Michael Tusk is the Owner and Executive Chef of Quince, Cotogna, Officina, and Verjus in San Francisco. Quince holds three Michelin stars. Influenced by Italy and Chez Panisse, his refined cooking emphasizes seasonality, technique, and exceptional ingredients. A Culinary Institute of America graduate, Tusk’s restaurants reflect deep relationships with producers and a focus on guest experience.
Natalia Vallejo, a Puerto Rican chef, has worked in renowned kitchens worldwide. She studied oenology, nutrition, and molecular cuisine, researching ancestral food in Chile. In 2019, she opened Cocina al Fondo in Puerto Rico. She won the 2023 James Beard Award for “Best Chef: South,” the first Puerto Rican to achieve this honor.
Florida’s culinary icon, Norman Van Aken is known for introducing the term “Fusion” into the vocabulary of global cuisine. He is the only Floridian Chef recipient of the James Beard Foundation’s “Who’s Who”. He’s been a semifinalist for the “Best Chef in America”, and NORMAN’S was nominated as a finalist for “Best Restaurant in America”.
While attending school, Camilo Velasco joined the team at Orlando’s Award-winning, Victoria and Albert’s at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa. Here he trained under James Beard Award-nominee, Chef Scott Hunnel. He then moved on to NORMAN’S at the Ritz Carlton Grand Lakes to work under the direction of James Beard Award-winning Chef Norman Van Aken.
Before Paola Velez was a culinary diplomat for the United States and a founder of the Bakers Against Racism viral bake sale, she was a chocolatier at Jacques Torres’ Brooklyn chocolate shop. She then moved to Washington, D.C. to work with Christina Tosi at Milk Bar, and has since cooked in some of the city’s most acclaimed kitchens.
Greg Vernick, a Cherry Hill, NJ native, built a standout culinary career after earning degrees from Boston University and the CIA. He rose through Jean-Georges restaurants, opened acclaimed Vernick Food & Drink in 2012, and later launched Vernick Coffee Bar and Vernick Fish. Recognized by the James Beard Foundation, he continues to define American dining with excellence and hospitality.
Frank Vollkommer, Executive Pastry Chef at Under-Study, is a Certified Master Pastry Chef—one of only four to pass the ten-day exam. His career spans baking, pastry, education, food service, and international competitions, where he has earned numerous awards. Vollkommer brings technical precision, creativity, and deep expertise to the team at Under-Study, aligning with its refined culinary vision.
Greg Wade, Managing Partner at Publican Quality Bread, began his career in breads and pastries after graduating from the Illinois Institute of Art’s Culinary Program. In 2014, he joined as head baker, expanding a seedling bakery into a leading wholesale operation. He earned a James Beard Award in 2019 and opened two standalone Publican bakeries.
Alice Waters is a chef, author, and founder of Chez Panisse in Berkeley. A champion of local organic agriculture, she launched the Edible Schoolyard Project in 1995, now in 6,000+ schools. Waters received the National Humanities Medal, Carver Carson Award, No Kid Hungry Humanitarian Award, and Julia Child Award. She is also the author of sixteen books.