advisor to the
European-based EAT Foundation, Greg works internationally to advance innovation at
the intersection of health, sustainability, culture, and culinary insight. In 2005, Greg was
inducted into the James Beard Foundation’s Who’s Who of Food & Beverage in America,
and in 2007 and 2009 he shared a second and third James Beard Award for his team’s
work in developing the CIA’s Savoring the Best of World Flavors digital media series,

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filmed on location around the world. He served on the National Academy of Medicine’s
Committee on Strategies to Reduce Sodium Intake in the United States (final report 2010).
In 2011, he was inducted as a member of the Accademia dei Georgofili, Europe’s oldest
agricultural academy based in Florence. In 2017, Foodservice Director included Greg in
its 20 People Shaping American Foodservice Today. Before joining the CIA 24 years ago,
he jointly spearheaded a collaboration of some of the world’s leading health experts and
organizations—including the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and WHO—in
authoring the The Mediterranean Diet Pyramid: A Cultural Model for Healthy Eating.
The cumulative results of this research were published in a special edition of the
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (1995), creating an evidence-based foundation for
much of the academic, policy, and media interest in the Mediterranean Diet that followed.
(Sacramento, CA)

NICOLE DUNCAN is the editor of FSR magazine; previously she was the senior editor of
both FSR and sister publication, QSR. Including her time as a freelancer, she has been
covering the restaurant industry for six years. Over the past dozen years she has
performed editorial work for a variety of outlets including consumer-facing magazines,
a science research center, and a startup. She relishes any opportunity to delve into macro
trends and report on how they are shaping foodservice. (Chapel Hill, NC)

MARK ERICKSON ’77, CMC, MBA is provost of The Culinary Institute of America (CIA).
In this role, he oversees all aspects of the college’s academic programs, as well as its
branch campuses, food and beverage operations, and consulting. Mark is a frequent
presenter at industry events and conferences, where he shares his unique perspective on
the global food industry, drawing from both academic and practical experiences. An
honors graduate of the CIA class of 1977, he was director of culinary education at the
Hyde Park campus from 1988 to 1990. Prior to that, he held both faculty and department
head positions at the CIA. His career also includes roles at the Palace Hotel in Gstaad,
Switzerland; the Greenbrier Hotel in White Sulphur Springs, WV; the Everglades Club in
Palm Beach, FL; and Cherokee Town and Country Club in Atlanta, GA. Mark was a
member of the gold medal-winning United States Culinary Olympic Teams in 1980, 1984,
and 1988, and part of the U.S. team that won the 1985 Culinary World Cup. He earned
Crystal Chef honors by having the highest score in the ten-day Certified Master Chef
examination administered by the American Culinary Federation in 1985. He holds a BS
degree in restaurant and hotel management from the University of New Haven and an
MBA from Marist College in Poughkeepsie, NY. (Hyde Park, NY)

ERIC ERNEST is the senior associate director of culinary excellence and campus executive
chef for the University of Southern California, where he is also responsible for purchasing
and logistics for USC Hospitality ensuring a robust global network and supply chain to
support 40,000 meals per day on two USC Campuses. Eric oversees the vision and
culinary strategy for Hospitality and surrounding departments, curating the campus’
food philosophy and value system in the face of changing social, economic, and
environmental pressure on our food supply and product offerings. USC’s award-winning
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Teaching Garden, Chef Mentorship & Certification Program, and an annual chef
conference are examples of the industry leading programs that set USC apart from other
institutions. Prior to USC, Eric held positions as corporate executive chef for SBE, the
Royale Group, Innovative Dining Group, and the world-renowned Citrine in West
Hollywood, CA. He also worked under the tutelage of Wolfgang Puck, Lee Hefter, and
Yoshi Kojima, and holds degrees in culinary management and is a CEIP graduate at The
Culinary Institute of America. Eric was elevated to Master Chef in 2016 when he was
awarded a diploma in culinary excellence by the World Master Chef Society and was
inducted into the American Academy of Chefs in 2018. Eric has degrees from USC in
Entrepreneurship & Innovation and Technology Commercialization. He also is a
prominent figure in international cooking competitions, holding over 20 medals and
several certifications awarded by the American Culinary Federation. (Los Angeles, CA)

