Bob Florence founded Moromi to focus on making hand-crafted, small-batch shoyu, miso, hot sauces and fermented condiments. His focus is on creating beautifully flavored seasonings for home and professional cooks based on locally produced ingredients using traditional methods.

David Zilber is a professional chef, fermenter, butcher, and photographer who hails from Toronto Canada. He has worked in some of the world's top kitchens since 2004 and served as the director of the world renown Fermentation Lab at Restaurant Noma from 2016-2020, employing microbes to transform foodstuffs into bold new ingredients. In his time there, he authored the New York Times Bestseller, The Noma Guide to Fermentation. He has since become a voice for science communication for a new generation of cooks and enthusiasts in the world of food and fermentation, currently working from Copenhagen as a food scientist striving to build a more sustainable food system for all.

Eleni Michael is a food scholar based in London, originating from Cyprus. Following her BSc. in International Hospitality and Tourism from the University of Surrey, UK and the Polytechnic University of Hong Kong, she spent eight years in sustainability consulting and project management for hospitality operations in London, Copenhagen and New York, ranging from five-star hotels and Michelin-starred establishments to zero-waste and farm-to-table restaurants. Her journey towards regeneration led her to joining the Future Food Institute and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations as a Food & Climate Shaper. Eleni is also a member of The Guild of Fine Fermenters supporting the UK community of fermentation educators. Most recently, she earned her MA in Anthropology of Food from SOAS University of London where she specialized in Japanese language, completing her dissertation on the globalization of koji and the opportunities it presents for a better future of food, and beyond.

Born and raised in Montreal, Elliot Silber has been in a professional kitchen since the moment he graduated high school. Silber holds a degree in Pure and Applied Science from Dawson College and Bachelor of Food Chemistry from McGill University. After working as a line cook and sous chef in Montreal at various restaurants, he enrolled at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in New York . After completing his CIA externship at Husk Restaurant, he joined the team at Sean Brock’s Audrey as the R&D and Fermentation Lab Manager. From pickling and canning to charcuterie and re-purposing past ferments, Silber is excited to use his science background and understanding of chemical processes, balanced with his fine dining and cooking expertise, to focus solely on product and ingredient development–responsibilities he always loved but rarely had the time for in his previous restaurant roles. When he’s not at the restaurant, Silber spends his time in the outdoors, hiking and foraging, hunting deer or turkey, and riding motorcycles with his wife.

Francisco Migoya, head chef at Modernist Cuisine and coauthor of Modernist Bread and the recently released Modernist Pizza, grew up in Mexico City, immersed in the cultures of his parents: American, Italian, and Spanish. While attending the Centro de Estudios Superiores de San Angel University in Mexico City, he received a full scholarship to study gastronomy at the Lycée d’Hotellerie et de Tourisme in Strasbourg, France. After moving to New York in 1998 and working in savory kitchens, Migoya eventually answered a newspaper ad for a pastry cook position at The River Café in Brooklyn, where he immediately connected with the world of sweets. He then went on to work as the pastry chef at Veritas in New York City, the executive pastry chef at both The French Laundry and Bouchon Bakery, and as a professor at The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. Migoya has authored three pastry books: Frozen Desserts (2008), The Modern Café (2009), and The Elements of Dessert (2012), which won the 2014 International Association of Culinary Professionals Cookbook Award in the Professional Kitchens category.

Hiroko Shimbo is an authority on Japanese cuisine who has earned world-wide recognition. She is a chef-instructor at respected culinary schools, a consulting chef to diverse food service industries including numerous restaurants and manufacturers, and a prize-winning cookbook author. She has been based in the United States since 1999. Her associates and clients comprise a domestic and international cohort of renowned food professionals, organizations, and companies.

Irene Yoo is chef and creator of Yooeating, a Korean American food channel that explores Korean home cooking, street food, and culinary history. She has developed recipes and penned essays for Food52, Food Network, and Bon Appetit, and previously presented about Korean fermentation at The Korea Society and The Museum of Food and Drink.

Jeremy Kean Is chef and partner of Brassica Kitchen + Cafe in Boston MA. He runs an ever-changing menu focused on up-cycling through fermentation. Exploring koji has been a focus over the last few years in both its traditional and explorative functions. In short , exploring minimum waste through tasty neighborhood cuisine and community is Jeremy’s passion (alongside surfing!).

Jeremy Umansky is a chef/owner of Larder: A Curated Delicatessen & Bakery in Cleveland, Ohio, nominated by the James Beard Foundation as the Best New Restaurant in America in 2019. He has been featured in numerous publications like Bon Appetit and Saveur and was named “The Deli Prophet” by Food & Wine in the March 2019 Makers Issue.

