Our Keynote Speaker

Dan Giusti | Brigaid

We are excited to welcome Dan to Howey-in-the-Hills!

Growing up in a food-loving Italian family inspired Dan to attend the Culinary Institute of America in New York. He quickly rose through the culinary ranks, serving as Executive Chef of 1789 in Washington, D.C. and Head Chef of Noma in Copenhagen. During Dan’s tenure, Noma was consistently named the Best Restaurant in the World. After three years in the latter role, he returned to the United States to tackle another culinary challenge: school food. 

In 2016, he founded Brigaid, assembling a team of professional chefs who were eager to apply their culinary expertise to improve the offerings and quality of school food service programs. The team launched their pilot in New London, Connecticut where they trained and worked with the existing food service staff to cook wholesome, scratch-made meals for students across the district’s five kitchens. Since then, Brigaid’s work has expanded to other school districts, including New York City, Denver, and Oakland, as well as senior centers and a prison. Throughout its growth, the company remains guided by Dan’s belief that everyone deserves nourishing food, cooked with care and passion.