LESLIE FERRIER began her hospitality career with Hilton Hotels Corporation in their
management development program. Recruited on campus from Johnson & Wales
University, she worked in HR leadership roles for the Capitol Hilton, McLean Hilton,
Fontainebleau, Rye Town & Pittsburgh Hilton Hotels. With Loews Corporation, she was
on the opening teams for the Loews House of Blues, the Loews Miami Beach and the
Loews Porto Fino Bay Hotel in Universal Studios. She has served as Corporate Director
of HR for Linens n Things, as well as, VP of HR for both ABC Carpet & Home and
Aerosoles shoes. Leslie was the founding HR leader for TxVia, a high tech start up, which
sold to Google. At Atlantic Coast Media Group, Leslie was the VP of Talent Acquisition
& Development where she was nominated as one of New Jersey’s top women in business.
That same year, ACMG won fastest growing company in NJ. As the Head of HR for Le
Pain Quotidien, she opened 15 new restaurants and was responsible for 3500 employees
in 90 restaurants over 8 states. During this time, Leslie served on the Board of Directors
for Liberty Humane Society turning around a failing animal shelter into a model for
urban rescue operations. Leslie was recently featured in her alma mater’s “Success Issue”
which is dedicated to twelve distinguished graduates who have excelled in their chosen
careers. Leslie was also recently nominated to the Hall of Fame for the World Association
of Cooperative Education and has been listed on Food Services’ Distinguished Women
of Hospitality for both 2019 & 2020. She has spoken at Cornell University, Harvard
University, Rutgers University, the FAB Conference for Women & Cornell’s HR in
Hospitality Conference to name a few. She is on both the Board and Executive Board of
Directors for the Hospitality Alliance of NYC as well as Rutgers University’s Human
Resources Advisory Board. She was selected to be a 2020 Mentor for Food & Wines Best
Chefs. Leslie is currently the Vice President of Human Resources for Momofuku where
she also serves as the Chairman of the Board for the Company’s Bluetape Fund.

MAISIE GANZLER, chief strategy and brand officer, has been instrumental in shaping the
overall strategic direction of the food service pioneer Bon Appétit Management Company
for over two decades, overseeing Bon Appétit’s strategic initiatives, culinary
development, purchasing, and more. In 1999, she helped develop the groundbreaking

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Farm to Fork local-purchasing program and has since launched many of Bon Appétit’s
other progressive initiatives in the areas of animal welfare, sustainable seafood,
antibiotics, farmworker rights, and food waste. More recently, she has focused on
antibiotics in agriculture and aquaculture, plant-forward innovation, and the
development of a proprietary kitchen waste-tracking tool. (Palo Alto, CA) @maisiegreen

ANNA GAVRIELI is a Research Global Program Manager for Compass at Google. Her work
is focused on behavioral science research on shifting diets plant forward and more
sustainable in a corporate environment. In this endeavor she is joined by research
partners from academia, industry and non-profit organizations. Prior to this role, Anna
worked as a postdoctoral research fellow at Harvard Medical School/Beth Israel
Deaconess Medical Center, investigating the effects of drugs on brain centers related to
food intake, appetite hormones and body weight parameters. She has also worked in
behavioral change interventions to promote healthy eating behaviors in children and
adults. Anna has a PhD and BSc in dietetics and nutrition and an MSc in sport and
exercise nutrition. (Sunnyvale, CA)

EINAV GEFEN is the executive corporate chef for Unilever Food Solutions, North America
(UFS NA), a role she has held since August 2016. In this capacity, she leads the North
America chefs team under customer development and serves as the culinary thought
leader in the UFS NA leadership team. Her career as a chef began 20 years ago in Israel,
when she worked as a pastry chef at Orna & Ella and as a sous chef at Mul-Yam, Gault et
Millau, the top restaurant in Tel Aviv and one of Les Grandes Tables du Monde’s world's
114 best restaurants. A graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education (ICE), Einav
interned at Daniel and was the executive chef of Danal in the East Village. In 2001, she
founded and became the director of the culinary arts program at the Jewish Community
Center in Manhattan. Between 2003 and 2008 she was a chef-instructor at ICE in the
professional division, before joining Unilever as the corporate head chef for North
America. In that role, Einav led a team of chefs in charge of innovation development,
product rejuvenation, activation with costumers and consumers, and deployment of
global projects. She was a speaker at TED@Unilever and competed on the Food Network
show, Chopped. (Englewood Cliffs, NJ) @unilever

SCOTT GIAMBASTIANI is a Bay Area native, who started his career in kitchens of The
Dining Room at the Ritz Carlton San Francisco, The Lark Creek Inn in Marin County, &
Viognier atop the Draeger’s Marketplace under top Chefs including Bradley Ogden, Gary
Danko & Sylvain Portay before coming to Google in 2006 to succeed Google’s first Chef.
Scott initially aided in growing the Bay Area Food Team from just a handful of cafes in
the early 2000’s as Executive Chef. In 2013 he was appointed Global Program Chef and
Operations Manager to help scale the operation to over 200+ sites in 150 cities and 45
countries. Today he currently manages Food Program Operations at Google
headquarters for the city of Mountain View, California, the heart of Silicon Valley.
(Mountain View, CA) @scottgiambastiani (Instagram)

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                         © 2020 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved.