Jessica Alonzo is the founder of Native Ferments TX, a Dallas based food company focused on creating complex flavored pickles and ferments using seasonal produce from Texas farms. Whole Utilization plays a big role in her approach to fermentation as it pushes her to find new and inventive ways to preserve and create new flavors out of waste or byproducts.

John Hutt is a chef and food theorist working at the intersection of history, culture, and technology. He was the chef at The Museum of Food and Drink and lectured at Parsons School of Design on Food Design, technology, and theory. He is currently teaching Food Theory at a university in Barcelona, and running an R&D lab focused on robotics and new technology.

Dr. Johnny Drain works at the cutting edge of fermentation, food design, and sustainability, helping to shape how we can feed the world in a more healthy, regenerative, equitable and ecologically-friendly way. Johnny has a PhD in Materials Science from the University of Oxford, co-founded MOLD Magazine and is CTO of WNWN Food Labs which is using fermentation to create ethical, sustainable versions of unethical, unsustainable foods, starting with chocolate.

Joshua Evans is founder and leader of the Sustainable Food Innovation Group and senior researcher/associate professor at the Danish Technical University’s Center for Biosustainability in Copenhagen. For his PhD research, carried out at Restaurant Noma, Empirical Spirits, and Restaurant Amass, he investigated how chefs’ pursuit of novel flavours through fermentation—in particular with kōji and miso—shapes microbial ecology and evolution. This project built on his time at Nordic Food Lab, a former non-profit institute for open-source exploration of flavour and food diversity, where as Lead Researcher he conducted and led research on neglected and underutilised foods like wild plants, insects, and fermentations. He’s received a Bachelor’s in the humanities at Yale, a Master’s in history and philosophy of science at Cambridge, and will soon defend his PhD in geography and the environment at Oxford.

Root’s founder, Dr. Julia Skinner, is an award-winning culinary professional with an extensive background in food history research, which she uses to inform her practice in the kitchen and behind the computer. This melding of theory and practice allows her to unlock new understandings about the role of food in community building and personal enrichment, both in the past and the present day. She is also a teacher, visual artist, food writer, cultural heritage professional, and conducts research on libraries and culture. She pulls from all this experience (and more) to share her love of food and community.

Kirsten Shockey is the author of Homebrewed Vinegar, coauthor, with her husband, Christopher Shockey, of The Big Book of Cidermaking; (award winning) Miso, Tempeh, Natto & Other Tasty Ferments; Fiery Ferments; and the best-selling Fermented Vegetables. She leads workshops at fermentationschool.com.

Born and raised in Hong Kong, Mara has spent her 20+ year career as a food professional learning, practicing and sharing knowledge around Good Food. In 2011 she co-founded Ozuké, a fermented foods company that distributes nationally in the US. In 2017 Mara helped to produce a series of short films on Southwestern Chinese fermentation practices with Sandor Katz and Mattia Sacco Botto and is currently working on a book about Chinese fermentation practices. In October of 2021, she joined IE Hospitality, an impact driven Colorado based restaurant group and grain mill, as Director of Fermentation. She is excited to infuse her passion for traditional arts to enliven and amplify the restaurant group's fermentation and zero waste programs.

Marika Groen is a kojiologist, travelling brewer, photographer, writer, and the head of Malica Ferments. She was born in Japan, and is now based in Europe, where she shares philosophical and mythological aspects of koji-making through three-day “Kojiology'' classes. In between instructing koji, miso, shoyu, doburoku sake, natto and a broad range of fermentation classes, she organises an annual fermentation tour with brewery visits, field work, and wild-crafting tours. In 2021 she published the artistic manual Cosy Koji as a visual collaboration with her fellow fermentaters.

Misti Norris is a North Carolina native and was raised in Houston and Dallas. Norris loved cooking with her Maw Maw from a young age and learned the significance of limiting waste and preserving as much as possible. She is currently the Owner and Executive Chef of Petra and the Beast, an intimate, purpose-driven restaurant focused on the four f’s: farming, foraging, fire, and fermentation. Since its opening in 2018, Petra and the Beast has received multiple honors, including being recognized as a Best Restaurant in America 2018 by Esquire and a Best New Restaurant in Dallas 2018 by D Magazine. In addition, Food and Wine names Misti as a member of the Best New Chef class in 2019, and she has been a semifinalist for James Beard in both the Best Chef Texas and Best New Restaurant categories.

