Chef Hourie Sahakian quickly made a name for herself by becoming an Eater Young Gun in 2013, as well as one of ZAGAT’s “30 Under 30.” She recently moved on from Short Cake Bakery where she got her start, to join La Brea Bakery as their Culinary Innovations Manager.

Chef Tom Van Lente is the executive chef and co-owner of the esteemed Two restaurant in Chicago.

Chef Sandy Gendel is the owner and head chef at the Los Angeles restaurant, Pace ("peace" in Italian), where he presents the best of rustic Italian cuisine with local and organic ingredients.

Chef Kelly Boyer is the founder and executive chef of Paleta, the wildly popular farm-to-table meal delivery service committed to providing locally sourced and humanely raised ingredients. Thriving since its inception, Paleta now makes and distributes cold-pressed juices, cleanses, and snacks. Chef Kelly is a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu and received a Master’s degree from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management.

Chef Wilfredo Avelar is the sous chef at Emeril's Delmonicos in New Orleans where he brings bold tastes and revived tradition to the residents of New Orleans through expertly crafted Cajun and Creole meals.

Chef Christy Vega is the executive chef at Casa Vega. In 2010, San Fernando’s Business Journal named Christy one of the ‘Top 40 under 40’ business professionals. She has appeared in segments on the Rachael Ray Show, NBC’s Today Show, CBS’s This Morning and on Bravo’s Flipping Out.

Gregory Gourdet is the executive chef at Portland’s modern Asian rooftop restaurant and lounge, Departure. At Departure, he is known for his ingredient-driven Asian cuisine, as well as offering gluten-free, vegan, and paleo menus along with the nightly dinner menu. Chef Gregory proved to be a tough competitor as runner-up on season 12 of Top Chef. He was named 2012’s Hottest Chef in Portland by Eater and in 2013 he was named Chef of the Year by the Oregon Department of Agriculture.

Chef Roy Choi is the executive chef and co-owner of Kogi Truck, A-Frame, Sunny Spot, and Pot, all in Los Angeles. Chef Roy is regarded as the godfather of the food truck movement. His masterful fusion of Mexican-Korean flavors has reshaped Los Angelenos’ expectations for Korean BBQ.

Jared Levy is the executive chef at Eveleigh in Los Angeles. He helped open Eveleigh in 2010 as executive sous chef and has been an integral part of developing the restaurant’s market-driven, local menu. Eveleigh has been called “understated and chic” by Eater LA and honored by Angeleno Magazine with a Restaurant Award for “Best Atmosphere.”

Daniel Oseas is the chef at Broder Café’s Clinton street location. Broder Café specializes in Scandinavian cuisine.

Chef Ralph Scamardella is a chef and partner of the venerable Tao Group, which operates some of the highest grossing, most profitable restaurant venues in the country.

Teri Lyn Fisher and Jenny Park are the bloggers behind the wildly popular Spoon Fork Bacon. The blog combines Teri Lyn’s photography skills with Jenny’s culinary expertise. In 2013, Spoon Fork Bacon was nominated for Saveur’s Best Food Blog. Teri and Jenny are also co-authors of cookbooks Tiny Food Party! and Cocktails for the Four Seasons.