Kitty Keller’s personal mission involves finding small suppliers around the world and working directly with them to bring products to market in a way that honors their artisanal craft. Keller has been a gourmet food importer for almost 10 years, sourcing products that push food ...

Sara Kuris’ love of animals has been a guiding factor throughout her life. She has served on the board of the Gulf Coast Humane Society, contributed to numerous causes supporting local and national rescue groups, fostered several dogs in her home and continues to work ...

Craig Lieberman developed an interest in the specialty food import business while attending the University of Sydney in Australia. In 2003, he launched an Australian food import business in Denver, for which he was named a Gourmet News “Top 40 Under 40” and awarded a ...

Over the years, the Mayne family has transformed Dorothy Lane Markets from a fruit stand in Dayton, OH, to three well-known specialty supermarkets which continue to be locally owned and operated. Calvin Mayne began working at Dorothy Lane Market at age 12, wrapping head lettuce, ...

Matt Montford’s career in the industry began in the early 1990’s. Since then he has had experience in transportation, safety, warehouse operations, warehouse design, purchasing and maintenance. This diverse background of skills proved instrumental to Montford as he built the Transportation Department fleet at States ...

With a famous line of hot sauces dubbed “the hottest culinary experience known to man” by The New York Times, Dave Hirschkop is recognized by many as being instrumental in the creation of the hot sauce category. His visionary attitude and ability to push the ...

During his 30 years with KeHe, Jack Porter has helped KeHe Distributors grow from being a regional distributor to one of the country’s leading distributors of specialty and natural foods.

Paul Pruett is the Chief Executive Officer of PRAIM Group, a Boston-based chocolate licensing and distribution company specializing in food and confection related brands. Before working at PRAIM, Pruett was the COO of ZonePerfect Nutrition Company and was instrumental in helping the company grow from ...

After nearly 20 years leading and working in professional kitchens throughout Atlanta, New York, San Diego and Los Angeles, High Road Ice Cream Founder and CEO Keith Schroeder took his culinary prowess to the laboratory where he crafts exquisite ice creams, gelatos and sorbets.

Over the past nine years, Steve Schwartz has been a driving force behind the development and innovation of exciting new concepts in the world of tea. Known by many authoritative figures in the tea industry as a Master Tea Blender, Schwartz is responsible not only ...

Kasondra Shippen runs a family-owned-and-operated bakery out of Bellingham, WA that takes pride in producing great-tasting, nutritious and gluten-free products.

Eileen Spitalny is co-founder and president of Fairytale Brownies, Inc., a company she and her childhood friend, David Kravetz, founded in 1992. Every batch of brownies is certified Kosher and baked by hand using a 50-year-old family recipe.

Karen Swisher established Sierra Madre Food Development Company in 1993. Her extensive background in food science and development has consistently kept her on the cutting edge of the industry. From fat free, low fat and high fiber products to low carb, organic and all-natural foods, ...

Arnulfo Ventura is a leading entrepreneur and innovator in the beverage industry who serves as the CEO of Coba, the first line of ready-to-drink all-natural aguas frescas. Coba products are made without artificial ingredients and are sweetened with organic agave.

Former Senior Vice President of Marketing and Merchandising for The Fresh Market, Inc., Marius Andersen founded Creative Snacks Co. in 2009. Subsequent to the company’s start-up, Andersen arranged a meeting between himself and Church World Service (CWS), a non-profit organization that provides assistance to refugees ...

A former Peace Corp volunteer, non-profit and development specialist, Brett Beach has committed his life to implementing environmental solutions and empowering the economically disenfranchised people of Madagascar. Inspired by his time spent with the Malagasy people, Beach co-founded what is today Madecasse, one of the ...

Marc Fintz has nearly 20 years of experience in business, franchise and compliance consulting. He joined All Natural Products in August 2011 as the Director of Business Development. He has since helped All Natural Products expand and increase customer satisfaction with his diverse skill set ...

Drew Harrington was among the first to catch on to the Greek yogurt product trend in the U.S. Drawing from his personal passion for a healthy and active lifestyle, Harrington and his business partner Amanda Klane developed the world’s first-ever line of frozen Greek yogurt ...

MyCause Water was founded in April 2011 by the father-and-son team of Michael J. Fitzgerald, Sr. and Michael J. Fitzgerald II. An experienced entrepreneur, Fitzgerald, Sr. acts as CFO of MyCause, which sells premium bottled water with a social conscience.

Maha Freij works tirelessly and passionately selling her line of products for Les Trois Petit Cochons, embodying the spirit of entrepreneurship and the specialty food trade. Called a “jewel in the industry” by a business acquaintance, Freij has played an integral role in the success ...

HINT Inc. was launched in 2005 by Kara Goldin to challenge the notion that drinks have to contain sweeteners or chemicals to be appealing. A refreshing, healthy, no-sugar beverage alternative flavored only with natural fruit essence, HINT has made it easier for consumers to lead ...

In 1990, Bill Fuch’s bought Wagshal’s, a small family deli in Washington, DC. Since then, he has transformed the company into a community-oriented D.C. landmark, garnering local and national recognition for its uncompromisingly high level of service and quality.

Mark Denman was hired as the Sales & Marketing Director at RiceSelect in 1985. At that time, sales were under $200,000 and were centered on bulk or exporting with almost no consumer retail distribution. With the help of Denman, sales of RiceSelect brands were near ...

n 1973, Steve Herrell opened Steve’s Ice Cream near Boston, where he pioneered the renaissance of homemade, fresh, gourmet ice cream. He was the first person to grind candy bars and other name brand confections and mix them into his product, introducing flavors such as ...

Pete Booker joined Smithfield Foods in 2001, bringing nearly 30 years of food industry and foodservice management to the team. Today he acts as Vice President and General Manager of the Gourmet Products Division of Smithfield Foods, commanding a product offering of more than 200 ...

Karen Caplan co-owns Frieda’s, Inc., a specialty produce distribution and marketing company, with her sister, Jackie Caplan Wiggins. A well-respected leader in the fresh produce industry, Caplan was both the first female Chairperson of the United Fresh Produce Association and the first female president of ...

David Gremmels is the President of Rogue Creamery, an artisanal cheesemaking company that produces some of the finest blue cheeses in the world. The company prides itself on its environmentally sustainable business practices, utilizing organic certified raw milk that adheres to the standards created by ...

Joel Warady has been the voice of the allergy-friendly consumer for the past nine years and currently acts as the Chief Sales & Marketing Officer for Enjoy Life Foods, a leading brand in the gluten-free marketplace. The Enjoy Life brand produces foods that are all ...

Trained in his home country of Austria, European chef and hotelier Valentin Humer is the force behind Food & Vine Inc. and the American grapeseed oil industry. For the past 15 years, Humer has championed grapeseed oil, a versatile and ecologically sound product that is ...

Saul Sola’s work with Osborne USA has helped to bridge artisan know-how from the past with the food industry of the present and future. Sola and the team at Osborne believe that by working with like-minded individuals in the U.S., time-honored traditions can be preserved ...

Doug Renfro’s efforts have led Renfro Foods to become a leader in the salsa industry. He is a visionary in the condiment business, helping Renfro Foods grow from its initial success with Chow Chow and mild, medium and hot salsas to 30 products under the ...

Martijn Bos is President and CEO of Boska Holland, a company that boasts the widest variety of cheese cutting equipment in the world. Driven by his commitment to provide cheese lovers near and far with the very best cheese tools, Bos has expanded Boska to ...