AGLAIA KREMEZI is co-founder of Kea Artisanal. She is a journalist, food historian, and
author whose books include Mediterranean Vegetarian Feasts; The Cooking of the Greek
Islands; The Foods of Greece (which won the Julia Child Award); and Mediterranean Hot &
Spicy. Born in Athens, for the past 11 years she has lived with her husband in Kea, where
she gardens, cooks, writes, and teaches cooking to travelers. She was a consultant for
Molyvos, the first upscale Greek restaurant in New York. She blogs often at the Atlantic’s
food/health website, and writes regularly in Greek, European, and American
publications such as Saveur, the Los Angeles Times, BBC Good Food, Bon Appétit, Food &
Wine, and Food Arts. She takes part in and gives papers at the Oxford Symposium on Food
and Cookery, and has taught at The Culinary Institute of America, Macy’s Degustibus,
the French Culinary Institute, and many other U.S. cooking schools. (Kea, Greece)

RICHARD LANDAU is the chef-owner of Vedge, V Street Food, and Fancy Radish. A
pioneer of the modern plant-based dining experience, Richard opened Horizons in
1994, with a mission to demonstrate the creativity and satisfaction of vegetable cuisine.
Through the many years in the restaurant industry, teaching and consulting, and media
appearances including winning Food Network’s Chopped, Richard has used the
carnivore’s palate he grew up with to translate vegan cuisine to a broader audience. In
2009 Richard and wife/partner Kate Jacoby cooked the first vegan meal ever served at
the James Beard House in Manhattan. In 2011 they opened “Vedge” to national acclaim,
and in 2016 the Philadelphia Inquirer awarded Vedge its top “4 bell” review. Richard
has co-authored four cookbooks, including the most recent Vedge: 100 Plates Large and
Small that Redefine Vegetable Cooking, and has been a finalist multiple times for the
James Beard Foundation's Best Chef Mid Atlantic, as well as twice being named “Best
Chef in Philadelphia” by Philadelphia Magazine. In 2001, Kate joined Richard at
Horizons, honing her pastry skills and shaping her approach to desserts. A James Beard
Nominated Pastry Chef and a Certified Sommelier, she also oversees the beverage
program at all their restaurants and directs expansion for the group. When not in the
kitchen, Richard and Kate love to travel with their son Rio, always on the hunt for their
next great food experience. (Philadelphia, PA) @chefrichardlandau (Instagram)

ANNE E. MCBRIDE, PHD is the deputy director of the Torribera Mediterranean Center
(TMC), a joint initiative of the University of Barcelona and The Culinary Institute of
America, located in Barcelona. Through two master’s degrees, an industry leadership
conference, and other efforts, TMC takes the Mediterranean Diet as a starting point to
connect leading-edge food and nutrition research with culinary, agricultural, and
business innovation. She is also the program director for the CIA’s Worlds of Flavor®
International Conference & Festival, widely acknowledged as the U.S.’ most influential
professional forum on world cuisines, food cultures, and flavor trends, and for the CIA’s
Global Plant-Forward Culinary Summit. A content provider, whether it is through
writing, organizing conferences, or teaching, Anne holds a PhD in food studies from New
York University, and focuses her research on the changing role of the chef in the 21st
century. She regularly writes on topics related to professional and experimental cooking

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                         © 2020 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved.

for both academic and consumer audiences, including past contributions to Plate, Bake
from Scratch, Food Arts, Gastronomica, The Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets, Savoring
Gotham, the Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America, and Food Cultures of the World.
She is the co-author of Les Petits Sweets and Les Petits Macarons with Kathryn Gordon, of
three books with famed pastry chef François Payard, including Payard Cookies and
Chocolate Epiphany, and of Culinary Careers: How to Get Your Dream Job in Food. She is also
a part-time faculty member at the food studies departments at New York University and
the New School. A native of Switzerland, Anne is the chair of the James Beard Foundation
Leadership Awards, and a past board member of the Association for the Study of Food
and Society, New York Women’s Culinary Alliance, and Culinary Trust. She is a frequent
presenter and moderator at scholarly and trade conferences. (North Plainfield, New
Jersey and Barcelona, Spain) @annemcbride

