Chrissi Kelly is inspired by her personal journey of recovery from smell loss. She lost her sense of smell following a virus in 2012, and went on to found the UK registered charity AbScent in 2019. She continues her work through the ckos Network.

Sophia Rea is a steward of chocolate, historian, and former chef to entertainers and celebrities.

Formally trained in Grasse, Berlin, and New York City as a Perfumer, Ugo now calls Brooklyn home where he is part of immersive electronic duo Cosmic Gardens, with a soldout show at National Sawdust, Williamsburg in June 2023. Ugo joined the New York MANE creative team in 2020.

Hannah Cupples was born in New Bedford, MA but has lived and worked primarily in Colorado. Her personal cooking styles draw heavily on her family's French and Polish backgrounds, as well as her experiences working in a variety of different professional environments, which include Mediterranean and Northern Indian cuisines.

Maxime Belfand's journey began in a Parisian suburb, leading him to London at 20. After a stint in a French restaurant's kitchen, Maxime found his passion in bartending. From Ronnie Scott's jazz club in London to Saxon + Parole in NYC, he honed his skills under luminaries. As Avroko's corporate bar director, he globalized bar programs. The pandemic shifted his path, and he embraced a trade advocacy role with Bacardi in NYC. Maxime, a self-professed "cocktail nerd," believes crafting cocktails involves both taste and visual allure, inspired by his global adventures. His journey is a testament to unyielding commitment and curiosity.

Derek Brown is an author, NASM-certified wellness coach, and founder of Positive Damage, Inc., a company dedicated to creating a culture of mindful drinking and making room for everyone at the bar with delicious no- and low-alcohol drinks.

Previously, Brown owned Spirited Awards 2017 “Best American Cocktail Bar” Columbia Room in Washington, D.C., and was one of the nation’s top bartenders, named “Bartender of the Year” by Imbibe magazine in 2015. He was also Chief Spirits Advisor to the National Archives Foundation from 2015-2020.

Hannalee graduated with a Patisserie Diploma. While at Le Cordon Bleu, she won the gold medal for Ontario and later for all of Canada.

From Porto's in Los Angeles to Bouchon Bakery in Yountville, California, Hannalee was part of the team that made the bread for The French Laundry and Thomas Keller's other Yountville restaurants.

In 2018, Hannalee opened One House Bakery in Benicia, CA. “We make everything from scratch in-house, including milling our own whole-grain flour, laminating pastries, and butchering meats. We employ 55 people now, 80% being women!”

Jameeale Arzeno is the founder of CHICpeas, a culinary-themed family entertainment company. In 1993, this Bronx native answered her first culinary calling. She left the security of a municipal job with the City of New York to better feed her soul through the tempestuous world of food and hospitality management. She recognized the power of food—not only to nourish bodies, but also to define and empower families and communities.

Dara Yu is an LA-based Chinese American chef. Her career started in the MasterChef Junior kitchen at age 12 where she placed as runner-up in season one. Following her run on MasterChef Junior, she worked in restaurants, food media, and culinary education. She graduated from The Culinary Institute of America, with a high honors degree in Baking and Pastry Arts. Most recently, she was crowned the youngest champion of season 12 of MasterChef “Back to Win”. She finds inspiration from her early childhood food memories, cooking with her Chinese New Zealander grandmother, international trips to places like Italy and Japan, and her love for California’s diverse food culture.

Nazli Parvizi's work and passion often resides at the intersection of government, food & hospitality, and the arts. As President of MOFAD, Nazli joins a team of incredibly dedicated culinary historians, chefs, writers, food and museum professionals joined together under the mission of using food as a lens to explore and learn more about the world we live in.

At the venerable Commander’s Palace in New Orleans, there is no such thing as a head sommelier. Dan Davis, the man who oversees the impressive 2,600-bottle list, is instead simply known as the “Wine Guy”—a moniker that embodies the restaurant’s philosophy of making sure guests enjoy every aspect of their dining experience without intimidation.

Chef Rich Rosendale is known for his culinary expertise, remarkable achievements, and groundbreaking contributions to the culinary world. Rosendale is recognized as a leading authority on sous vide cooking. He has mastered this precision cooking technique and has been instrumental in promoting its benefits and applications within the culinary industry. Chef Rosendale's name is synonymous with culinary competitions. He has competed at the highest level, including representing the United States at the prestigious Bocuse d'Or, where he served as the U.S. Culinary Team Captain and helped guide the team to their first gold medal win. As the Chief Vision Officer of the Rosendale Collective, Chef Rosendale shares his extensive knowledge and expertise through culinary workshops, consulting services, and customized training programs. He helps aspiring chefs and culinary professionals elevate their skills and achieve excellence.

Kyle Connaughton is a chef, culinary educator, and cookbook author. He and his wife Katina Connaughton opened SingleThread Farm-Restaurant-Inn in Healdsburg, California in 2016. The restaurant received a perfect 4 stars from The San Francisco Chronicle in March 2017 and a James Beard Foundation Restaurant Design Award in May 2017. It was awarded Two Stars in the 2018 Michelin Red Guide, one of only a few restaurants to earn the rating in its first year. The restaurant then received Three Michelin Stars just a year later in the 2019 Red Guide. 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 Worlds 50 Best Restaurants and in 2021 was ranked “#37 Best Restaurant in the World”. In 2020 SingleThread was awarded Forbes Five Stars and AAA Five Diamonds.

Frauke Galia is a smell coach, aromatherapist, podcaster and founder of The Smell Gym, the place to exercise your sense of smell. After spending over 20 years in and around the fragrance industry, her current aim is to get people to use their sense of smell more purposefully and to harness it for health and wellbeing.

Olivia Jezler is a design strategist and smell expert who consults on the Future of Smell, merging research and olfactory-based technologies to develop human-relevant products and experiences. She has consulted for global clients and worked at global fragrance and flavor companies, at Brazilian multinational Natura & Co, and in academia at SCHI Lab at the University of Sussex and Parsons School of Design.

Danielle Fleming is the founder, CEO and olfactive "nose" behind Noteology a Boutique Perfumery and Custom Studio with its flagship location in the heart of downtown Scranton, PA. She is also the CEO of Olfactif a niche fragrance subscription box service and discovery platform.

Alyssa Heidt, the Beverage Creative Director at Four Seasons Hotels, draws inspiration from her extensive global travels to craft imaginative beverages that weave their compelling narratives. With a passion for hospitality that knows no bounds, Alyssa's creative journey has taken her to renowned establishments worldwide, where she has honed her craft and developed a deep understanding of cocktail culture.