The Ultimate Dish

Farmer Lee Jones is a speaker, farming expert, and part of the founding family of "The Chef’s Garden" — a farm that uses innovative technology and traditional farming techniques to deliver high quality produce to some of the world’s leading chefs.

Farmer Lee places a big emphasis on following the natural rhythm of Mother Nature and the ability to look at nutrition on a seasonal basis.

He has appeared on ABC World News and as a judge on the Food Network’s Iron Chef America, Restaurant: Impossible. His many awards include The James Beard Foundation’s “Who’s Who in Food & Beverage" and being named as one of The Daily Meal’s “60 Coolest People in Food” for several years in a row.

Listen as we chat with Farmer Lee about sustainable farming techniques, genetically-modified produce, working with high-level chefs, and his life as a farmer.

John Bogosian is a serial entrepreneur and former CEO of Zingfit, a software platform designed to help boutique fitness studios manage their business. 

John’s past entrepreneurial ventures include online retail software, in-store organic grocery, digital marketing consulting, content management software, and a Wall Street food delivery service. He takes a creative customer-based approach to launch every new business, in lieu of a traditional planning process.

In his spare time, he is also an educator, musician, avid cook, and hockey player.

Listen as we chat with John Bogosian about food entrepreneurship, education tech, pursuing your passion, health & wellness, and bringing a business idea to life.

Chef Kimberly Brock Brown is the President of the American Culinary Federation (ACF), the largest professional chefs' organization in North America. Chef Kimberly is also the first African-American woman elected to the board of the ACF and has contributed to the culinary industry for over 40 years. 

Chef Kimberly also actively participates as a culinary arts educator, speaker, and mentor. She appears as a regular guest chef on Charleston’s “Low Country Live” program and is the author of “Here I Am!: Chef Kimberly's Answer to the Question 'Where Are the Female and Minority Chefs?'” She is also a contributor to several other books, including “Real Women, Real Leaders: Surviving and Succeeding in the Business World” and “Toques in Black: A Celebration of Black Chefs”. 

Listen as we chat with Chef Kimberly about leading a large organization, mentorship, fostering diversity, and the future of the culinary industry.

Jesper Jonsson is a Chef Instructor at Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts in Boulder, CO, and a 37-year industry veteran.

Jesper moved to the south of France from Denmark at the age of 12, where he received his formal culinary education and training. He has worked as a private chef in numerous countries including France, Denmark, Switzerland, Italy, and the United States - and even served as chef of the Danish ambassador in Rome.

Jesper is a recipient of the Disciple d’Escoffier award and a board member of the American Culinary Federation.

Listen as we chat with Jesper about European food culture, being a private chef, life as a chef instructor, and the value of culinary education.

Chef Charles Carroll is an award winning-author, eight-time Culinary Olympian, speaker, producer, and Executive Chef of River Oaks Country Club in Houston, Texas.

Charles has traveled the world mentoring and speaking to chefs, students, and culinary professionals. He has received over ninety national and international awards, including chapter Chef of the Year in 1988, 2005 and the American Culinary Federation President’s Medallion four times.

In 2011 and 2013, Charles organized Operation Honoring Our Troops. With 21 celebrities and a support team, he raised $450,000, produced 8 shows and fed 8,000 troops a home-cooked meal in the middle of a war zone in Afghanistan. He later received the Honorable Order of Saint Martin Award from the US Army for his support of the soldiers based in the Middle East.

Listen as we chat with Chef Charles about mentorship, managing a country club kitchen, service, and the current state of the culinary industry.

Chef Curtis Duffy is the Executive Chef and owner of Ever, his latest two-Michelin star restaurant in Chicago. 

Chef Curtis has built several world-renowned restaurants. His previous restaurant, “Avenues at The Peninsula Hotel Chicago”, earned two Michelin stars, and “Grace” received two Michelin stars in its first year and three Michelin stars the next four years in a row. 

He won the James Beard Foundation’s Best Chef, Great Lakes Award in 2016, as well as numerous accolades including the Forbes Travel Guide’s Five-Star rating and AAA’s Five-Diamond rating. At Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts, a $25,000 scholarship in Chef Curtis's name is awarded.

Listen as we chat with Chef Curtis about his philosophy on cooking, running a Michelin star restaurant, charity, and his journey to the top of the culinary industry.

Chef Austin Yancey is the CEO and Founder of Elite Personal Chefs, a platform where high-level culinary professionals can offer their services to clients. 

Before founding his company, Chef Austin served as a culinary instructor at Le Cordon Bleu, Kendall College, and Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts. He also held a chef role at the world-renowned 3-Michelin-star restaurant Alinea in Chicago. 

Listen as we chat with Chef Austin about working in a Michelin star restaurant, his experience teaching and mentoring young chefs, and the opportunities that exist for culinarians in the private chef world.

Lance McWhorter is the Executive Chef and Owner of Culture ETX restaurant in eastern Texas.

After leaving the military, Lance returned to his love of cooking where he found success as an entrepreneur and competitor. He was a contestant on the Food Network’s Chopped, and more recently the local winner of the prestigious Cochon 555 competition.

Listen as we chat with Lance about adjusting to life after the military, launching a restaurant, winning cooking competitions, and the importance of service.

Tiffany Moore is a U.S. Army Veteran, entrepreneur, and co-owner of the exquisite Event Hall @ Cascade, located in South West Atlanta.

While deployed to Kuwait in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Tiffany suffered an injury downrange that required multiple cervical spine surgeries and rendered her unable to walk for a time. Doctors told her that due to the injury, she would never be able to open a restaurant or work in the culinary industry, since it demands significant physical labor.

However, through sheer grit and determination, Tiffany was able to graduate with honors from Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts in 2019 and win multiple grants to start her very own restaurant, Lola Pecan.

Listen as we chat with Tiffany about starting a restaurant, culinary education, adjusting to civilian life after the military, and how to achieve your goals despite overwhelming setbacks.

Greg Bell is an author, motivational speaker, and founder of Water The Bamboo® Center For Leadership.

He is the author of the books Water The Bamboo: Unleashing The Potential Of Teams And Individuals and What's Going Well? The Question That Changes Everything, which outline his philosophy of patience in the process of growth.

Greg is also a Certified Speaking Professional - the highest earned designation from the National Speakers Association - in addition to being a TEDx Talk alum and an advisory board member for the Portland TEDx conference series.

He has worked with Fortune 500 companies like Nike, Disney, and Comcast, sports teams such as Oregon Ducks Football, Gonzaga Bulldogs Basketball, and the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers, as well as Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts. 

Listen as we chat with Greg about the keys to success in relationships, leadership, and business.