Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer

Gavin Fine developed a passion for the culinary world as a young boy growing up in Chicago. After working for Richard Melman’s restaurant group, Lettuce Entertain You, in his home town, he followed his passion to Cornell University's Hotel and Restaurant Management School and then to Jackson Hole. While his visions of becoming a ski bum never fully materialized, Fine worked nearly every job between the front- and back-of-house, where he met his soon-to-be business partner Roger Freedman, working side-by-side in one of the area’s top restaurant kitchens. Fine and Freedman forged a friendship and opened their first restaurant, Rendezvous Bistro, in 2001, when Fine was just 26-years-old. After a number of years, Fine opened his second business in 2003 (Bistro Catering). Many years later, several restaurants (Il Villaggio Osteria, The Kitchen, Bin22, The Bistro), a specialty grocer (Bodega) and retail brands (Cream + Sugar artisan ice cream and Bovine & Swine craft meats) added to what is now Fine Dining Restaurant Group, Fine continues to be considered a premier restauranteur of the Rocky Mountain region. In addition to FDRG, Fine is also the co-owner and founder of Roadhouse Brewing Co.

Chris Massad is the sushi chef at Jackson Hole’s new sushi restaurant, Kampai. He also served as the head chef of Akiko's Restaurant and Sushi Bar. He was born in Colorado; however, he grew up all over the world — from Texas to the Middle East and finally to Tokyo. He spent middle and high school in Tokyo, and upon returning, he wanted to remain connected to Japan in a creative way. Cooking gave him the ability to do so. 

Chris originally focused on sushi and still holds it as his specialty. However, training in Japan made him realize how much more there was.  As a chef, he’s worked to connect with American diners to see what they enjoy. He also has been studying sake and visiting breweries for many years, which has led to an interest in wine. 

He worked at Nobu in Colorado, then relocated to San Francisco to work as head chef at Akikos, and finally moved onto training at a kaiseki restaurant in Kyoto and making sushi in Tokyo.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Chef Massad relocated to Jackson Hole to open Kampai after traveling in Japan to fish farms and markets to learn more about the systems. Kampai features a modern take on traditional Japanese cuisine and featuring local products when possible.

Stephanie Izard, recipient of James Beard Best Chef: Great Lakes and Food & Wine Best New Chef, is the Executive Chef and Owner of Girl & the Goat, Little Goat, Duck Duck Goat, Cabra, and Lucky Goat in Chicagoland, along with Girl & the Goat and Valley Goat in California. Izard also won the coveted title of Iron Chef in 2017 and was the 4th winner of Bravo’s Top Chef.  Izard jumped back into television in 2023 with the release of The Curious Chef, a Tastemade television series where she visits home cooks to get a taste of their time-honored recipes and traditions, alongside numerous appearances, as both a competitor and a judge, on shows including Tournament of Champions, Hell’s Kitchen, Superchef Grudge Match, Guy’s Grocery Games, Chopped, and more.

A James Beard Best New Restaurant nominee, Girl & the Goat has been praised by high-profile publications such as Saveur, New York Times, and Food & Wine. Little Goat Diner, Stephanie’s highly successful follow-up to Girl & the Goat, features classic, Americana cuisine in a diner setting. In March 2016, Stephanie opened her third restaurant, a Chinese-inspired concept called Duck Duck Goat and in 2019, Stephanie’s Peruvian-inspired eatery, Cabra, opened on the rooftop of The Hoxton, Chicago. Then Izard expanded to the West Coast with Girl & the Goat in downtown Los Angeles and, more recently, Valley Goat in Silicon Valley. The latest addition to the Goat family is Lucky Goat, located within Chicagoland’s Hollywood Casino. Izard’s first book, “Girl in the Kitchen,” was released in 2011 and her second book “Gather & Graze” was released in April 2018.

More information on Stephanie Izard can be found at www.stephanieizard.com or follow her on Instagram at @stephanieizard.
 

Marc Vetri is the chef and founder of Philadelphia’s acclaimed Vetri Cucina. A Philadelphia native, he opened the storied restaurant in 1998 with partner Jeff Benjamin. Within two years, Marc was named one of Food & Wine’s “Best New Chefs” and earned the Philadelphia Inquirer’s highest restaurant rating. In 2005, he received the prestigious James Beard Award for Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic. 

Building on the success of Vetri Cucina, Marc and Jeff went on to open a collection of celebrated restaurants—including Osteria, Amis, Pizzeria Vetri, Lo Spiedo, and Alla Spina—that helped spark Philadelphia’s restaurant renaissance. In 2015, Urban Outfitters Inc. partnered with several Vetri Family restaurants, after which Marc returned his focus to advancing culinary creativity at Vetri Cucina. The restaurant continued to garner top honors, maintaining its coveted Four-Bell rating from the Philadelphia Inquirer and earning a place on AAA’s Five Diamond list. 

Marc’s restaurant group has since expanded nationally and internationally. In 2020, he opened Fiorella, a pasta-focused bar in Philadelphia’s Italian Market; Mr. Maurice’s Italian at Ace Hotel Kyoto in Japan, honoring his grandfather Maurice Rotenberg; and Osteria Fiorella at Red Rock Casino Resort & Spa in Las Vegas, which transitioned from a pop-up into a permanent fixture. In 2022, Marc debuted Pizzeria Salvy in Philadelphia’s Xfinity Mobile Arena, later opening a flagship location in the Comcast Technology Center in 2023, celebrating his father Sal’s legacy with perfected pizzas, signature meatballs, and classic Italian fare. 

Beyond the kitchen, Marc leads the Vetri Community Partnership, a nonprofit dedicated to nutrition education. He is also the author of five award-winning cookbooks. His latest, The Pasta Book, features more than 75 inspired recipes along with interactive QR codes linking to step-by-step video tutorials. 

James Beard Award-winning Chef Chris Shepherd has reshaped Houston’s culinary landscape since opening Underbelly in 2012. Built on a commitment to Houston’s food community and its suppliers, Underbelly earned national acclaim as a James Beard semifinalist for Best New Restaurant, one of Bon Appétit and Esquire’s best new restaurants, and one of Eater’s 38 essential restaurants in America. In 2013, Shepherd was named one of Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs in America, and the following year he received the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Southwest.

Shepherd went on to be a semifinalist for the James Beard Award for Outstanding Chef in 2019 and was named Chef of the Year by Robb Report that same year. His first cookbook, Cook Like a Local, published in 2019, was nominated for a James Beard Book Award. In 2023, he launched the TV show Eat Like a Local on Houston’s KPRC-TV, which has earned two Lone Star Emmy Awards.

Alongside his restaurant and nonprofit work, Shepherd has become a respected wine writer and storyteller, blending culinary perspective with deep exploration of winemakers and their craft. In 2024, he was named Editor in Chef for Food & Wine, where he brings his chef’s lens to coverage of food, wine, hospitality culture, and mentorship. That same year, Wine Enthusiast named him to their prestigious Future 40 list, recognizing trailblazers shaping the future of wine and dining.

Shepherd began his fine dining career at Brennan’s of Houston—both in the kitchen and as wine director, later opening Catalan Food & Wine in 2006, which was named one of Esquire’s Best New Restaurants in America.

He also co-founded the Southern Smoke Foundation, which has distributed more than $16 million in direct emergency relief and funded more than 10,000 no-cost counseling sessions for food and beverage workers.