During Mutsuko Soma’s childhood in Tochigi, Japan, she watched eagerly as her grandmother made noodles from their homegrown rice and buckwheat. Her love for noodles stuck with her as she moved to the States to attend California State University, Northridge in 2001 and the Art Institute of Seattle’s culinary school. After honing her skills at Seattle restaurants’ Harvest Vine, Saito, and Chez Shea, Soma enrolled in an intensive soba-making course in Japan. Three years later, Soma returned to the US and opened the Japanese gastropub "Miyabi 45th" in Seattle. Her highly anticipated soba restaurant "Kamonegi" opened its doors in 2017. Hannyatou, an izakaya with a focus on sake and fermented foods, quickly followed in 2019 just two doors down. Mutsuko Soma is a certified Sake Sommelier (Kikizakeshi), has passed the WSET Level III, and is also a certified Shochu Advisor. She was recognized as one of Food & Wine’s “Best New Chefs" in 2019, and was a semi-finalist for the James Beard Awards "Best Chef - Northwest" the same year.

Quan Liang has over ten years of restaurant industry experience in Japanese cuisine. She is certified as an advisor in Sake and Shochu. She also loves Beaujolais, spicy noodles and her angry dog.

Pao Yu Liu grew up in Taipei city and has been based in London since age 21. She set up the business Pao Pop N Pickles in 2017, selling small batches of fermented products at a local farmers market. She is part of the Guild of Fine Fermenters which aims to promote and uphold the quality of fermented drinks and foods in the UK.

Payal Shah calls herself a Shepherd of Microbes at Kōbo Fermentary. She is not a chef or a food scientist or even a microbiologist, but a trained psychologist who just likes to eat and dive deep into rabbit holes to explore the wonderful world of fermentation. Inspired by her grandmother, Payal has been fermenting for 20 years and has been curating, guiding and tending to the Indian fermentation community. She is neurodivergent and this, along with her experience, equips her with the breadth and depth to demystify fermentation to make it accessible, un-intimidating and relatable. She has a special interest in the rich heritage of Indian ferments and in the last 5 years, the application of koji in this context. She answers fermentation questions every Saturday on Instagram.

Rich Shih, co-author of Koji Alchemy, is one of the key culinary explorers of mold-based fermentation in the United States. As a food preservation consultant, he helps chefs, cooks and artisans build their larders and leverage fermentation to decrease waste. He welcomes makers of all experience levels to learn, share knowledge, and exchange ideas through educational workshops and social media. In his spare time, Rich is collaborating with friends to find ways to help people realize their passions and become fulfilled on the journey of life.

Tennessee native, Sam Jett, is the Director of Operations at Audrey. While attending community college, Jett worked various restaurant manager and line cook positions before realizing that if he could spend and enjoy that much time in the kitchen, he ought to look at a career in the space. In 2004, Jett enrolled in the Culinary Arts program at Johnson & Wales – Charlotte and following graduation, began his culinary endeavors working for various restaurants throughout Charlotte, before joining the team at Husk Nashville in 2013 to learn from Sean Brock. In 2015, Jett took on the role of Chef De Cuisine to open restauranteur Ashley Christensen’s Death & Taxes in Raleigh, NC, before heading back to work with Brock, where he has been the past eight years. As Director of Operations, Jett is most passionate about taking care of others. With a deep-rooted passion for Appalachian food, the cuisine he grew up on, Jett looks forward to seeing the connections between what Chef Brock puts on the plate and the recipes his grandma used to make for him back in the day. Jett is also the Director of Operations for Sean Brock’s other Nashville concepts, including The Continental and Joyland.

Sandor Ellix Katz is a fermentation revivalist. His books Wild Fermentation and the Art of Fermentation, along with the hundreds of fermentation workshops he has taught around the world, have helped to catalyze a broad revival of the fermentation arts. Sandor is the recipient of a James Beard award and other honors.

Chef Sean Doherty earned a Grande Diplome from the renowned Le Cordon Bleu program in 2004. He has worked with two of Maine’s great chefs, Larry Matthews Jr. at Back Bay Grill and Melissa Kelly at Primo. Sean has spent the last 15 + years learning the “oldways and traditions of food preservation” which includes fermentation, foraging, baking, and brewing; with a strong focus on Asian pathways (koji, miso, soy sauce, garum and vinegars). He now resides in Brunswick with his wife, two daughters, and countless culinary experiments.

