Maneet Chauhan
Maneet Chauhan is an award-winning chef, author, television personality and founding partner and president of Morph Hospitality Group in Nashville, Tennessee. She is a recipient of the 2012 James Beard Foundation Broadcast Media Award for her role as a permanent judge on Food Network’s “Chopped.” In addition to judging roles on Food Network, Maneet also competes at the highest level and most recently won Guy Fieri’s Tournament of Champions II, where she was able to donate winnings of $40,000 to help different restaurants survive the pandemic.
Born in Punjab, India, chef Chauhan worked in some of the country’s finest hotels before moving to the U.S. to study at the Culinary Institute of America. She went on to work as executive chef in some of New York City and Chicago’s top restaurants, which received national acclaim under her leadership. After relocating to Nashville, Tennessee, Chauhan and her husband, Vivek Deora, co-founded Morph Hospitality Group, opening their first restaurant, Chauhan Ale & Masala House in 2014. With the goal of filling gaps in Nashville’s culinary landscape, the group opened Tansuo, a Chinese concept, and The Mockingbird, a global diner, in 2017. Chef Chauhan is also a co-founder of Hop Springs, home to the state’s largest craft brewery and a fun-filled 84 acre beer park located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
Chauhan is the author of two cookbooks, Flavors of My World and her most recent, Chaat: The Best Recipes from the Kitchens, Markets, and Railways of India, which was released in October 2020. Published by Clarkson Potter, the book was inspired by Maneet’s epic cross-country railroad expedition that brought her to local markets, street vendors and the homes of family & friends. Chaat has been recognized as one of Fall 2020’s most anticipated cookbooks and has appeared in the New York Times, Food & Wine, Travel + Leisure, Martha Stewart Living, Saveur, Food Network Magazine, and more. And, received the IACP Cookbook Award in October 2021.
A leader in the Nashville community, Chauhan has been honored as one of the Nashville Business Journal’s “40 under 40”, which highlights young, successful business leaders and was recognized in Nashville Lifestyles’ Women in Business, which showcases local women who are at the top of their respective industries. In March 2020, Chauhan founded Hospitality Strong, a nonprofit benefitting hospitality workers in need and currently serves as an advisory board member for Nashville’s COVID-19 Response Fund, founded to assist individuals, families and nonprofits experiencing financial hardship due to the virus.
When she’s not in the kitchen or traveling, chef Chauhan can be found at home in Franklin, Tennessee, with her husband, Vivek Deora, their daughter, Shagun, and their son, Karma.
Tyler Florence
Twenty-eight-year Food Network veteran Tyler Florence has captivated millions of viewers on numerous hit shows, including Emmy nominated “Tyler’s Ultimate,” and “The Great Food Truck Race,” heading into its 18th season. His 17 cookbooks, American Grill (Abrams) was released in May 2024.
Tyler’s full-stack production company, Monarch Collective, Inc., produces projects for television and film, plus digital content and advertising videos for a variety of well-known clients including The Venetian Resort, Red Bull, The Four Seasons and The Food Network/Discovery to name a few.
A proud graduate of Johnson & Wales University ’94, ‘04 Hon, and a two- time James Beard Award nominee for Best Chef West Coast, Tyler launched his award-winning flagship restaurant, Wayfare Tavern, over a decade ago. Under his restaurant group, The Greater Organization, Tyler operates several other highly acclaimed spots. Miller & Lux, recently named Best Steakhouse, Bay Area by San Francisco Magazine, is located in the Chase Arena, home of the Golden State Warriors. In addition, Tyler Florence was also named “2024 San Francisco Chef Of The Year” by San Francisco Magazine. In December 2023 he opened the second outpost of Miller & Lux in Hawaii, at the Four Seasons Hualalai resort.
Kwame Onwuachi
Kwame Onwuachi is a James Beard Award-winning chef, and author of the critically acclaimed cookbook “My America” and memoir “Notes from a Young Black Chef,” which is being turned into a feature film by A24. Kwame has been named one of Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs, Esquire Magazine’s 2019 Chef of the Year, and is a 30 Under 30 honoree by both Zagat and Forbes. He’s also been featured on Time’s 100 Next List and has been named the most important Chef in America by the San Francisco Chronicle.
Kwame appeared as a judge on season 18 of Top Chef in April 2021. He first appeared as a contestant on the show in season 13. He also was the host of the 2021 and 2022 James Beard Awards in Chicago.
Kwame currently serves as Food & Wine’s executive producer. In this newly appointed role, Kwame will collaborate on big brand moments and events, including the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, as well as the creator of “The Family Reunion: Presented by Kwame Onwuachi,” an annual multi-day event taking place in Middleburg, Virginia that celebrates diversity in the hospitality community.
His restaurant concept Tatiana, opened at the Lincoln Center in November 2022. Since its opening, it has had numerous top accolades, including “The #1 Restaurant in New York City,” by the New York Times, “The One to Watch” by World’s 50 Best Restaurants, and La Liste’s “World's Best Restaurants List.” In the summer of 2024, he will partner with the Salamander DC hotel, to open his newest restaurant concept, Dōgon.
Melissa King
Chef Melissa King is an award-winning chef, author, television personality, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. Her debut cookbook, Cook Like a King: Recipes from My California Chinese Kitchen, was released on September 9, 2025. She is the host of Tasting Wild, the National Geographic docuseries on Hulu, and has served as a judge on Top Chef, The Julia Child Challenge on Food Network, and other top culinary competitions. A Top Chef All Stars champion, Melissa holds the record for the most challenge wins in the show’s history. She is the founder of King Sauce and a dedicated advocate for LGBTQ+ and Asian communities. Known for her modern Californian cuisine infused with Asian flavors, Melissa continues to push culinary boundaries while championing diversity and representation in the food industry.
