Chef Nicholas Gillespie, a New England Culinary Institute graduate, worked in top Boston, Nantucket, and Portland, OR restaurants. In 2017, he founded Dune Brothers, a sustainable, fisheries-focused restaurant. Now with multiple locations, it showcases underutilized seafood. In 2023, he won Star Chef’s “Best Concept – Coastal New England” award.
Chef Wilfredo Guerrero discovered his passion for cooking in his mother’s kitchen in El Salvador. Wilfredo’s drive led him to Saloniki Greek Restaurant, where he impressed with his leadership and commitment to high standards. Mentored by Chef Jody Adams, he advanced from prep cook to head chef, eventually overseeing food quality and control.
Chef Hamil, trained at The Culinary Institute of America, has earned accolades, including the Master Chef Award and a Food & Wine feature. As Executive Chef at Madison Beach Hotel, he curates innovative menus, emphasizing New England seafood and farm-to-table sourcing. His leadership elevates The Wharf, making it a premier dining destination.
Sam Hart (they/them) is a storyteller, activist, chef, and restaurateur. Hart’s singular, fully subversive dining experience located in Charlotte, NC, Counter-, features boundary pushing storytelling and cuisine. Hart is a 2023 James Beard Awards Finalist for Best Chef: Southeast.
Alavee Hassan, a chef passionate about uniting people through food, serves as the Executive Chef at Trade, Jody Adams’ Greek-inspired restaurant in Boston. With a diverse culinary background, Alavee blends various cuisines, respecting traditions while modernizing Greek dishes, making Trade the best Mediterranean restaurants in Boston.
Matt Hoyle, a Newcastle College graduate, trained in modern British restaurants before joining Nobu London in 1998. Singled out by Nobu Matsuhisa, he became Head Chef for Nobu projects in Mykonos and St. Moritz. In 2005, he opened Nobu Fifty Seven in New York and now serves as Regional Executive Chef for multiple locations.
Meherwan Irani is the Co-Founder, Chef, and CEO of Chai Pani Restaurant Group, changing perceptions of Indian food in America. Named a Game Changer by Food & Wine and one of Time Magazine’s 31 People Changing the South. Molly Irani, Co-Founder and Chief Hospitality Officer, leads CPRG’s culture, management, and hospitality.
Stephanie Izard, a James Beard Award winner and Iron Chef, is Executive Chef/Partner of Girl & the Goat, Little Goat, Duck Duck Goat, Cabra, Girl & the Goat LA, and Valley Goat. The first woman to win Top Chef, she has earned national acclaim, multiple restaurant openings, and two cookbooks, Girl in the Kitchen and Gather & Graze.
Chef Dan Jacobs, co-owner of Milwaukee’s EsterEv and DanDan, is a 5x James Beard Best Chef Midwest Semi-Finalist and 2024 nominee. He advocated for the $28.6B Restaurant Revitalization Fund, supports the IRC, Main Street Alliance, World Central Kitchen, and No Kid Hungry, and was runner-up on Season 21 of Top Chef.
JJ Johnson, a James Beard Award-winning chef, hosts Just Eats with Chef JJ on CLEO TV and authored The Simple Art of Rice, a NYT Best Cookbook of 2023. He founded FIELDTRIP, a rice-bowl shop with multiple locations. A food justice advocate, he collaborates with Rethink Food, Harlem Grown, and Friends of the Children.