Meet the Fall 2026 Chef Bootcamp Participants

This September, 16 chefs dedicated to advocacy, sustainability, and food system change will gather at Glynwood Center for Regional Food and Farming in Cold Spring, New York for the James Beard Foundation’s 31st Chef Bootcamp for Policy and Change®. For over 14 years, this program has trained and inspired culinary leaders from across the country to mobilize in support of policy decisions that impact our industry and food system. Read on to meet our fall 2026 Chef Bootcamp cohort!

James Beard Award Nominee®
Angel Barreto
Anju
Springfield, VA

Stephen Browning
No Comply Foods
Sheffield, MA

Robert Butts
Auburn Angel, Argile, Station 11
Atlanta, GA

James Beard Award Nominee®
Mary Ellen Diaz
Alma Bea, First Slice
Shepherdstown, WV

Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership Alum
Iris Veronica Jimenez
La Casita Pupuseria
Silver Spring, MD

Aki Kamozawa
Curiosity Doughnuts, Ideas in Food
Doylestown, PA

Blake Larson
Turner Farm
Cincinatti, OH

Sarah McClure
Southside Smokehouse
Landrum, SC

Christina Mckeough
High Street Hospitality
Philadelphia, PA

James Beard Award Winner®
Taylor Montgomery
Montgomery Sky Farm
Leicester, NC

Matthew Ostheimer
SRV
Boston, MA

James Beard Award Nominee®
Gabe Padilla
Café Piro
Socorro, TX

James Beard Award Semifinalist®
Matthew Raiford
Jupiter’s Harvest at Gillard Farms
Brunswick, GA

Iris Rozinsky
IR Catering Services
Queens, NY

James Beard Award Semifinalist®
Alan Sternberg
Bluebeard Indy
Indianapolis, IN

James Beard Award Semifinalist®
Jeffrey Workman
Green Dirt on Oak
Kansas City, KS