JOSHUA MCFADDEN is the executive chef/owner of Ava Gene’s and founding partner of
Submarine Hospitality (est. 2016). Having grown up in the Midwest, Joshua came to the
Pacific Northwest to attend Cordon Bleu in Portland, OR. Since then, he’s cooked in some
of the top kitchens in San Francisco (Lark Creek Inn, Roxanne’s), Chicago (North Pond),
and New York (Franny’s, Momofuku, Blue Hill and Lupa.) He also spent time in Rome
working at the American Academy, an Alice Waters project. He was awarded two stars
by The New York Times while serving as chef de cuisine at Franny’s in Brooklyn. Wanting
to get closer to his artistic medium, Joshua spent two years farming and cooking in coastal
Maine, running Four Season Farm, owned by Barbara Damrosch and Eliot Coleman. It
allowed him to think about food in a whole new way, sparking a deeper passion for—
and knowledge of—vegetables. Joshua’s belief that food should be simple, honest, and
driven by local ingredients has found its natural home in the Pacific Northwest at Ava
Gene’s, where he is executive chef/owner. In the summer of 2016, he and Luke Dirks
formed Submarine Hospitality, which acquired ownership of Ava Gene’s just before
opening Tusk with executive chef/partner Sam Smith. His James Beard award-winning
cookbook, Six Seasons: A New Way with Vegetables, including 225 vegetable-focused
recipes, was released in May of 2017 by Artisan Books. (Portland, OR)
@joshua_mcfadden

ISA CHANDRA MOSKOWITZ is the chef-owner of Modern Love in Omaha, NE, and
Brooklyn, NY. (Brooklyn, NY) @isachandra

BECKY MULLIGAN is the chief executive officer of The Little Beet and Little Beet Table
restaurants, based in New York City. The Little Beet is a plant inspired, fast-casual
concept committed to helping people live well with a number of locations across New
York City, Westchester, Long Island, Jersey City, Arlington, and Washington, D.C. Little
Beet Table is the full-service, sister restaurant to The Little Beet with a flagship location
in New York City as well as new locations in Greenwich, CT and Chevy Chase, MD. Little
Beet Table is similarly vegetable-forward and inspired by a seasonal harvest. Prior to
joining Little Beet Brands in November of 2018, Becky spent 16 years with Starbucks

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                          © 2020 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved.

Coffee Company, where she held multiple leadership and operations positions including
director of operations innovation and director of U.S. planning & prioritizing. Most
notably, Becky led the operations innovation and implementation of Starbucks Mobile
Order & Pay channel. Prior to Starbucks, Becky was with Kinko’s for 12 years where she
worked in leadership and management, as well as corporate sales. (New York, NY)
@EatLittleBeet

DANIEL OLIVELLA is the chef-owner of Barlata tapas bar in Austin, TX. A native of
Barcelona, he has been cooking in the U.S. for the past 35 years. Daniel started his career
in Chicago at family-owned restaurant La Paella in 1979 as an all-around family member.
There, under the supervision of his French-raised uncle, he was trained on traditional
French and Spanish service and food preparation. In Chicago he went on to work for the
Lettuce Entertain You group, before moving to San Francisco in 1987. There, he worked
as a line cook at Delfina, Zuni Café, Zazie, and the Maltese Grill before becoming the
opening chef of Thirsty Bear Brewing Co. In 1999, Daniel opened his own restaurant, B44
Catalan Bistro, specializing in Catalan cuisine. He was named a “Rising Star Chef of the
Year” in 2001 by San Francisco Magazine. Daniel opened his first Barlata concept in March
2009 in the Temescal neighborhood of Oakland. In 2013, he moved the Barlata Tapas Bar
to the South Lamar district of Austin, TX. His book Catalan Food, was published by
Clarkson Potter in September 2018. (Austin, TX) @barlataatx

