To Dine For

Pierre Ferrari – CEO – Heifer International   Pierre Ferrari grew up in the Congo and went to college in England. His life has taken him all over the world. Since 2010 he has been the CEO of the world humanitarian organization Heifer International. He spent most of his years at Coca-Cola USA before deciding in 1995 to focus his energy on social issues. Ferrari is a former chair and board member of...

Christopher Gray – Founder and CEO – Scholly   Christopher Gray earned more than $1.3 million in college scholarships as a high school senior. As the child of a single parent with few resources, Christopher realized that if he was going to go to college he was going to have to find a way to pay for all of it, including living expenses. His journey to win all of those scholarships led him to create...

To celebrate the one year anniversary of To Dine For: The Podcast, Kate sits down with program intern Ellie O'Brien to discuss the show's history, highlights and what's next.   Follow To Dine For: Official Website: ToDineForTV.com Facebook: Facebook.com/ToDineForTV Instagram: @ToDineForTV Twitter: @KateSullivanTV Email: ToDineForTV@gmail.com   Thank You to our Sponsors! American National Insurance...

Erik Weihenmayer – Athlete & Speaker   Location: Sherpa House in Golden, CO   Erik Weihenmayer became the first blind man to ever summit Mount Everest. His achievement put him on the cover of TIME magazine and brought him international acclaim. Turns out that achievement would be just the launching pad for a life of service and commitment to helping thousands of people overcome whatever holds them...

Joan Melendez Misner – Aerospace Engineer   Joan Melendez Misner is a mission integration systems engineer at NASA, working on management of space and aeronautical flight systems for all non-crewed and scientific missions. That's right, she is a rocket scientist. Prior to working for NASA Joan worked for Blue Origin on the new Glenn rocket and Naval Air Systems Command on jet engines, fuel systems...

Ashley Longshore – Artist   Location: Saffron nola in New Orleans, LA   Ashley is a painter and gallery owner from New Orleans, Louisiana.  She has been called a modern-day Andy Warhol with her outlandish and pop-culture art. Her success as an artist has not come easy, and her story is nothing short of inspirational.  Over the decadent flavors of New Orleans, Ashley shares the details of her creat...

Susan McPherson – Founder and CEO – McPherson Strategies   Susan McPherson is a serial connector and communications expert, with a wealth of experience across disciplines including communication strategy and social impact. Her new book The Lost Art of Connecting: The Gather, Ask, Do Method for Building Meaningful Business Relationships , is the perfect book for this moment in time. She talks about...

Ariane Goldman – Founder – Hatch   Ariane Goldman is a serial entrepreneur who is innovating the maternity wear space with her fun, fashion-forward line of clothes and products for the expectant mother. It's called Hatch. Ariane’s story is a fascinating one and a study in taking calculated risks. After working on Wall Street for many years in her twenties, Ariane struck out in a bold direction wit...

Emily Giffin – NYT Best-Selling Author   Location: The Optimist in Atlanta, GA   Emily Giffin did a complete U-turn in her career. When a career as a corporate lawyer left her unsatisfied, she pursued her dream of being a writer. Her ability to write complex, fascinating and flawed characters has landed her on the New York Times best-seller list many times over. She has written not one, but eight...

Howard Schultz – Founder of Starbucks   Location: Mamnoon  in Seattle, WA   There is no more iconic CEO in this country than the man who built the Starbucks brand: Howard Schultz.  The green and white logo is in 75 countries and in 28-thousand stores around the world, but it is the story of how it all started and the lessons learned along the way that is so remarkable.  Howard takes us to his favo...

Melissa Ben-Ishay – Founder of Baked by Melissa   The day Melissa decided to do what she loves, everything changed. Now her New York City-based brand, Baked by Melissa, is famous for its bite-size cupcakes and other delectable desserts. She found success by taking a chance and following her delicious dream. Melissa is the CEO and Chief Product Officer of her multimillion-dollar cupcake empire, but...

Jake Wood – Founder of Team Rubicon   Location: Wando's in Madison, WI   Jake Wood is a former Marine who used his military training to create and lead a non-profit called Team Rubicon. He won the 2018 Pat Tillman award for service at the ESPY awards and has written a book Take Command: Lessons in Leadership: How to be a First Responder in Business . At his absolute favorite spot for burgers and b...

