Meet our speakers

Eve Turow-Paul is founder and executive director of food for Climate League and a globally-recognized thought leader on food culture and lifestyle trends. Her latest book is Hungry: Avocado Toast, Instagram Influencers and Our Search for Connection and Meaning (BenBella, 2020). Through her nonprofit and thought leadership, she explains the ‘why’ behind todays biggest trend and illuminates the connections with mental health and sustainable food systems. Turow-Paul has worked with some of the largest foodservice and CPG companies in the world, along with city governments and agriculture groups, to help them deliver solutions that are better for people and the planet. She has appeared in various media outlets to discuss her insights into the changing landscape of food culture. She views food culture as a key lever for improving mental, physical, and environmental health around the world.

A passionate mixologist with a career built on creativity, precision, and people, she started bartending at 21 and quickly fell in love with the rhythm of hospitality — the art of connecting with guests while crafting something unforgettable in a glass.

Her journey has taken her from the high-energy nightlife of Las Vegas, where she worked at TAO inside The Venetian, to the refined service of the Downtown Hilton in Columbus, Ohio. Along the way, she has mastered the balance between fast-paced performance and elevated mixology.

For the past three years, she has been teaching mixology classes, inspiring others to understand not just how to make great cocktails, but why balance, flavor, and presentation matter.

Every drink poured is a blend of skill, story, and experience — because great cocktails don’t just taste good, they create moments people remember.

Titus Arensberg is a professional food artist and proud graduate of the Columbus State Community College culinary program with more than 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry. A gold-medal ice sculptor and 2016 National Ice Carving Champion, Arensberg transforms fruits and vegetables into vibrant works of art that elevate buffets and special events. Each fall, he carves hundreds of pumpkins for festivals and private celebrations, showcasing his creativity and craftsmanship. His artistry has also been featured on Food Network’s Halloween Wars and Outrageous Pumpkins.

Avishar Barua is the Bengali-American chef behind Agni and Joya’s, two Columbus restaurants that prove comfort food can have both smoke and soul. Known for blending Midwestern nostalgia with Bengali flavors (and a healthy amount of mischief), Avishar has been featured in Bon Appétit and continues to turn “wait, what is this?” into the highest compliment a diner can give. Whether he’s toasting rice over open flames or deep-frying something that probably shouldn’t be, he cooks with the same goal every time: make it 'Seriously Fun', and make sure it tastes really, really good.

Born in Columbus, Ohio, to Bangladeshi immigrant parents, Avishar’s path was anything but conventional. After earning degrees in biology and psychology from Ohio State, he made the logical decision to... become a chef. His culinary journey took him from local restaurants in Ohio to the high-stakes kitchens of New York City, including stints at WD~50 and Mission Chinese Food.

Returning to Columbus, Avishar made waves with his Cheesy Brisket Crunch at Service Bar, a dish that got him into the pages of Food & Wine magazine—though he’ll tell you it’s just a fancy Taco Bell knockoff. He went on to compete on "Top Chef" Season 18 and somehow managed to beat Bobby Flay, much to his own surprise.

Avishar is passionate about improving the culinary industry, and while he’s racked up awards, including two James Beard nominations, he’s more focused on making the world a better place, one plate of food at a time. Oh, and he still thinks Columbus is the best city in the world, but he might be a little biased.

Reese J. Flowers IV is the Executive Chef at Degrees Restaurant in Mitchell Hall, part of Columbus State Community College, where he also serves as an Adjunct Instructor. A 2008 graduate of the Culinary Sciences program at Bradford CCI, Chef Flowers brings over 15 years of diverse culinary experience across fine dining, franchise restaurants, country clubs, and healthcare food services. His current role bridges education and industry, combining hands-on culinary leadership with mentorship for the next generation of chefs.

Richard has been in the culinary business for 35 years and holds certifications as a Food Management Professional and Certified Food Protection Professional, as well as a Certified Dietary Manager accreditation from the University of North Dakota. He earned his Associate of Science in Culinary Arts from the Culinary Institute of America.

Richard began his career with PepsiCo and then worked with Hyatt Hotels International and ITT Sheraton Hotels before taking roles with Culinary Concept & Consulting and ARAMARK food services, respectively. In 1999, Richard joined the Compass family of brands, serving as Corporate Executive Chef with Compass Group until 2016, when he became a Regional Director of Operations with Bateman a former member of Compass Group. Richard currently is the Corporate Executive Chef with Idahoan Foods in Idaho Falls ID where he works with both Research and Development as well as Sales to support the mission of bringing wholesome ingredients to everyone's table.

