Glenn Roberts, founder Anson Mills

David Shields, Ph.D., Chair Slow Food USA, Ark of Taste, Chairman, Carolina Gold Rice Foundation

Leni Sorensen, Ph.D., Culinary Historian

Moderator: Dame Nancie McDermott, writer,

teacher, author, editor

The Southern food panorama is examined from the

complex role of enslaved cooks in the creation of the Southern table and the enduring cultural power. That power persists today and will continue into the future thanks to the shared belief in matriarchy and the passing of food culture hand-to-hand through generations.

Here the edible South is explored in all its complexity, interconnectivity, and allegiance of black and white Southerners.

Inspiring stories of Dames who are using Green Tables principles to maximize their philanthropic work and making an impact on communities far and wide.

A Roundtable on Women, Food, and the Media

Sara Moulton, Chef, Television Personality, and Author

Dame Jody Adams, Chef, Rialto Restaurant + Bar and Trade

Dame Lydia Shire, Chef, Scampo, Towne Stove and Spirits

Dame Tanya Holland, Chef, Brown Sugar Kitchen

Dame Lisa Ekus, Principal and Owner, The Lisa Ekus Group

Laurie Donnelly, Executive Producer, WGBH-TV Boston

Dame Marlo Fogelman, Principal, Marlo Marketing and Communications

An LDEI First! A classic New England-style town meeting on the interplay between the media and public perception of women in the food world. How can we help elevate the profile of the women responsible for the food we grow, cook, buy, and eat? An open conversation on how we change the media paradigm.

Where Do We Go From Here:

Exit Strategies and Reinvention

Dame Trish Karter, Co-Founder and Former Owner, Dancing Deer Baking Company

Dame Mary-Catherine Deibel and Deborah Hughes, Former Owners of UpStairs on the Square

How do you make a successful shift from your primary career to a second or third act? Panelists Mary-Catherine and Deborah will discuss their experiences as co-owners of UpStairs on the Square, which closed in 2013, after 31 years in business. Trish, co-founder and former owner of a national baking company with a strong social mission, will discuss the challenges she faced when she needed to move on, and the particular issues women professionals face in career strategies.

Where Do We Go From Here?

Growing Your Brand

Dame Mary Ann Esposito, Ciao Italia

Dame Ilene Bezahler, Publisher/Editor, Edible Boston

Dame Simone Williamson, President and Chief Executive Officer, Be Our Guest

How do you take a successful personal or professional brand and make it soar? During this conversation and workshop, three imaginative and well-versed professionals will present their personal stories of how they took their brands from good to great! There will be ample time for questions from the floor to help you put their experience into your personal plan.