Tracy Chang
Executive Chef/Owner
Pagu, Cambridge, MA

Tracy Chang is the chef/owner of Pagu restaurant in Cambridge, MA. She worked with three-star Michelin chef Martin Berasategui in Spain. Chang is a three-time James Beard Foundation semifinalist. She also co-founded two nonprofit initiatives, Off Their Plate (OTP) and Project Restore Us (PRU), to provide food and groceries to food-insecure families.

Rachel Haggstrom
Executive Chef
The Restaurant at Justin, Paso Robles, CA

Rachel Haggstrom joined Justin in 2019 and is best known for her upscale farm-to-table cooking style that draws influence from the state’s bounty of fresh, seasonal produce. At Justin, she leads the culinary team, including all catered events, galas, and weddings, as well as the dining program. Most recently, Justin received five stars in Forbes Travel Guide’s 2023 Star Awards. Haggstrom earned her culinary degree at the California Culinary Academy, then worked her way through the kitchens of various elite culinary destinations.

Tara Monsod
Executive Chef, Animae
San Diego, CA

Tara Monsod brings more than a decade of kitchen experience and a culinary perspective shaped by her upbringing as a Filipino-American to her role as executive chef of Le Coq and Anime in San Diego. Monsod was named San Diego’s first-ever JBF Best Chef California Finalist in April 2024.

Abegail Naguit
Executive Pastry Chef, Raya
Laguna Niguel, CA

Abegail Naguit is the executive pastry chef at The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel. With 14 years of experience in New York City, she has worked for renowned chefs including Jean Georges, José Andrés, and Wolfgang Puck. Now in California, Naguit leads a new team, focusing on creating innovative dishes and desserts.

Maya Okada Erickson
Pastry Chef
Langbaan, Portland, OR

Maya Erickson was born and raised in San Francisco and currently lives in Portland, Oregon. She is the executive pastry chef for Langbaan, the 2024 recipient of the Beard Foundation’s Outstanding Restaurant award. Her professional honors include Zagat 30 Under 30, San Francisco Chronicle’s Rising Star Chef, and Starchef’s Rising Star Chef. Erickson was a writer in residence for Taste and has been featured on Netflix.

Emilie Van Dyke
Chef du Cuisine
Californios, San Francisco, CAA

Emilie Van Dyke connected with Californios Chef Val Cantú’s Mexican fine dining cuisine, which reminded her of her mother’s cooking. Van Dyke served as pastry chef there for two years, then went abroad to expand her culinary knowledge. After stints in Thailand and Sweden, she rejoined Californios as sous chef and, within a year, was promoted to her current role. At Californios, Van Dyke found her culinary voice, presenting punchy, light, and dynamic dishes that speak to her Mexican roots.

Rasika Venkatesa
Executive Chef/Owner
Mythily, New York, NY

Rasika Venkatesa learned the power of food through her grandmother’s cooking in her native Chennai, India. After working in kitchens worldwide, Venkatesa moved from to the U.S. and accepted a position at The French Laundry, Thomas Keller’s Michelin three-star restaurant. At Michelin-starred Chef Mourad Lahlou’s eponymous restaurant, she rose from line cook to chef de cuisine by age 23. Venkatesa has now started her own restaurant concept, Mythily, which promotes South Indian cuisine in a new light.