Experts

Tasuku Murakami helms the kitchen at Umi, Atlanta’s destination for modern Japanese cuisine. The Michelin-starred chef oversees the menu that unites classic and modern Japanese flavors and has earned Umi accolades from media outlets including The New York Times, Time Out and USA Today. Murakami’s career spans more than 20 years and includes stints in Tokyo, Osaka and Kobe, Japan, as well as Turin, Italy. Murakami came to Umi from New York’s The Lobster Club, a Japanese-style brasserie where he served as executive sushi chef. While in New York, he also was executive sushi chef at the Michelin-starred Tribeca hot spot Sushi Azabu. In Japan, Murakami served as sushi chef at Sushi Kobe in Kobe and Ginza Sushi in Tokyo. In Osaka, he was executive sushi chef and managed nine restaurants for E-ownersfood Inc. and was proprietor for the sushi and Japanese restaurant Dateya, responsible for all areas of the restaurant. Murakami also served as executive chef for Ristorante Tobiko and was sushi chef for Ristorante Arcadia and Tsukiji Sushi Iwa in Turin.

Meet LiaBorn from her vision, Peppertux Farms continues to grow with her approach to clean living and sustainable manufacturing. She has extensive experience across consumer electronics and automotive before finally taking the leap!'Under her supervision, Peppertux launches numerous high quality products and entered top distributors and retailers around the nation! She is the visionary behind the Peppertux brand and product selection and thrives to keep the brand on the forefront of retail innovation.

Lex Evan is the Founder, CEO & Chef of LEXINGTON BAKES.He is focused on building the company into the next great American bakery brand rooted in empowering consumer choice, improving equitability, and inspiring radical change in the food world.Before founding LXB, Lex developed his expertise in design and brand strategy through a 15-year career working in CPG.Spending a decade of his career at Johnson & Johnson, Lex led the design, strategy, and creative direction of iconic global brands, products, and teams for some of the world's most impactful beauty, health and wellness brands.Alongside his career in design, Lex also founded three previous startups, including a digital publication, a design marketplace, an LGBTQ+ activism apparel brand, Alt Pronouns, and a subsequent digital platform, Queerist.He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design from Montclair State University.

From Charleston to Jackson Hole, San Francisco to Santa Barbara, Katherine Knowlton is a classically trained chef, wellness entrepreneur, and founder of Happy Chance—a brand rooted in ingredient integrity and sustainable, better-for-you food. With over 15 years in the culinary world, Katherine has worked as a private chef, recipe developer, and creative force behind intimate events and wellness-forward meals for discerning clientele—including prominent public figures and global tastemakers.Trained at the San Francisco Cooking School, Katherine blends classical technique with a deep passion for functional, nourishing food. As a private chef and sustainable food advocate, she creates elevated dining experiences centered on whole ingredients, seasonal cooking, and thoughtful sourcing. Whether through her clean-label hemp capsules or curated catering menus, Katherine is dedicated to helping people feel their best—through food made with intention and integrity.Explore her culinary work at katherineknowlton.com.

As co-executive chef at Atlanta’s top destination for sushi, Todd Dae Kulper unites classic and modern Japanese flavors with two decades of experience as a sushi chef. At Umi, he creates an assortment of sashimi, nigiri and specialty rolls as well as a selection of “aburi” or slightly cooked sushi-grade fish, hot items such as black cod miso and smoked duck breast tataki, and desserts like the “donut touch my donut.”Kulper spent two years working for Nobu Matsuhisa, honing his skills as a sushi chef at NOBU in Miami Beach, Florida. During this time, he was able to stage at The French Laundry in Yountville, California. Before arriving at Umi in 2017, his career path also has taken him to Kansas City, Missouri, Honolulu and Ho Chi Minh City.Kulper was born in Seoul, South Korea but grew up on a dairy farm in Northeast Iowa. A self-taught chef who got his start in the industry right after college working as a dishwasher and expediter, he has since made a name for himself developing skills in French, Japanese, Vietnamese, Italian, Mexican, Korean and Sichuan Chinese cuisines, in addition to holistic vegan and vegetarian fare. He also is a trained pastry chef.

