Simon Kim
Simon Kim is the proprietor of Gracious Hospitality Management, the brand behind the Michelin-starred COTE Korean Steakhouse in Manhattan’s Flatiron district, COTE Miami, and bespoke cocktail lounge Undercote, with exciting new projects in the pipeline. Born in Seoul, Kim began his hospitality career at MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, while studying Hotel […]
Ming Tsai
Ming Tsai is the James Beard Award-winning chef-owner of Blue Dragon in Massachusetts and his latest venture BABA at the Yellowstone Club in Big Sky, Montana. An Emmy Award-winner, Ming hosts PBS-TV’s Simply Ming, now in its seventeenth season. Ming is the author of five cookbooks: Blue Ginger: East Meets West Cooking with Ming Tsai, […]
Ben & Emily Huh
Ben Huh is a South Korean-American internet entrepreneur and the former CEO of The Cheezburger Network, which at its peak in 2010 received 375 million views a month across its 50 sites. Huh was born in Seoul, South Korea and grew up in Rancho Cordova, California, attending Cordova High School there. In 1999, Huh graduated […]
Padma Lakshmi
Padma Lakshmi is an Emmy-nominated producer, television host, food expert, and a New York Times best-selling author. She is the creator, host, and executive producer of the critically acclaimed Hulu series Taste the Nation, currently in production for its second season. Taste the Nation is the recipient of a 2021 Critics Choice Real TV Award […]
Anita Lo
Anita Lo is a French trained chef and cookbook author (Cooking Without Borders and SoLo, a Modern Cookbook for a Party of One which won Eater’s Cookbook of the Year and was nominated for an IACP award) based in New York City. She is best known for her work at annisa, a contemporary American fine […]
Karen Wong
Karen Wong was the Deputy Director of the New Museum, a mid-size museum renowned for its entrepreneurial platforms and mission: new art and new ideas. She co-founded the initiatives IDEAS CITY (2010), a residency and conference exploring the future of cities with the belief that art and culture are essential to our metropolises, and NEW […]
David Chang
David Chang is the chef and founder of Momofuku, which includes restaurants in New York City, Washington DC, Sydney, Toronto, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles, a casual chicken concept (Fuku), and a bakery (Milk Bar) established by award-winning pastry chef Christina Tosi with multiple locations. Since opening Noodle Bar in 2004, David has been honored […]
Phillip Lim
Phillip Lim was born in Thailand, in 1973 to Chinese immigrants (his father from Hunan, his mother from Canton) who then fled to Southern California to escape Cambodia’s civil war, where his mother found work as a seamstress and his father became a professional poker player. While his mother has clearly had an early influence […]
Kam Mak
Kam Mak was born in Hong Kong. His family moved to the United States in 1971 and settled in New York City. His interest in painting was awakened through involvement with City Art Workshop, an organization that enables inner-city youths to explore the arts. Kam continued to pursue his interest in painting while attending the […]
Michelle Lee
Michelle Lee is a global marketing and content executive and the former VP of Global Editorial & Publishing at Netflix, where she led global social media, digital and print content marketing, and podcasts. She was named an Adcolor Legend in 2021 for her work over the years in diversity and inclusion. Prior to Netflix, she […]
Nathaniel Ru
Nathaniel Ru is the Co-founder and Chief Brand Officer of sweetgreen, leading the brand and their award-winning creative team. He oversees a team of thinkers and marketers who use creativity and storytelling to help redefine what the fast-food industry will look like in the years to come. He has been named as one of the […]
Shan-Lyn Ma
Shan-Lyn Ma is CEO and Co-Founder of Zola, the wedding company reinventing the wedding planning and registry experience by combining compassionate customer service with modern tools and technology. Zola launched in 2013 and quickly became the country’s fastest growing wedding registry. Today, the company carries over 500 brands—from registry staples to up-and-coming designers—and over 300,000 […]
Gregory Yep
Dr. Gregory Yep assumed the role of Executive Vice President and Chief Technical and Research Officer at CJ Cheiljedang in September 2023, propelling the global leader in Asian and American foods, nutrition, and biotechnology into an unprecedented era of pioneering innovation. At the helm of the company’s global research and development strategy, Dr. Yep is […]
John C. Jay
The first child of Chinese immigrants living in Columbus, Ohio, John C Jay has been called a living legend and a creative mastermind. He has changed how brands immerse themselves in the culture of their communities, and his work has influenced design standards for a generation. His first break came in 1980 in the menswear […]
Humberto Leon & Carol Lim
Carol Lim and Humberto Leon are the co-founders of Opening Ceremony, a retail destination and cult fashion brand founded in 2002, and were the co-creative directors of French fashion house KENZO from 2011 to 2019. Lim and Leon met during their studies at University of California, Berkeley, where Lim graduated with a B.A. in Economics, […]
Jason Wang
Xi’an native Jason Wang grew up in New York City and attended college with plans to pursue a corporate career. When his father, a veteran of Chinese kitchens, opened the first Xi’an Famous Foods in 2005 to sell dishes based on family recipes, Jason saw the potential of the business and was eager to help […]