Kate Jacoby is a CMS Certified Sommelier and James Beard-nominated Pastry Chef who has pioneered the American Plant Based culinary movement through her work at the helm of Vedge Restaurant Group. A Georgetown 2001 Alumni with majors in French and Sociology, Jacoby spent time working at the French Ministry of Education and HUD's Fair Housing Program before quickly pivoting to the restaurant industry. She now has more than two decades of culinary and hospitality experience overseeing 5 successful restaurant brands, including flagship Vedge which was named one of the most important restaurants of the last 40 years by Food & Wine. Jacoby has co-authored 5 cookbooks and won numerous awards, including a Michelin Bib Gourmand for DC outlet Fancy Radish. Jacoby has shared her culinary vision in broad strokes through participation in SOBE Wine and Food, Disney's EPCOT Food and Wine, Plant Based World Conference & Expo, and cooking classes through Temple University and De Gustibus. More intimately, she enjoys mentoring countless young chefs and bartenders in her restaurants and engaging with local elementary school students. Career highlights include cooking the first vegan dinner at the James Beard House, launching product lines with Williams Sonoma and Whole Foods, watching her partner and husband Rich Landau win Food Network's Chopped, being acknowledged in Philadelphia Mayor's proclamation for Philly Vegan Day, and receiving the Philly Vegan Award for Lifetime Achievement. Outside the restaurant, when not traveling with her husband and their son Rio, you'll find her composting in her organic garden Lost Glove, studying Mandarin, working on a collection of social science fiction shorts, and volunteering at Lucky Dawg Animal Rescue.