Lori “Chef Lorious” Rogers is a celebrity chef, cookbook author, and influencer with roots in both California and Alabama. Chef Lorious proudly combines her California upbringing with her Alabama family influences into a cooking style that is uniquely her own – “Calibama Cooking.” Known for her warm, down-to-earth approach, lots of laughs and her signature Calibama cooking style, Chef Lori’s recipes and cooking show are beloved by home cooks and professionals alike. A trailblazing entrepreneur, Chef Lorious created the first wine-infused jam aptly named, “Jam Vino.” For Chef Lorious, jam-making is a time-honored Southern tradition and cherished ritual protected and transported by her father from Alabama, amidst her family’s move westward. As a California native, Chef Lori’s creative juices began to explore the innovative fusion of West Coast wine country and her southern Alabama roots. What started as a creative twist on a family spread for “a gourmet” grilled cheese evolved into something spectacular during a cooking demo at Williams-Sonoma. As she layered this one-of-a-kind homemade wine-infused jam into sandwiches during the demo, the crowd’s curiosity turned into delight. They kept asking, "What’s in this?" and Chef Lorious realized she had more than just a family favorite — she had a hit, Jam Vino! Five years later, Jam Vino continues to be a hit and in September 2024, Chef Lorious was awarded the coveted Golden Ticket to sell Jam Vino in Walmart stores!A sought-after personality, Chef Lorious has been featured on “Good Morning Washington,” “Good Day DC,” “Good Day Philadelphia,” “Good Day Atlanta,” and has a recurring monthly “Taste Texas” segment on “Good Morning Texas.” Chef Lorious is the author of “Calibama Cooking: Classic & Contemporary Comfort Food.” The Chef Lorious Group, LLC is a woman-owned business certified by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council and the National Minority Supplier Development Council. Jam Vino products are available online at Amazon.com, Walmart.com and will debut in Walmart stores in June 2025. All things Lorious can be found at www.ChefLorious.com and www.JamVino.com. For media inquiries contact Anita@SenseiCommunications.com.

Chef Brian Malarkey has created 15 wildly successful restaurants across the United States. He serves as the Partner of four concepts in Southern California, including San Diego's Herb & Wood, Herb & Sea, Animae, and Orange County's Herb & Ranch.He was the founding executive chef/partner of Searsucker and Herringbone restaurants, which sold a majority stake to Hakkasan Group in 2014. Under his guidance, the brands expanded both across the country and internationally to 10 locations. Brian has been a contestant on Bravo's Top Chef All-Stars and past Top Chef finalists. He has also appeared in Guy's Grocery Games, the Today Show, and Good Morning America.He was a Top Chef season 3 finalist and winning mentor on ABC’s The Taste, which he co-hosted alongside Anthony Bourdain, Nigella Lawson, and Ludo Lefebvre. Malarkey has judged a variety of television cooking programs, including Rachael vs. Guy: Kids Cook-Off, Chopped All-Stars, and Cutthroat Kitchen, and can be seen headlining food and wine festivals around the country.

Anil caught the entrepreneurial bug watching his immigrant parents hustle after moving to the US from Albania when he was 11. A year studying in Tokyo during college didn't just leave him fluent in Japanese - it sparked a lifelong love affair with coffee that led to founding Jaho Coffee in his hometown of Salem, MA in 2005. Since then, he's built a mini empire with seven Massachusetts locations, two Tokyo cafés, and a string of ventures including Barista Connection (before coffee folks had Instagram!), Milkboy Boba & Ice Cream, and Bagel Boys. His latest venture, Dekáf Coffee Roasters, is on a mission to prove decaf drinkers deserve the good stuff too.