Culinary
Culinary
FIT Symposium Forges Collaboration, Conversation & Community
Each year, the College of Food Innovation & Technology’s FIT Symposium pulls together a truly astonishing array of culinary experts — from chefs and entrepreneurs to growers, food writers and cookbook authors — to share their knowledge and network with their colleagues across two high-wattage days.
During “The Great Debate,” moderated by Boston Globe journalist Alexa Gagosz — panelist Mike Kostyo, VP of food consulting firm Menu Matters, summed up the true value of the Symposium as being about the “collaboration and the conversations we’ve had.”
He continued: “I love that word because it matters so much who you’re collaborating with. ... The idea of collaboration and how everybody in this room has opportunities to decide whose voices get heard. And who is in that room and that it’s a safe space [where] they feel like they can talk about whether we should do something or not do something when we’re talking about the future we’re going to build as an industry.”
Below: Alexa Gagosz (Boston Globe), Mike Kostyo (Menu Matters) and Kat Craddock (Saveur) during the Great Debate.
Fostering Culinary Dialogues
When the Symposium began in 2021, it was virtual by necessity. Even then, the focus was squarely on fostering dialogues between different facets of the industry for the betterment of the greater community.
As the event has grown and transitioned into a fully in-person affair, the opportunities for lasting collaboration have grown exponentially. This year, the focus was on cultivating food literacy as well as showcasing sustainable practices.
Watch this year’s FIT Symposium recap reel:
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Several sessions focused on zero-waste approaches, including 缅北强奸Chefs Kelly Fernandes and Tim Brown’s Second Scoop Ice Cream demonstration using surplus or overripe produce; a lively demonstration on mushroom foraging that showcased dried, candied and dehydrated mushrooms in novel forms (jerky, crackers and syrups); and a bountiful buffet of local seafood and shellfish created by attendees. (This feast served as a centerpiece of a lively luncheon that also featured 缅北强奸student-created recipes.)
Forging Educational & Interdisciplinary Partnerships
Educational partnerships were also showcased on Thursday. Associate Professor Michael Makuch '03, '05 M.A.T., CEC, and Brown University physician-researcher Bryce Perler, MD, both focused on food as medicine — specifically, how good nutrition can serve as preventive care.
Makuch shared the success of the long-running Food + Health course, which trains more than 100 medical students how to cook healthy plant-based dishes as part of their medical training.
Perler, a gastroenterologist by trade, examined ways clinicians can leverage community nonprofits to help boost their educational message around better nutrition and its benefits.
And lastly, 缅北强奸CFIT student Camryn Kennedy '25, University of Rhode Island’s Kelly Houle, Ph.D. and Chariho School District’s Katie Kirakosian, Ph.D., discussed strategies for integrating food education into K-12 classrooms.
Showcasing Sustainable Seafood
Sustainable sourcing and accessibility were also hot topics at the Symposium. On Thursday, Nicks on Broadway chef-owner Derek Wagner '09, '19 Hon., Nick Gillespie of Dune Brothers and Castle Hill Inn’s Jennifer Backman '08 chatted with moderator (and 缅北强奸professor) Branden Lewis, Ed.D., CEC, about ways the Ocean State’s unique and rich marine ecosystem can serve all of us, sustainably.
Calling fish “the last wild animals on earth,” Lewis asked the panelists to share their lessons gleaned from long careers dedicated to truly understanding the impacts of our seafood choices.
Wagner has owned his restaurant for nearly 20 years, and during that time he has seen a revolution in how diners react to underutilized species; it’s also become easier to source with improved transparency. Yet despite his efforts to introduce scup or weakfish to his menus, customers often focus on the “Big 3” (tuna, salmon and shrimp) to the exclusion of more sustainable choices.
“We have eaten our way into the problem that we have, but we can eat our way out of it,” Wagner explained to the Symposium crowd. “There has to be an infrastructure. Over the last 10 years with the momentum towards eating underutilized species that so many of us have been working on, like bringing scup onto more people’s plates. So now the challenge becomes not sourcing it necessarily, but processing it at scale, right? It’s a whole logistical problem that so many people in this part of the country — and especially here in Rhode Island — have been working on.”
Gillespie has devoted much of his career to building interest and infrastructure. He owns two Dune Brothers “shacks” and recently opened a sit-down restaurant that includes a compact fish market. In addition, he noted, “we’ve started a wholesale company to bridge the gap between chefs and small boat fishermen so we can start to provide these items to other chefs in town and abroad. Because what we kept hearing constantly from people that were coming to our restaurants was that they couldn’t get this stuff anywhere else. ‘Where do I get dogfish?’ That’s been super important for us.”
