Chef Dominique Ansel is the Chef/Owner of the celebrated Dominique Ansel Bakery, which opened in New York City’s Soho neighborhood in November of 2011, and Dominique Ansel Kitchen, his new made-to-order bakery that launched in the West Village in April 2015. Chef Dominique opened his first shop outside of the U.S. in June 2015 with Dominique Ansel Bakery Japan in Tokyo’s Omotesando neighborhood, and then in July 2015, he launched U.P. (short for “Unlimited Possibilities”), his after-hours tasting table hidden within the 2nd floor of Dominique Ansel Kitchen. Perhaps what has most widely been reported is the Chef’s creation of the Cronut®, a croissant and doughnut hybrid that TIME magazine named one of the “Best Inventions of 2013.” In 2014, Chef Dominique was awarded the James Beard Award for “Outstanding Pastry Chef” in the nation, and in June 2015, he was bestowed the prestigious Ordre du Mérite Agricole award, one of the highest honors in France, for his dedicated to promotion French cuisine and culture.

J. Kenji López-Alt is the Managing Culinary Director of Serious Eats, a columnist for Cooking Light, and author of the James Beard Award-winning, New York Times Best-Seller, The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science—which was named the International Association of Culinary Professional's Book of the Year for 2015. A Northeast native, Kenji cut his cooking chops the old-fashioned way by working his way up through the ranks of some of Boston's finest restaurants. With an education in science and engineering and as a former Senior Editor at Cook's Illustrated and America's Test Kitchen, Kenji is fascinated by the ways in which understanding the science of every day cooking can help improve even simple foods.

Mario Batali, one of the most recognized and respected chefs in America today, is a co-host of ABC Daytime’s lifestyle series The Chew. Batali counts 26 restaurants, nine cookbooks, numerous television shows and the 50,000-square foot Eataly marketplace in NYC among his ever-expanding empire of deliciousness. 

Drummer, DJ, producer, culinary entrepreneur, New York Times best-selling author, and member of The Roots - Questlove, is the unmistakable heartbeat of Philadelphia’s most influential hip-hop group. He is the Musical Director for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, where his beloved Roots crew serves as house band. 

Chef / Owner of 610 Magnolia, MilkWood in Louisville and Culinary Director of Succotash in National Harbor. Author of Smoke & Pickles, Host of Mind of a Chef Season 3. Collaborator of Jefferson's Reserve Chef's Collaboration Blend Whiskey.  

With partners Mario Batali & Joe Bastianich, Nancy Silverton is the co-owner of Pizzeria and Osteria Mozza in LA, Newport Beach and Singapore, as well as Mozza2Go and Chi Spacca in LA. Silverton also founded the world-renowned La Brea Bakery. In 2014, she received the highest honor given by the James Beard Foundation for “Outstanding Chef” as well as listed as one of the Most Innovative Women in Food and Drink by Fortune and Food and Wine Magazine. Additionally, she is the author of 8 cookbooks including “The Mozza Cookbook”, and will release “Mozza at Home” in fall of this year. 

Christina Tosi is an award-winning chef, founder and owner of Milk Bar, called “one of the most exciting bakeries in the country” by Bon Appétit magazine, with multiple locations in New York, one in Toronto and most recently one in Washington, D.C. near Christina’s hometown. Christina founded the dessert programs at Momofuku and went on to build a culinary empire of her own from the ground up. She opened Milk Bar’s doors in 2008 and since then, hundreds of people flock to her stores daily to try one of her genius creations, including cereal milk™ ice cream, compost cookies® and crack pie®. Christina is the recipient of two James Beard awards, including Outstanding Pastry Chef, author of two acclaimed cookbooks, Momofuku Milk Bar and Milk Bar Life, and a judge on the hit cooking competition series MasterChef and MasterChef Junior on FOX. Learn more at www.milkbarstore.com.
 

As one of Boston's most notable chefs and restaurateurs, Chef Ken Oringer's interest in restaurants began as a child in New Jersey. In 1997, Ken opened Clio, the early success of Clio earned Ken a James Beard Award nomination for Best Chef Northeast four years in a row, ultimately being honored with Best Chef Northeast in 2001. From that point forward, Ken has opened Uni, Toro, Coppa, Toro NYC, with Toro Bangkok, and Little Donkey Cambridge coming soon.

Chef Michael White is the Chef/Owner of the Altamarea Group. Chef White is a multiple Michelin & New York Times starred chef, as well as the James Beard Award Winner - Best New Restaurant 2010 for Marea. His newest French restaurant Vaucluse is now open on the Upper East Side.