MoC Conference Speakers — Menus of Change

Meet the 2026 Menus of Change Leadership Summit presenters below.

The Menus of Change conference brings together an exceptional lineup of speakers who are chefs, nutrition researchers, sustainability leaders, foodservice executives, entrepreneurs, food system innovators and more. Representing organizations across academia, healthcare, hospitality, technology, agriculture, and public policy, these conference speakers are helping shape the future of healthy, sustainable, and delicious food.

See What Our Presenters Are Saying

Alex Askew '89 Chef and Food Systems Leader, President, BCAGlobal

Michiel Bakker President, Culinary Institute of America

Christa Barfield James Beard Award Recipient and Agriculture Advocate, Founder and CEO, FarmerJawn Agriculture

Matthew Beaudin '05 Chef and Global Sustainability Advocate, Seafood Watch Blue Ribbon Task Force

Gesina Beckert Nonprofit Leader, Director of Programs, BITE-Building Impact Through Eaters

Lilla Bernal ’99, CMB Associate Professor Baking and Pastry, Culinary Institute of America

Danielle Bock School Food Leader and Advocate, Director of Nutrition Services, Greenly-Evans Weld County School District 6

Caitlin Bolin ’10, CCS Lecturing Instructor, Culinary Institute of America

Leah Botko, SNS School Food Leader and Advocate, Director of Food and Nutrition, Old Orchard Beach School District

Catherine Brown Regional Local Food Coordinator, Western & Midcoast Maine Maine Department of Education, Child Nutrition

Terri Brownlee, MPH, RD, LDN Sustainable Food Systems and Culinary Nutrition Leader, Vice President Food Education + Wellness, Bon Appetit Management Company

Brandi-Renee Burgess ’13 Assistant Professor, Culinary Institute of America

Sara Burnett Sustainability and Supply Chain Expert, Executive Director, ReFED

Jennifer Bushman James Beard Award Nominee and Ocean Sustainability Leader, Executive Director, Fed by Blue

Gerhard Bussen '01 Chef and Hospitality Expert, Director of Culinary Services; Sodexo Live!

Rene van Camp Global Hospitality and Foodservice Executive, Chief Hospitality Officer and Principal, ISS/Guckenheimer

Nika CarlsonOwner, Orchardist, and Cidermaker, Greenpoint Cidery

Rebecca Chesney Food Anthropologist and Innovation Leader, Vice President of Sustainability, Guckenheimer

Marisa Christenson '06Food, Beverage, and Hospitality Expert, Associate Vice President, Food & Beverage Operations and Development, Holland America and Seabourn

Jeff Clark Sustainability and Nutrition Expert, Director, Business Engagement; National Restaurant Association

Jen Clarke Senior Director, School of Graduate Studies; Culinary Institute of America

Joaquin Cariaso '22 Chef, Semi-finalist Next Gen Chef, Sous Chef, Manhatta

Valentina Córdoba, MS, MA Research and Community Manager, Culinary Institute of America

Linda Cornish, MBA Aquatic and Bluefoods Nutrition Expert, Founder and President, Seafood Nutrition Partnership

Jennifer Cox Chef and Culinary Strategist, Senior Vice President of Culinary, Levy

Sandy Curwood Healthy Kids Collaborative Project Manager, Culinary Institute of America

Tim Dale Balanced Protein Expert, Category Innovation Director, Food System Innovations

Sushanta Das Food and Beverage Focused AI Behavioral Scientist, Founder and CEO, Retail Labs

Raymond Dawson Assistant Professor, Culinary Institute of America

Christie Dufault Professor, Wine and Beverage; Culinary Institute of America

Lilani Dunn Seafood Marketing Expert, Executive Director, Bristol Bay Sockeye Salmon

Abby Fammartino, MBA, MSFS Director of Health and Sustainability Programs and Research, Culinary Institute of America

Lisa Feldman '91 Chef, Culinary Systems Expert, Senior Director of Culinary, Menu Systems & CSR; Sodexo

Craig Fontenot Food Allergy Awareness Leader, Chief of Staff and Mission Integration, FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education)

Michael Fraino Supervising Chef, Managed Services; Restaurant Associates

Lizzy Freier Researcher and Analyst, Senior Director of Menu Research and Insights, Technomic

Teresa Fung, ScD, RD Adjunct Professor of Nutrition, Ruby Winslow Linn Professor of Nutrition; Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Simmons University

Christopher Gardner, PhD Nationally Recognized Nutrition Scientist, Director, Nutrition Studies Research Group; Stanford University

Sam Garwin Sustainable Supply Chain Expert, Director of Market Development, GreenWave

Christopher Gergen Systems Solutions Expert, CEO, Regenerative Organic Alliance

Lynne Gigliotti '88 Associate Professor of Culinary Arts, Culinary Institute of America

Maria Godoy Health and Science Journalist, Senior Editor, Health Correspondent; National Public Radio

Brandon Gottsacker Aquaculture Expert, Chief Executive Officer, Super Fresh LLC

Jean-Xavier Guinard, PhD Food Science and Technology Expert, Professor of Sensory Science; University of California, Davis

Steve Gundrum Food and Beverage Industry Innovation Expert, Chief AI Officer, Mattson

Chavanne Hanson, MPH, RD Food Experience, Nutrition, and Health Leader, Food Choice Architecture and Nutrition Lead, Google

Thomas Harter, PhD Nora S. Gustavsson Endowed Professorship for Groundwater Resources in Agriculture, University of California Davis

Jill Houk Chef, Consultant, and Author, Research and Development Chef, Culinary Culture

