Michael Mina, CIA alumni, celebrity chef, restauranteur, Mina Restaurant Group.

CIA NETWORK—INSIDER ACCESS

Join our active community of change-makers and leaders, including the CIA’s network of over 50,000 graduates—the food world’s most important alumni network. From test kitchens, labs and funding resources, to potential board members, partners and prospective investors—find and build the relationships you need to accelerate your future.

Cross-disciplinary Faculty

Our faculty is comprised of accomplished food industry practitioners, skilled teachers and dynamic professors from the world’s leading business schools who are passionate and knowledgeable about food.

World-Class Industry Leaders

Our network of remarkable leaders is accomplishing great things together. Connect with the people and partners you need to meet.

Personalized Mentorship

The 1:1 Mentor Network connects enrolled master’s students to top leaders in the food industry, including successful entrepreneurs, executives at Fortune 500 companies, venture capitalists, award-winning chefs and more. See our full list of mentors and learn more about the platform here.

Peer-Mentors

Current School of Graduate Studies master’s students have access to peer-mentor graduates who can provide insights and mentorship based on their own personal experience going through the program.

PROFESSIONAL FACULTY

Our faculty are among the foremost doers, makers, entrepreneurs and innovators from the worlds of education, business, design and technology. They share a passion for craft and mastery, but also for surprise and experimentation.

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GUEST INNOVATORS

  • Anne McBride, CIA faculty, Sustainable Food Systems Master's degree program.

    Dr. Anne E. McBride

    Vice President of Programs at the James Beard Foundation.

  • Don Buder

    Don Buder

    Partner at Davis Wright Tremaine LLP.

  • Cathy Jörin, CIA faculty

    Cathy Jörin

    Orientation and Cohort Formation

  • Dr. Scott Alves Barton

    Dr. Scott Alves Barton

  • Diane Mina, Guest Innovator at the CIA's Food Business School

    Diane Mina

    Founder and Creator of Diane’s Bloody Mary Mixers.

  • Amy Klein, Guest Innovator at the CIA's Food Business School

    Amy Klein

    VP Product Innovation of SpoonfulOne.

  • David Lee, Guest Innovator at the CIA's Food Business School

    David Lee

    COO and CFO, Impossible Foods

  • Ron Tanner, Guest Innovator at the CIA's Food Business School

    Ron Tanner

    Vice President of Philanthropy, Government & Industry Relations for the Specialty Food Association, owner of the Fancy Food Shows®, and the publisher of Specialty Food Magazine.

  • Colleen McClellan, CIA FBS Guest Innovator, and Director of Client Solutions for Datassential.

    Colleen McClellan

    Director of Client Solutions for Datassential.

  • Zak Weston, Guest Innovator at the CIA's Food Business School

    Zak Weston

    Foodservice & Supply Chain Manager at The Good Food Institute (GFI).

  • Rocco Cardinale, Guest Innovator at the CIA's Food Business School

    Rocco Cardinale

    VP of Marketing at Franklin Foods (U.S. Subsidiary, Hochland SE of Germany).

  • Lisa Curtis, Guest Innovator at the CIA's Food Business School.

    Lisa Curtis

    Founder and CEO of Kuli Kuli.

  • Kara Nielsen, Guest Innovator at the CIA's Food Business School

    Kara Nielsen

    Vice President of Trends & Marketing at CCD Innovation.

  • Steve Howard, Guest Innovator at the CIA's Food Business School

    Steve Howard

    Founder and CEO of Appanite, Inc..

  • Eve Turow-Paul, Guest Innovator at the CIA's Food Business School

    Eve Turow-Paul

    Author, Founder and Executive Director, Food For Climate League

  • Kara Goldin, Guest Innovator at the CIA's Food Business School

    Kara Goldin

    Chief Executive Officer and Founder, hint, Inc.

  • Gary Hirshberg, Guest Innovator at the CIA's Food Business School

    Gary Hirshberg

    Chairman, Stonyfield Farm and Managing Director, Stonyfield Europe; Chairman and Founding Partner, “Just Label It!"