Being an eighth-generation member of the founding family of a tamari and miso brewery, fermentation has always been a part of Takashi Sato’s life. Founded in 1804 in Japan, San-J was established in 1978 in Virginia. In 1987, San-J built the first tamari brewery in the U.S. Today, as President of San-J, Takashi continues the exacting standards for brewing the world’s finest Tamari and now San-J has the largest market share in the soy sauce category of US natural market. But his passion for fermentation doesn’t stop there. In Japan, many fermented foods breweries exist. Although each of them makes truly artisanal, quality products using their exceptional brewing skills, more and more breweries are faced with difficult situations where they can barely retain their business or worse, going out of business. Takashi has had great concerns that these breweries, their craftsmanship, and even Japanese fermentation culture will continue to be lost. Using his personal relationship with these brewers all over Japan, Takashi is working to set up a system in an effort to try to revive Japanese fermentation breweries. His work for this project can be found at hakkohub.

Memories of drinking her grandmother’s homebrewed makgeolli at the family farm in Jincheon, Cheungchungbukdo, Korea, along with her growing fascination with Korean wild yeast fermentation, led Yong Ha Jeong to intensive study of the art of Korean sool-making. After studying for years with Korea’s master brewers and distillers, she has returned home to Los Angeles to share the glories of time-tested, handcrafted Korean alcohol.

Born in Tokyo, Hiraku Ohura studied fermentation as a research student at Tokyo University of Agriculture before starting his fermentation lab in Koshu City, Yamanashi Prefecture. A designer by trade, he holds workshops, creates picture books and animations, and develops products in collaboration with brewers across the country with the aim of "using design to reveal the hidden workings of microorganisms." His Temaemiso no Uta (The Homemade Miso Song) won a Good Design Award 2014. He is the author of Fermentation Cultural Anthropology (Kirakusha Publishing), Fermentation Tourism Nippon (D&Department), and more. He served as director and curator of the Fermentation Tourism Nippon exhibition held at Shibuya Hikarie 8 throughout the summer of 2019 and is currently the director of Hakko Department in Shimokitazawa, Tokyo.

Andrew Centofante is owner and head brewer of North American Sake Brewery based in Charlottesville, Virginia. Andrew first fell in love with sake on a trip to Japan where he was exposed to high quality for the first time. He made it a hobby to seek out new styles and varieties of sake and this sent Andrew down a rabbit hole of research into the art of sake brewing. Koji was the first thing that completely arrested his attention, the aroma and flavor that came from growing this incredible mold enthralled him. He traveled the country and to Japan to learn more about this craft and eventually led to opening North American Sake Brewery in the fall of 2018. The first and only sake brewery in Virginia, NAS serves freshly brewed sake to hundreds of people weekly and he spends his days brewing and evangelizing his love of the ancient beverage.

Yoshi started his career in sake in 2007 in San Francisco at a specialty sake and wine shop called Corkage. He managed the shop and was a sake/wine buyer for several restaurants and bars affiliated to its parent company Dajani group for 5 years. He then went on to become sake sommelier and sake director at Yuzuki Japanese Eatery in San Francisco for 6 years. Yoshi has also been teaching classes about sake to the public since 2008. In 2017, he helped launch an instructional video about sake geared towards people in the hospitality industry with an Australian company called Typsy. Over the span of his career in sake, Yoshi went to Japan several times to work in various sake breweries as an apprentice to learn the craft of making sake first hand from master brewers. In early 2017, he co-founded his brewery called Den Sake Brewery LLC in West Oakland where he has been brewing ever since. His first batch of sake became available for sale in August, 2018. Only after a several months of his first batch release, Yoshi was nominated as the first sake brewer for James Beard semi finalist list under the category of “Outstanding Wine, Spirits, or Beer Producer. Yoshi also lives in Oakland with his wife Lani and their beloved shiba-inu, Yuki.

Jen Rothman is the Director of the Yellow Farmhouse Education Center. She has over twenty years of experience building programs for museums, gardens and farms. Prior to relocating to Mystic, CT, Jennifer was the education director at Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture. She was also the Vice President of Children’s and Public Education at The New York Botanical Garden where she worked for nine years and was the education director and interim director of the Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo. Jennifer has degrees in environmental biology and museum studies. She lives in Mystic with her husband and three young children. Her favorite thing to cook is caramel apple crumble.

Eric grew up in Arlington MA and graduated from Connecticut College in 2019 with a degree in Environmental Studies and International Relations. Eric became interested in regenerative agriculture when he was introduced to the school's campus Garden, SPROUT, his freshman year. Eric has experience in farm based education and farm management from his prior work at SPROUT and Green City Growers, an urban agriculture company based in Somerville MA. Some of Eric’s favorite things to grow are carrots, lettuce, and eggplants. One of his favorite meals to cook is eggplant parmesan because it reminds him of community dinners at SPROUT. Eric is looking forward to teaching more people about where their food comes from and creating some tasty recipes in the process. In his free time, Eric can be found gardening at home, snowboarding and longboarding, kayaking, or playing guitar.