In 2010, Richard was named Mentor of the Year for the American Culinary Federation. He was a Culinary Olympic Team Member for ITT Corp., as well as Culinarian of the Year, Federal Reserve Southern Region. Richard earned the title of Chef Instructor of the Year from the University of Chicago and the Innovation Award from ARAMARK, Southwest region. He served on the Board of Directors for the Association of Nutrition & Foodservice Professionals and in a Board Liaison Leadership Development position with the Association of Nutrition & Foodservice Professionals. Richard is a founding member of the Inclusion Network at LeadingAge, working to ensure everyone, including our LGBT, has a place in our aging society.

Mark Kelnhofer, President and CEO of Return On Ingredients® LLC and Restaurant Institute LLC, is an international speaker and author on recipe costing and menu engineering. Mark has over 25 years in bottom line boosting experience including over 18 in the restaurant industry. He is an international speaker addressing over 130 different tradeshows, expos, and events in the United States and Canada. Mark also is currently a Lecturer for The Ohio State University instructing food, beverage, & labor cost controls as well as hospitality accounting.

Olivia is a Registered Dietitian for Dining Services and Student Health Services at The Ohio State University. She has been with the university for a year and is also a proud alumni of Ohio State. Having worked in Pediatric Nutrition for the first four years of her career, she enjoys getting to work with college students with food allergies as they navigate regularly eating outside of the home for the first time. 

Chef BJ Lieberman is a 2023 James Beard Awards Semifinalist and one of Columbus’ most celebrated culinary talents. Before putting down roots in Central Ohio, he built an impressive résumé working in some of the country’s most acclaimed kitchens—rising through the ranks at Charleston’s Husk and earning national recognition at Washington, D.C.’s Michelin-starred Rose’s Luxury, Pineapple & Pearls, and Little Pearl.

In 2020, Lieberman opened Chapman’s Eat Market in German Village, which quickly gained national attention and was named one of the “Top 50 Restaurants in America” by The New York Times. Locally, Chapman’s has been honored as “Best Restaurant” in Columbus three years in a row by Columbus Underground. Lieberman closed the chapter on Chapman’s Eat Market in August 2025.

Lieberman has continued to shape the city’s dining and entertainment scene with the opening of Ginger Rabbit Jazz Lounge in 2022, a sultry Short North venue known for its live jazz, craft cocktails, and refined snacks.

In summer 2025, Liberman opened his latest restaurant, Metsi’s Wood-Fired Italian, a bold new concept in the Short North Arts District featuring a two-story layout, open kitchen, and inventive takes on Italian classics.

Katie Lundy serves as a vice president at Inspire. With 22 years of communications experience, Lundy is a seasoned professional specializing in media strategy, project management, on-camera executive coaching, media and crisis training, stakeholder engagement, crisis communications support, and video production.

As a former TV journalist, Lundy is passionate about storytelling and is skilled at identifying creative story angles reporters want to share. She also pulls upon her broadcast experience to provide engaging coaching sessions for c-suite executives to hone their media interview skills and improve their on-camera presence.

Before joining Inspire in 2016, Lundy helped promote the state of Ohio at the Ohio Department of Development including serving as the communications manager for TourismOhio. Today, she oversees Inspire’s business development efforts and enjoys building trusted relationships with current and potential clients.

Before her impressive 40-year career in foodservice, Chef Tia Raiford grew up on the East Coast. There, she loved watching her mother cook and learned that she could do anything she set her mind to. That determination led her to graduate from The Culinary Institute of America and later serve as the Senior Executive Chef at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, where she ran a facility that fed over 14,000 people daily.

When she’s not in her Brunswick, Georgia kitchen, Chef Tia is tending to her 50-acre farm with her husband and seven stepchildren. They grow a variety of ingredients that inspire her seasonal cooking and love of nutrition.

Chef Tia constantly reminds herself and her team to stop and breathe in times of chaos because she considers it a great honor to share positive experiences through food and foodservice. 

Ashley Richardson is the Assistant Director of Nutrition at The Ohio State University, where she is responsible for the nutrition and wellness leadership of all operational units which includes managing the nutritional databases, providing allergy training to staff, and consulting with students with dietary restrictions. She has been a dietitian for 5 years, and with the University for two, with prior experience working with foodservice software systems and creating menus for Meals on Wheels programs.

Hannah Schuller is a senior account associate, focusing on media and influencer relations for multiple restaurant, hospitality, and education clients. Her strengths in storytelling, writing and relationship building complement her communications work with multiple clients at Inspire. Schuller graduated from the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University with her bachelor’s degree in strategic communication.

Born into a family of Japanese restaurateurs, Keita Yoshida has carried forward a deep-rooted passion for ramen and the traditions of Japanese cuisine. With more than five years of experience in the Japanese food industry in the United States, he now travels across North America promoting authentic ramen-making techniques, developing recipes, and sharing his expertise to help others appreciate the art and culture of Japanese cooking.