  • Rusty Schwartz, Guest Innovator at the CIA's Food Business School

    Rusty Schwartz

    Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Kitchentown

  • Sophie Egan, Guest Innovator at the CIA's Food Business School

    Sophie Egan

    Author and founder of Full Table Solutions, a catalyst for food systems transformation

  • Laurie Demeritt, Guest Innovator at the CIA's Food Business School

    Laurie Demeritt

    Chief Executive Officer, The Hartman Group

  • Jon Sebastiani, Guest Innovator at the CIA's Food Business School

    Jon Sebastiani

    Founder of Sonoma Brands and KRAVE Pure Foods

  • Steve Case, Guest Innovator at the CIA's Food Business School and co-founder, America Online

    Steve Case

    Co-Founder, America Online; Chairman and CEO, Revolution LLC; and Chairman, The Case Foundation

  • Karen Frank, Guest Innovator at the CIA's Food Business School

    Karen Frank

    Partner, Coblentz Patch Duffy & Bass LLP

  • Naomi Starkman, CIA FBS guest innovator, founder and Editor-in-Chief, Civil Eats

    Naomi Starkman

    Founder and Editor-in-Chief, Civil Eats

  • Susan Mac Cormac, guest innovator at the Food Business School at Culinary Institute of America.

    Susan Mac Cormac

    Partner, Morrison Foerster; Co-chair, Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG), Social Enterprise + Impact Investing, and Energy practices

  • Karen Trilevsky, guest innovator at the CIA Food Business School.

    Karen Trilevsky

    Founder, FullBloom Baking Company; Board Member, Smart Cookie Scholarship Fund and Food, Family and Farming

  • Cleveland Justis, Guest Innovator at the CIA's Food Business School

    Cleveland Justis

    Executive Director, UC Davis Child Family Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship; Principal, Potrero Group

  • Sangita Forth, Guest Innovator at the CIA's Food Business School

    Sangita Forth

    Start Up Advisor; Former Chief Marketing Officer, Pendulum Therapeutics; Former Chief Marketing Officer, Pique Tea

  • Lisa Mosconi, Guest Innovator at the CIA's Food Business School

    Lisa Mosconi

    Associate Professor, Department of Neurology and Radiology, Weill Cornell Medicine/NY-Presbyterian Hospital

  • Megan Mokri, Guest Innovator at the CIA's Food Business School

    Megan Mokri

    Founder and CEO, Byte

  • Nikki Silvestri, CIA FBS Guest Innovator and founder and CEO of Soil and Shadow, LLC.

    Nikki Silvestri

    Founder and CEO, Soil and Shadow, LLC

  • Kirsten Tobey, Guest Innovator at the CIA's Food Business School

    Kirsten Tobey

    Founder and Chief Impact Officer, Revolution Foods

  • Sheryl O'Loughlin, Guest Innovator at the CIA's Food Business School

    Sheryl O’Loughlin

    CEO, REBBL; Author, Killing It! An Entrepreneur’s Guide to Keeping Your Head Without Losing Your Heart

  • Elizabeth Glenewinkel, Guest Innovator at the CIA's Food Business School

    Elizabeth Glenewinkel

    Associate Partner, gravitytank; Experience Designer; Creative Educator

  • Kevin Brown, Guest Innovator at the CIA's Food Business School

    Kevin Brown

    CEO and Co-founder of Innit Inc; accomplished tech sector entrepreneur and executive

  • Dondeena Bradley, Guest Innovator at the CIA's Food Business School

    Dondeena Bradley

    Health and Well-being Expert; Global Head of Innovation at Weight Watchers; former VP of Nutrition Ventures at PepsiCo

  • Sam Kass, Senior Food Analyst, NBC News and CIA guest innovator.

    Sam Kass

    Senior Food Analyst, NBC News; Chief Consumer Experience Officer, Innit; and Former Executive Director of Let’s Move!

  • Kristin Groos Richmond, Guest Innovator at the CIA's Food Business School

    Kristin Groos Richmond

    CEO and Co-Founder, Revolution Foods

  • Steven Goldstein, faculty at the CIA's Food Business School

    Steven Goldstein

    Brand Innovation and Change Leader

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ADVISORY COUNCIL

Our Advisory Council is made up of some of the industry’s most accomplished entrepreneurs and innovators, sector experts, and pioneering academics.