Gail Simmons
Gail Simmons is a trained culinary expert, food writer, and dynamic television personality. Since the show’s inception in 2006, she has lent her extensive expertise as a permanent judge on Bravo’s Emmy-winning series Top Chef. Now entering it’s 22nd season (set in Canada), Top Chef is rated the #1 food show on cable television. She was most recently co-host of The Good Dish, and was formerly host of Top Chef Amateurs, as well as Iron Chef Canada. From 2004 to 2019, Gail served as special projects director at FOOD & WINE. Gail’s first cookbook, Bringing It Home: Favorite Recipes from a Life of Adventurous Eating, was released by Grand Central Publishing in October 2017. Her first book, a memoir titled Talking With My Mouth Full, was published by Hyperion in February 2012. Gail is the co-founder of Bumble Pie, Productions and sits on the board of several nonprofit organizations including Children in Conflict, City Harvest and Hot Bread Kitchen. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband Jeremy and their two children, Dahlia and Kole.
Claudette Zepeda
Claudette Zepeda is an award-winning, San Diego-based celebrity chef and culinary entrepreneur known for her fearless style and bold approach to regional Mexican cuisine. A celebrated culinary anthropologist, Zepeda draws upon 20+ years of experience working in restaurant kitchens, as well as her extensive travels around the world and throughout Mexico. Zepeda's multi-faceted expertise is showcased in her role overseeing the creative vision as Founder of Chispa Hospitality with projects in Australia and México. VAGA restaurant in San Diego's North County is where she authors a love letter to her hometown with a menu that celebrates local flavors and immigrant influences. Seen on 2022 Netflix’s edition of Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend, winning her challenge & on Iron Chef México where she successfully won her challenge and tied in the finale. Also in the fall of 2022, she showcased her talents by beating Bobby Flay’s Titans on Bobby’s Triple Threat and winning the cash prize.
In 2019 Zepeda Founded Viva La Vida, LLC. Through Viva La Vida, Zepeda helps Mexican women support their families without sacrificing their safety. Expanding into a 501c3 in 2024 is to establish a fund dedicated to helping Hispanic women break from generational poverty in the United States.
Chris Shepherd
Midwest-raised, James Beard Award-winning Chef Chris Shepherd has helped change the landscape of the Houston culinary scene since opening Underbelly in 2012. He built the restaurant to support the Houston food community and its suppliers by buying local and drawing inspiration from the people and cultures that live in the city. Thanks to Chris’ vision and passion, Underbelly was a James Beard Award semifinalist for Best New Restaurant, was named one of the best new restaurants in the country by Bon Appetit and Esquire and was named one of 38 essential restaurants in America by Eater. Chris was named one of the 10 Best New Chefs in America by Food & Wine in 2013 and was then awarded the 2014 James Beard Award for Best Chef: Southwest.
Chris was a semifinalist for the James Beard Award for Outstanding Chef in 2019 and was named Robb Report‘s Chef of the Year the same year. Chris’ first cookbook, Cook Like a Local: Flavors that Will Change the Way You Cook—and See the World, was published by Clarkson Potter in September 2019 and was nominated for a 2020 James Beard Foundation Book Award. In 2023, Chris launched a TV show Eat Like a Local on Houston’s KPRC-TV, where he tells the stories of Houston’s rich and diverse food and beverage scene. He also hosts an onstage conversation series, Table to Stage, with the biggest names in food and beverage.
Chris began his fine dining career at Brennan’s of Houston, where he spent seven years in the kitchen and then ran the wine program for two. He left Brennan’s in 2006 to open Catalan Food & Wine, which was named one of Esquire’s Best New Restaurants in America that same year.
Chris’ foundation Southern Smoke has distributed more than $11 million directly to people in the food and beverage industry in crisis via the Emergency Relief Fund and provides free mental health counseling to F+B workers.
Carrie Morey
Carrie Morey founded her handmade biscuit business in 2005 with the goal of making the tender, buttery, made-by-hand biscuits of her mother accessible across the country. Now two decades later, Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit is widely recognized as an iconic Southern brand with national retail and e-commerce exposure, grab-and-go eateries, a catering division in Charleston, 24 SFA sofi™ awards, and a cult-like following. Carrie is the author of cookbooks: Callie’s Biscuits and Southern Traditions and Hot Little Suppers and stars in the culinary docu-series, How She Rolls, about biscuits, business, and balance in her life as an entrepreneur. She resides in Charleston, SC with her husband and three daughters.
Andrew Zimmern
Andrew Zimmern is an Emmy-winning and four-time James Beard Award-winning TV personality, chef, writer and passionate global citizen. As the creator, executive producer and host of the Bizarre Foods franchise, Andrew Zimmern’s Driven by Food, What’s Eating America, Emmy-nominated Family Dinner, Wild Game Kitchen, Field to Fire and the Emmy-winning The Zimmern List, he has devoted his life to exploring and promoting cultural acceptance, tolerance and understanding through food. He has written four books, including the Ippy Gold Medal award-winning AZ and the Lost City of Ophir. Andrew is the founder and chairman of Intuitive Content, named one of the top 100 production companies in the world by Realscreen, and Passport Hospitality, a restaurant and food service development company. He is passionate about his philanthropic endeavors and sits on the boards of Services for the UnderServed, EXPLR Media, Soigne Hospitality, Giving Kitchen, Beans is How and The Great Northern. He is on the advisory boards of Procure Impact and the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project, and serves on City Harvest’s Food Council. Andrew is a Global Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations World Food Programme and The Nature Conservancy, and is the International Rescue Committee’s Voice for Nutrition. He is a founding member of the Coalition for Sustainable Aquaculture and the Independent Restaurant Coalition.