Kimberly Kae Huntington Grower & Cidermaker, Metal House Cider

Robert E. Jones ’20, MA, MS Vice President-Strategic Partnerships, Industry Leadership, and Impact; Culinary Institute of America

Nira Johri Supply Chain and Sustainability Expert, Forber Chief Sustainability Officer, KFC (Yum! Brands)

Matthew Lange PhD Food System Innovator, CEO and Chief Science Officer, International Center for Food Ontology Operability Data and Semantics (IC-FOODS)

Dorian Lazzara Sustainability and Wellness Intern, Gourmet Dining, Marist University

Mike Lee Author, Consultant, Innovator, Principal Futurist, The Future Market and Mise

Ryan Luttrell '99, MS, CHEP Assistant Professor, Culinary Institute of America

Christopher Marshall Entrepreneur, Consultant, and Thought Leader, Founder, Sans Bar

Julia Mason Climate-Resilient Fisheries and Food Systems Expert, Senior Social-Ecological Systems Scientist, Environmental Defense Fund

Andrew Mayne Food Innovation and Culinary Strategy Leader, Senior Associate Director of Culinary Strategies, Stanford University

Renee McKeon Sustainability and Responsibility Expert, VP of Sustainability, Corporate Services; Sodexo

Pablo J. Mendez, MBA, WSET Chef and Menu Development Expert, Regional Chef, Areas USA

Thorsten MerkleInnovator and Airport F&B Expert, Professor and Head, Expert Group for Hospitality & Service Management, Zurich University of Applied Sciences

Amanda Mikels '25, MPS CEO & Founder, Summer's Bounty 365, LLC

Colin MilnerLongevity, Health, and Well-Being Expert, CEO, International Council on Active Aging (ICAA) and founder of the active-aging industry in North America

Sammy Monsour '03/'20Award-Winning Chef, Author, Educator, & Activist, Chef Lead & Founding Member, Coalition for Sustainable Aquaculture

Maggie Moon, MS, RD Brain Health Nutrition Expert, MIND Diet Meals

Anaiya Naroola Food Science Student, UC Davis

Josh Niland Award-Winning Chef and Blue Foods Expert, Chef/Owner, Saint Peter

Matthew Ona '01 Lecturing Instructor, Culinary Institute of America

Thad Parton Senior Living Dining and Foodservice Expert, Assistant Vice President, Food & Beverage; Mather

Laura Pensiero Chef, Registered Dietitian, and Restaurateur, Chef/Owner, Gigi Trattoria

Ken Paul First Nations and Indigenous Peoples Advocate, Principle and Owner, Pokiok Associates

Spencer Plaut '04 Large-scale Workplace Food Programs Expert, Head of Global Food, Open AI

Tiffany Poe '02, CEC, CHE, MGT Chef, Educator, Entrepreneur, and Innovation Strategist, Principal Consultant and CEO, Tiffany Poe Consulting

Mary Purdy, MS, RDN Adjunct Faculty, Culinary Institute of America; Managing Director, Nutrient Density Alliance

Robin Puskas Product Development and Commercialization Expert, Head of Culinary; CCD Innovation

Jason Potanovich ’96, CHE, CHBP Associate Dean, Restaurant Education and High-Volume Production; Culinary Institute of America

Taylor Reid, PhD Professor, Applied Food Studies; Culinary Institute of America

Jennifer Roberts MS, RDN Nutrition, Food Safety, Allergen Management, and Wellbeing Strategist, VP, Nutrition, Wellbeing and Safety Strategy; Compass Group

Mavis-Jay Sanders '12 James Beard Award-Winning Chef and Activist, Chef, A Sanders Thing

Barton Seaver '01 Chef, Author, Sustainable Seafood Expert, Leader, Seafood that Matters

Natalie Shmulik Leading Food and Beverage Innovation Strategist and Trendologist, Head of Innovation, CCD Innovation

Andrew Smith, PhD Organic Farming Expert, Chief Scientific Officer, Rodale Institute

Baker Smith Foodservice Technology Leader, SVP, CIO, Aramark

John Stoddard, MS Sustainability in Health Care Foodservice Leader, Associate Director of Climate and Food Solutions, Health Care Without Harm

Jessica Student Marketing and Impact Strategist, Senior Marketing Lead, Edacious

Janani Venkataramanan '21 Student, NYU

Sandy Todd Webster '24, MPS Journalist, Educator, and Consultant; International Council on Active Aging

Andrew Wilkinson '83 Chef and Seafood, Sustainability, and Real Food Expert, Chef of Culinary R&D and Training, North Coast Seafoods

Walter Willett, MD, DrPH Leading Expert of Health and Nutrition, Professor of Epidemiology and Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Rachel Wyman '05, MBA, CMB Lecturing Instructor, Baking and Pastry Arts, Culinary Institute of America

Paul Yang Leader of Sustainability in Quick Service Restaurants, Global Head of Sustainability, Restaurant Brands International

Mikaela Yee Undergraduate Student in Food Science University of California, Davis

Helene York Adjunct Faculty in the Master’s in Sustainable Food Systems program, and Research Fellow; Culinary Institute of America

The most influential minds in food service will be here. Will you?

From blue foods innovations to AI in the kitchen, the next chapter of food culture is being written June 2–4. Spaces are limited—register today to ensure your organization has a seat at the table.

Presenters

Meet the 2026 Menus of Change Leadership Summit presenters below.

The most influential minds in food service will be here. Will you?

June 2-4, 2026 | Hyde Park, NY