  • Anne McBride, CIA faculty, Sustainable Food Systems Master's degree program.

    Dr. Anne E. McBride

    Vice President of Programs at the James Beard Foundation.

  • Don Buder

    Don Buder

    Partner at Davis Wright Tremaine LLP.

  • Mark Erickson, Provost, The Culinary Institute of America.

    Mark Erickson

    Restaurant Internship Experience

  • Sam Kass, Senior Food Analyst, NBC News and CIA guest innovator.

    Sam Kass

    Senior Food Analyst, NBC News; Chief Consumer Experience Officer, Innit; and Former Executive Director of Let’s Move!

  • Kristin Groos Richmond, Guest Innovator at the CIA's Food Business School

    Kristin Groos Richmond

    CEO and Co-Founder, Revolution Foods

  • Laura Tyson, Professor and Director U.C. Berkeley-Haas and CIA guest innovator.

    Laura Tyson

    Professor and Director, Institute for Business and Social Impact, U.C. Berkeley-Haas; Chairman, Blum Center for Developing Economies

  • Shally Shanker, Founder and Managing Partner, AiiM Partners and CIA guest innovator.

    Shally Shanker

    Founder and Managing Partner, AiiM Partners

  • Glenn Carroll

    Glenn Carroll

    Professor of Organizations and Senior Associate Dean, Stanford Graduate School of Business

  • Ryan Shadrick Wilson, Partnership for a Healthier America and CIA guest innovator.

    Ryan Shadrick Wilson

    Chief Strategy Officer and General Counsel, Partnership for a Healthier America

  • Robyn Rutledge, The Food Business School Advisory Council Co-Chair.

    Robyn Rutledge

    FBS Advisory Council Co-Chair; Founder & CEO, SBG Consulting

  • Michael Kaufman, Partner, Astor Group and CIA guest innovator.

    Michael Kaufman

    Partner, Astor Group

  • Jon Luther, Advisory Council, The Food Business School of the CIA.

    Jon Luther

    Chairman of the Board, The Culinary Institute of America; Former Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board, Dunkin' Brands

  • Ed Colloton, Advisory Council, The Food Business School of the CIA.

    Ed Colloton

    Managing Partner, Bessemer Venture Partners; Former COO, JP Morgan Capital

  • Charles R. Palmer, renowned Master Chef and entrepreneur and CIA guest innovator.

    Charlie Palmer

    Renowned Master Chef and Entrepreneur; CEO, The Charlie Palmer Group

  • Heidi Neck, Advisory Council, The Food Business School of the CIA.

    Heidi Neck

    Professor and Chairman, Entrepreneurial Studies, Babson College; Faculty Director, Babson’s Symposia for Entrepreneurship Educators; Co-Founder, VentureBlocks

  • Ellen Marram, Advisory Council, The Food Business School of the CIA.

    Ellen Marram

    Former CEO, Tropicana; President, Barnegat Group; Operating Advisor, North Castle & Physic Ventures

  • Charles Merinoff, Advisory Council, The Food Business School of the CIA.

    Charles Merinoff

    Co-Chairman, Breakthru Beverage Group; Trustee, The Culinary Institute of America

  • Bob Muh, Advisory Council, The Food Business School of the CIA.

    Robert A. Muh

    Former CEO and Co-Founder, Sutter Securities Inc.; FBS Advisory Council ; Co-Chair; ; Chairman of the Board, The Culinary Institute of America

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ALUMNI

Graduate alumni at CIA bring with them diverse backgrounds, unique perspectives, and personal experiences from all walks of life.



Megan McQuinn ’22

Megan McQuinn ’22

Strategy Manager, Starbucks



Michael Hornback ’21

Michael Hornback ’21

Corporate Executive Chef, Custom Culinary



Jennifer Weiss ’23

Jennifer Weiss ’23

Restaurant and Hospitality Consultant, Sommelier



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