Chef Michel Nischan is a four-time James Beard Award–winning chef, author, and food equity advocate whose work has transformed how America thinks about sustainable food systems. Over a four-decade career, he’s cooked in acclaimed restaurants, co-founded the James Beard Foundation’s Chef Boot Camps for Policy and Change, and launched Wholesome Wave, a nonprofit creating access to healthy food for underserved communities. In this episode, Nischan joins chef Matt Jennings and Carolyn Grillo to discuss the broken links in our food system, how chefs can drive change through storytelling and collaboration, and why authenticity and purpose remain the most powerful ingredients in leadership.

Takeaways

• Understand why the U.S. food system has stalled and where innovation must happen
• Advocate through optimism, not fear, and invite people to the table
• Lead change locally before scaling it nationally
• Build empathy by helping every team member experience every role
• Collaboration among chefs amplifies both purpose and profit
• Start your story with “why,” letting your menu reflect your mission
• Show diners how their choices support farmers, artisans, and communities
• Technology and demand can make regenerative systems scalable
• Authenticity and generosity are the best marketing
• Purpose-driven leadership outlasts trends

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