Shellfisherman Jody King (center left) and Chef Derek Wagner (right) share their seafood expertise.
“The answer is we have to get good food to be more affordable. It’s got to be in your store, where you shop.”
Fixing Our Food Systems
Like Gillespie, Food on the Move’s founder Taylor Hanson (yes, that Taylor Hanson) and CEO Kevin Taylor are dedicated to improving food infrastructure and access in their home state of Oklahoma. According to Taylor, more than 1 in 5 Tulsa residents lacks access to a grocery store with fresh produce.
For Hanson, Food on the Move’s overarching focus is on shortening our food supply chains: “The whole food system’s broken. The main issue is food’s traveling too far, it gets sprayed so it looks good, gets picked too early, gets put on a truck. … The answer is we have to get good food to be more affordable. It can’t just be that great produce is grown with your artisanal farmer and you show up on the weekend. No, it’s got to be in your store, where you shop.”
Since 2014, Food on the Move has run a wide range of events to encourage Tulsans to get excited about scratch cooking and growing their own vegetables. Now the organization is executing an ambitious 4-phase plan to create a massive food hub in north Tulsa where they will be able to train future farmers in cutting-edge food technologies like hydroponics, aeroponics and aquaponics. There will be a fresh market utilizing all local produce and pantry items, as well as an education center teaching food entrepreneurship, gardening methods and basic cooking skills. “It’s all about making food more accessible, more affordable,” said Hanson. “And connecting the urban and the rural, which have traditionally been disconnected.”
Below: Callebaut Academy’s Frank Carrieri '15 (right) leads the Adaptive Pastry workshop.
“The Symposium reinforced my belief that the food industry is about much more than just recipes and techniques — it’s about creating experiences that connect with people.”
Symposium First Person: Jennifer Lee '25
Jennifer Lee is a Food & Beverage Entrepreneurship major with a background in baking & pastry arts. She attended the Symposium on Friday and shared her thoughts:
Challenging Traditional Pastry Approaches
One of the most memorable parts of the Symposium was participating in the Adaptive Pastry session led by Frank Carrieri '15 of Callebaut Chocolate Academy. This hands-on class explored how pastry can evolve to meet the needs of modern consumers through four key pillars: Lifestyle-driven Pastry, Flavor as Dialogue, Inclusive Indulgence and Reimagined Tradition.
I was excited to jump into this session, but I realized that it had been a few years since I last baked in a lab setting. There was a learning curve, especially as I had to adjust to working in a new environment with unfamiliar equipment and techniques.
What made the experience even more enriching was the amazing group of industry professionals and students I got to partner with. I teamed up with Puratos R&D technologist Victoria Pizzulo, and we quickly realized we were all in the same boat — learning and adapting as we went. It felt like a real team effort as we learned, laughed and problem-solved together. We were all eager to embrace new ideas, challenge our traditional approaches to pastry, and experiment with how we could create delicious desserts that meet the evolving needs of today’s consumers.
We truly embodied the meaning of “adaptive pastry” that day. Whether it was adjusting flavors, messing up the recipe, or reimagining traditional pastry techniques, we pivoted in real time to deliver products that were both creative and inclusive. The experience was a great reminder of how essential flexibility and innovation are in the culinary world. It was such a fun challenge — and I left feeling inspired not only by the pastries we created but by the connections made and the lessons learned.
My Symposium Takeaways
The Symposium was a great reminder of why I’m so passionate about food innovation and entrepreneurship. It reinforced my belief that the food industry is about much more than just recipes and techniques — it’s about creating experiences that connect with people, meet their evolving needs, and challenge the status quo.
As I look ahead to my future as a business owner, I’m more inspired than ever to integrate innovation and adaptability into everything I do. Whether it’s in the bakery for new product ideas, or in customer engagement, the lessons I took away from this symposium will stay with me. I was reminded that success in this field isn’t about sticking to old formulas but about constantly adapting, experimenting and staying open to new possibilities.
Beyond the hands-on learning and insightful sessions, the event was an incredible opportunity for networking. I connected with so many talented professionals, from industry experts like Frank Carrieri to fellow students and chefs who share a similar passion for innovation. The exchange of ideas and experiences made me realize how important it is to have a community of like-minded individuals who support, challenge and inspire each other. The collaboration and shared knowledge at the symposium have made me even more excited to be part of this dynamic industry.
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Below: Local shellfish and student-created dishes during the FIT Symposium luncheon. Photos by Scott Bowers.
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