Tyler Florence
Thirty-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”. GFTR will be airing its 19th successful season on the Food Network during its summer lineup 2026.
Tyler’s reach and influence extends well beyond his cooking shows, as he has authored 17 cookbooks, including his latest book, American Grill (Abrams), and built an ever-expanding business empire across many platforms.
He is 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.
In June 2024, San Francisco Magazine bestowed upon Tyler the coveted title of “Chef of the Year.”
His highly acclaimed San Francisco restaurant, Miller & Lux, located in the Chase Arena, home of the Golden Gate Warriors was named Best Steakhouse in the Bay Area by San Francisco Magazine 3 years running. The restaurant was recently named #4 on the list of 50 Best Steak Restaurants in No. America and named #25 Best Steak House in the World by Upper Cut Media House headquartered in London, UK.
In 2023, Tyler opened his second, hugely popular, award winning outpost of Miller & Lux in Hawaii, at the Four Seasons resort, which Honolulu Magazine named the Gold Winner for Best Hawaii Island Steakhouse and Bronze Winner for Best Steak. The Honolulu Star-named Miller & Lux Hualalai as the Best Neighbor Island Restaurant.
In 2017, Tyler created a full-stack production company, Monarch Collective, Inc. His debut film Uncrushable, a documentary about the Northern California wildfires, was the catalyst for the company; since then, he has produced content for television and digital media, and created advertising/marketing videos for a variety of well-known clients including The Venetian Resort, Red Bull, The Four Seasons, and The Food Network/Discovery.
His insatiable quest for what’s current and interesting in the food and lifestyle space has always positioned him at the forefront of new trends, gaining him a large and engaged social media following, that extends above the 1M mark. He calls Corte Madera, California home, where he lives in an 1890’s-era Bernard Maybeck home with his wife and children.
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.
Andrew Zimmern
Andrew Zimmern has built a career on curiosity and the belief that food tells the world’s most important stories. A cultural anthropologist, Emmy-winning creator, executive producer, and host of several acclaimed shows including Bizarre Foods, The Zimmern List, What’s Eating America, Family Dinner, and Wild Game Kitchen, he’s spent decades exploring how food can bridge social divides and foster change.
Through his extensive travels, Zimmern has become one of television’s most trusted voices on global food systems. His work has earned him four James Beard Awards and established him as a leading advocate for cultural understanding through food storytelling. Beyond television, Zimmern is the founder of Intuitive Content, named a top 100 production company by Realscreen, and Passport Hospitality, a restaurant and food service development company. He’s authored five books, including the Ippy Gold Medal-winning AZ and the Lost City of Ophir and The Blue Food Cookbook, co authored with Barton Seaver in collaboration with Fed by Blue, a complementary publication to the Emmy and James Beard-nominated documentary series Hope in the Water.
Zimmern’s focus extends far beyond entertainment. As a Global Goodwill Ambassador for the UN World Food Programme and The Nature Conservancy, he leverages his platform to fight hunger and promote sustainability. He serves on numerous boards including Autism Speaks, AltaSea, Services for the UnderServed, Giving Kitchen, EXPLR Media and SoignĂ© Hospitality. He is a founding member of the Coalition for Sustainable Aquaculture and the Independent Restaurant Coalition.
