Honorary Chair

Danny Meyer, Founder & CEO, Union Square Hospitality Group
Born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, Danny Meyer grew up in a family that relished great food and hospitality. Thanks to his father’s travel business, which designed custom European trips, Danny spent much of his childhood eating, visiting near and far-off places, and sowing the seeds for his future passion. In 1985, at the age of 27, Danny opened his first restaurant, Union Square Cafe, launching what would become a lifelong career in hospitality.
Chef Chairs

Amanda Cohen, Dirt Candy
Amanda Cohen is the chef and owner of Dirt Candy, the award-winning vegetable restaurant on New York City’s Lower East Side. Dirt Candy was the first vegetable-focused restaurant in the city and the leader of the vegetable-forward movement.

Anita Lo, Author of Cooking Without Borders and Solo: 101 Recipes to Cook for Yourself
Anita Lo is an acclaimed chef who worked at Bouley and Chanterelle before opening Michelin-starred Annisa in Greenwich Village in 2000 (it closed in 2017). Food & Wine named her one of ten “Best New Chefs in America,” and the Village Voice proclaimed her “Best New Restaurant Chef.” She has appeared on Top Chef Masters, Iron Chef America, and Chopped and in 2015 became the first female guest chef to cook at the White House. She lives in New York City.
Spirits Chair

Eamon Rockey, Rockey’s
Eamon Rockey is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America where he received his Bachelor’s Degree in Culinary Management. For over ten years, he has worked in service, management and beverage-centric positions at some of New York City’s most highly regarded restaurants including Gilt, Eleven Madison Park, Atera, and Aska. Most recently as the General Manager of Betony, and COO of the North American branch of its parent company Maison-Dellos, Eamon spearheaded the restaurant’s critically acclaimed cocktail program, renowned for its milk punches. As the President and Founder of Rockey’s, Eamon could not be more proud to see this labor of love come to fruition.