Cardinal Blase Cupich – Archbishop of Chicago  Location: Tavern on Rush in Chicago, IL   Cardinal Blase Cupich is originally from Nebraska, one of nine kids in a Croatian family. His story of becoming a priest and dedicating his life to service is a fascinating one. He was chosen by Pope Francis to lead the Archdiocese of Chicago in 2014, and has served in that role since then. In the past year he...

Norman Lear – Television Producer and Icon   Location: Crossroads in West Hollywood, CA   Norman Lear is a World War II veteran as well as a television producing icon. He is the creator of such legendary sitcoms as All in the Family , Good Times , Sanford and Son , The Jeffersons and many, many more. Norman has been instrumental in the creating and the success of so many Hollywood professionals, y...

Tom Hayes – CEO of Ocean Spray  Location: Cotton in Manchester, New Hampshire   Tom Hayes is the CEO of the iconic American brand Ocean Spray Cranberries. The farmer-owned Cooperative has been around for 90 years. It is most famous for its cranberries and cranberry sauce, however this year the brand has been striking out in many innovative directions, including capturing people's hearts with a now...

Judy Smith – President and CEO – Smith & Company   Judy Smith is one of a kind. She's so good at her job her story inspired one of the most successful TV shows of all time. That's right, she is the real-life Olivia Pope, made famous by actress Kerry Washington on the ABC show Scandal. The fixer who handles hard situations and always figures a way forward. While the show no longer exists, Judy’s wo...

Victoria James – Author and Beverage Director of COTE   Victoria has worked in restaurants since she was a kid, and fell in love with the hospitality industry along the way. At 21 she became the country's youngest certified sommelier and today she's the beverage director at Michelin-starred COTE in New York City. But there’s more to Victoria than her accomplishments as a top tastemaker. Her best-s...

John R. Tyson – Chief Sustainability Officer of Tyson Foods  Location: Herman's Ribhouse in Fayetteville, Arkansas   John R. Tyson, the great-grandson of the founder of Tyson Foods, is currently Tyson's Chief Sustainability Officer. After graduating from Harvard and getting a business degree from Stanford, John is now in a position that allows him to shape social responsibility for a new generatio...

Jessica Alba – Actress & Founder of The Honest Company   Location: Night + Market in West Hollywood, CA   Jessica Alba had already become a successful Hollywood actress when she got the idea to start her own business. She never dreamed it would be so tough to begin. Even though she received many rejections and faced much disbelief in her ability, she persevered. Her eco-conscious personal care and...

Dave Gilboa – Co-Founder & Co-CEO – Warby Parker   When he was a student at Wharton Business School, Dave Gilboa and his friends commiserated over the steep price of eyeglasses. This trivial conversation sparked a revolutionary idea. In 2010 they launched one of the most sought-after brands in retail: Warby Parker. Today Dave is Co-CEO of Warby Parker. Warby Parker offers affordable glasses as wel...

Franklin Leonard – Founder – The Black List   Franklin is the reason that many of your favorite movies were made. He's the founder and CEO of The Black List, the saving grace for countless writers in Hollywood. Even if you aren't familiar with Franklin or his company, you have definitely seen the fruits of his labor. The Black List is a survey of the most liked but unproduced screenplays each year...

Jeni Britton Bauer – Founder – Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams   Jeni is the Founder and Chief Creative Officer of the famous dessert company that kicked off the artisanal ice cream movement. Jeni's ice cream is adored for its ingredient-driven flavorful ice cream with recipes crafted and tweaked to perfection. It’s something that Jeni's been working on for decades, even before she founded Jeni's in 20...

Kevin Kwan – Author   Location: Crustacean in Beverly Hills, CA Born into an incredibly wealthy Singaporean family, Kevin Kwan came to the United States to attend college in Houston. His life took many different creative roads before he was inspired to pen the book "Crazy Rich Asians", based on his family’s life back in Singapore. The New York Times best-selling novel became a cultural phenomenon...

Nate Mook – CEO of World Central Kitchen   A true renaissance man, Nate Mook began his career in the worlds of tech and filmmaking with prestigious NGOs and startups as clients. He has worked with the TED organization, dedicated to giving a voice to underserved communities. Now he continues his charitable efforts as CEO of World Central Kitchen. Founded by chef José Andrés, World Central Kitchen i...

José Andrés – Chef and Philanthropist   Location: Bodega 1900 in Barcelona, Spain   Spanish born chef José Andrés achieved the American dream by creating a restaurant empire that stretches across the country and the globe. Recently, José’s efforts have been focused on philanthropy and outreach. When Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico, José and his team landed and immediately started cooking. In a sho...