MAI PHAM is the chef-owner of the nationally acclaimed Lemon Grass Restaurant and
Star Ginger in Sacramento, CA. A recognized expert on Asian cuisine, she is known for
her fresh Southeast Asian cuisine featuring the bright flavors of Vietnam, Thailand, and
beyond. She has hosted Vietnam: My Country, My Kitchen on the Food Network and
authored Pleasures of the Vietnamese Table. That cookbook received a James Beard Award
nomination and was named among the best cookbook titles in 2001 by The New York Times
and the Los Angeles Times. She has also authored The Best of Vietnamese and Thai Cooking,
which was featured on NPR’s Fresh Air and in Martha Stewart Living. Her newest book,
Flavors of Asia, a collaboration with The Culinary Institute of America, features the best
recipes from seven countries in Asia. In recent years, Mai has partnered with campus,
corporate, healthcare, and government dining entities to launch Star Ginger outposts,
which feature on-trend Southeast Asian flavors, from hearty authentic Thai curries and
grilled meats to fresh, flavorful Vietnamese noodle soups and salads, among others. Born
in Saigon and raised in Vietnam and Thailand, Mai worked as a television journalist for
various ABC News affiliates and later as a speechwriter for a California governor before
returning to her love of food and cooking. (Sacramento, CA)

PRATEEK SADHU ‘11 is executive chef and co-owner of Masque. Born in Kashmir in 1986,
Prateek grew up around family farms, learning the basics of the kitchen from his aunt
and mother. This natural curiosity for food soon derailed initial plans to become a
commercial pilot; instead, he enrolled at a hotel management school in India, before
graduating from The Culinary Institute of America with double gold medals. He went

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                          © 2020 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved.

on to work in some of the world’s finest kitchens, including Alinea, The French Laundry,
Bourbon Steak, Le Bernardin, and Michelin-starred restaurants across Europe—including
a stint under Rene Redzepi at Noma, where Prateek’s intent to source and spotlight local
ingredients truly flourished. He later moved back to The Pierre Hotel, New York,
followed by a return to India as sous chef at Le Cirque, Bangalore. The move back to India
connected Prateek with Aditi Dugar, who shared his vision of using purely local
ingredients to create seasonal and sustainable dishes. This ethos led the pair to travel the
country in search of the best regional produce and create strong ties with local farmers.
After nearly two years of research and development, they opened Masque in Mumbai in
September 2016. With Prateek at its helm, Masque has blazed its own trail through India’s
culinary landscape, garnering a reputation for constant innovation and numerous
accolades along the way. Its commitment to sustainability saw Masque ranked among
the top 10 on Food Tank’s 2016 list of restaurant innovators in the world. That same year,
Prateek was awarded “Most Innovative Chef of the Year” by the Western Culinary
Association of India. In December 2017, he was named “Chef of the Year” at the Conde
Nast Traveller Top Restaurant Awards, and in 2018, the restaurant was ranked #5 on the
list. (Mumbai, India) @prateeksadhu

TONI SAKAGUCHI ‘84, CEC, CHE, is executive chef for The Strategic Initiatives Group at
The Culinary Institute of America (CIA). After graduating with an associate degree from
the CIA in 1984, Toni earned a bachelor’s degree in hotel, restaurant, and institutional
management from Michigan State University. She then moved to California and served
as executive chef in two of the nation’s top restaurants, Border Grill Café and City
Restaurant, both in Los Angeles. Toni was the fine dining chef at the Sonoma Mission Inn
& Spa in Sonoma, California, prior to joining the faculty at the CIA at Greystone in 1997.
(Napa Valley, CA) @CIALeadership

New Delhi based culinary authority SUVIR SARAN is the author of three celebrated
cookbooks: Indian Home Cooking, American Masala, and Masala Farm, and the chef and
owner of THC, The House of Celeste, a modern Indian restaurant in Gurgaon. Suvir’s
approachable style has helped demystify Indian cuisine and earned him the first Michelin
star awarded to an Indian restaurant in America. His recipes and writings have been
featured in many national and international newspapers and magazines, and he is a
recurring guest chef at the CIA-Harvard School of Public Health Healthy Kitchens,
Healthy Lives continuing medical education conference. Speaking, teaching, and
appearing at thought leadership retreats worldwide, Suvir has used food as a bridge to
bring disparate peoples and groups together. He embraces the universality of cuisine and
its ability to heal where there are wounds and transcend borders where politics and
history have created divisions. Suvir’s exposure to people from all corners of the world
gives him an ease in settings that are bursting with diversity. Having always been the
other wherever he has made home, he fits in seamlessly, and with his food he warms
hearts, wins minds, brings peace, and makes lasting friendships. In his new book,
Instamatic, Suvir shares with us the inspiration behind his art and his journeys across

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                          © 2020 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved.

multiple civilizations, from the land of his birth to the land of his karma. Through the
medium of a simple iPhone, he shows us how to broaden our horizons and humanize
one another, one image at a time. (New Delhi, India) @suvirsaran

ELIZABETH SHAW (Liz) has been a nutritionist for over 10 years, an adjunct professor for
over 7 years and is a certified personal trainer. Liz wrote the Instant Pot Cookbook For
Dummies, Air Fryer Cookbook For Dummies, Fertility Foods Cookbook, and the Stress-
Free IVF Nutrition Guide! She’s a nutrition expert and owns a nutrition communications
business and private practice in San Diego, CA. A guest on local and national television,
she discusses the importance of food and nutrition as key players in leading a healthy life
through sound, evidence-based nutrition. In addition, Liz is a freelance writer and is
frequently quoted as a national nutrition expert in the news for publications such as
Prevention, Oxygen Magazine, Shape, Women’s Health, Muscle and Performance, and
others. Her current position has led her to what she loves most, educating the public
about the importance of nutrition and health in daily life through sharing recipes and
simple, quick nutrition tips. You’ll find Elizabeth sharing daily over on her popular
Instagram feed @shawsimpleswaps and other social media channels under Shaw Simple
Swaps. She believes all foods can fit in a balanced lifestyle and shares these tips via her
blog, Shaw’s Simple Swaps, and in her work as a national spokesperson for health
organizations such as the California Avocado Commission, The Alliance for Food and
Farming, and others. (San Diego, CA) @shawsimpleswaps (Instagram)

STEVE SOLOMON is founder of FSInsights, and is also menu strategist for the Mushroom
Council. He has developed concepts for major chains, created a number of new
breakfast programs, and coordinated the culinary/nutrition initiative for the US Ski
Team at the 2002 Olympics. With the Mushroom Council, Steve is responsible for
foodservice strategy, menu development, sales training, communication, education, and
promotion. In that role, Steve worked with CIA to help develop the Blend concept and
has worked with universities, major chains and the James Bears Foundation to
popularize. (Alexandria, VA) @mushroomchannel (Instagram)

AMANDA TOPPER has more than a decade of market research experience spanning
industries including foodservice, food and drink, healthcare, travel, and hospitality. She
oversees all of Mintel's foodservice research offerings, and provides insight and
competitive analysis for clients and at industry speaking engagements. Amanda’s expert
insights have appeared in top outlets including The New York Times, The Wall Street
Journal, The Washington Post, USA Today, and leading trade publications. Prior to joining
Mintel, Amanda was a research analyst at a global public relations agency working on
full lifecycle market research projects that fueled public relations campaigns for food,
beverage, and foodservice clients. She executed a variety of qualitative and quantitative
research methodologies including online and telephone surveys, focus groups, in-depth
interviews, and online communities for clients. Amanda is also well-versed in restaurant
social media strategy, media analysis and measurement, and influencer relationships. She
is a food writer for national publications, including Thrillist and InsideHook, and
                  2020 Global Plant-Forward Biographies | Updated June 5, 2020 | Page 15 of 16
                          © 2020 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved.

manages a personal restaurant review blog and Instagram. Amanda holds a bachelor of
arts degree in psychology, sociology, and business from Indiana University-
Bloomington, as well as a certificate in principles of marketing research from the
University of Georgia. (Chicago, IL) @amandatopper

ZAK WESTON works at the Good Food Institute (GFI), an international nonprofit focused
on creating a healthy, just, and sustainable food system through plant-based protein
innovation and cellular agriculture. He consults with leading foodservice operators and
restaurant chains to help increase the quality and quantity of their plant-based offerings
and meet the growing consumer demand for plant-based foods. An active member of the
Effective Altruism community, Zak holds a BA in business management from Cedarville
University, and joined GFI after several years of experience in sales and working with
startups. (Lansing, MI) @ZakWeston

LARISSA ZIMBEROFF is a writer covering the intersection of food and technology. She is a
frequent contributor to Bloomberg/Businessweek, and has written for the New York Times,
Wall Street Journal, Time magazine and more. She is currently writing a book about future
foods that will be out Fall 2020 from Abrams Press. (New York, NY) @LZimberoff

                 2020 Global Plant-Forward Biographies | Updated June 5, 2020 | Page 16 of 16
                         © 2020 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved.