Joy Batashoff Thaler

Joy Batashoff Thaler

 

Joy Batashoff Thaler  – Founder, CocoaCompassion™ 

Joy’s career can be characterized by a proven ability to drive exceptional results.

Most recently, Batashoff Thaler was an integral part of the Enterprise Team at media/information giant Thomson Reuters, responsible for bringing machine-readable news to market. As a key member of both the innovation and sales divisions, Joy has developed a deep understanding of how large pools of data can be brought together to discern patterns, optimize decision making and reveal unique insights. In her sales role at Thomson Reuters, she was a CEO Circle winner, having placed in the Top 1% of a global sales organization.

As Senior Brand Manager at both CBSNews.com and Fujifilm’s “QuickSnap,” Batashoff Thaler nurtured what were then fledgling businesses. At CBSNews.com, she led rebranding efforts that focused on driving users back and forth between tv viewership and website usage. At Fujifilm, Joy’s efforts contributed to multi-million dollar revenue growth through new channels of distribution and differentiated product usage. Her skill sets have been applied across a wide range of sectors, including financial services, media, technology and consumer packaged goods. Joy has been recognized for identifying areas of untapped opportunity, pioneering new products, and forging partnerships that take brands beyond traditional boundaries; her awards include “Best In Show” from BrandWeek, and Point of Purchase Advertising International (POPAI) Silver & Bronze awards.

Joy, a socially conscious mom and self-confessed chocoholic, is passionate about the global cocoa market, and the importance of truth and transparency. Batashoff Thaler’s efforts, in conjunction with key stakeholders across the coffee supply chain drove her to better understand the needs of small holder cacao farmers; these farmers were looking to flee an industry that has kept them, in many cases, living below the poverty line. The fiery passion that resulted from her findings led her to start CocoaCompassion.

Joy has a B.A. from George Washington University, and is a graduate of Ecole Chocolat with a focus on bean-to-bar chocolate making and the cocoa value chain.

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CHRIS AMENDOLA

CHRIS AMENDOLA

 

Chris Amendola – Executive chef and owner, foraged. 

Chef Chris brings not only experience in the kitchen, but also a passion for seasonal ingredients to Foraged. His culinary journey began when he was just a young boy growing up in St. Augustine, Florida. Often accompanying his mother to her work, in a restaurant and he would stand in the kitchen and watch the chef prep for service. Around that time, Chris became fascinated with the dynamics of the kitchen. As part of his weekly allowance he would record shows like Great Chefs of France and Great Chefs of the World for his Dad to watch when he got home from work. It when then he fell in love with cooking.

Chef Chris received his formal training at the Southeast Institute of Culinary Arts in St. Augustine where he graduated at the top of his class. After refining his craft under Chef Todd English at BlueZoo in Orlando and with Chef Sean Brock at McCrady’s in Charleston, Chris headed north and worked in the kitchens of Café Dupont in Washington, D.C., Allium in Great Barrington, Massachusetts and the renowned Blue Hill at Stone Barns in Pocantico Hills, New York. He also staged in the kitchens of Mini Bar in Washington Dc and Eleven Madison Park in NYC.  Locally, Chris held positions at Fleet Street Kitchen and Waterfront Kitchen.

Additionally, Chef Chris is an experienced farmer and forager – having worked at Thackeray Farms on Wadmalaw Island, S.C., and in close connection with the team at Blue Hill Farm also, when Chef Chris is not behind the stove at Foraged, he is out in the woods looking for new ingredient to cook with. This agricultural and woods man knowledge allows Chris to elevate the dining experience for his guests. “I like to let the product speak for itself,” says Chris. “I believe in utilizing hyper-seasonal ingredients, allowing the natural flavors to complement one another.” His modern American style of cooking gives Foraged diners a unique culinary experience.

Foraged will be opening in early December, the restaurant is located at 3520 Chestnut Avenue in Baltimore, MD. They will be open Tuesday through Saturday 5pm-10pm. Follow their Instagram @foraged_eatery to find out more info.

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Dawn Nickman

Dawn Nickman

 

Dawn Nickman – Compassionate Innovation Guru

Dawn is an experienced design and art education professional who has held director-level positions at boutique firms and founded a firm specializing in annual report design. Her passion for working with children and art led her to the 92nd Street Y in NYC where she become a active volunteer. This led her journey to become an art educator and launch an art business which served young children who did not have access to art programs within their schools.

In addition, to her work with CocoaCompassion®, Dawn is committed to a healthy lifestyle. She can often be found developing tasty functional foods which appeal to just about everyone, especially her three girls, husband and human-like pooch. Otherwise, she is typically practicing yoga, pilates or high intensity cycling.

Dawn has a BFA in design from Kent University.

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Kris Schumacher

Kris Schumacher

Kris Schumacher – Partner at Traverse Food  

Kris is an experienced marketing and finance professional, has held director level positions at both global corporations and small boutique firms, and maintains an active consultancy where he works with social-impact startups.

In addition to his work with CocoaCompassion, Kris is the the founding partner at Traverse Food and Lokaal Market, the co-founder of Nextdoorganics Inc., and the acting CFO at 4PFoods.

Prior to jumping into the start-up world, he worked in the film industry, where be developed digital technology for HeavyLight, a start-up special effects house.  He left the film industry to study entrepreneurship extensively at Babson College where he received his MBA in 2004, and has since specialized in supply and demand economics, leading the pricing department at large multi-national corporations, managing currency risk, commodity price fluctuations, and contract risk across a complex supply chain.

Having been born into a farming family and spending his childhood partially off-grid on a tree farm in the middle of the woods in New England, he is passionate about sustainability and responsible land use, and works with companies making an impact in this area

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Valerie Greenberg

Valerie Greenberg

 

Valerie Greenberg – Principal at The Greenberg Law Firm  

Valerie is the principal of The Greenberg Law Firm, which she founded in 2001. The firm counsels clients of every size, from startups and midsized companies to publicly-traded firms.   She typically functions in the role of outside general counsel and is responsible for all legal issues faced by her clients, many of which she handles on her own.  Valerie’s clients operate in a wide range of industries, from technology hardware and software manufacturers and biotechnology firms, to tableware and home goods designers, food companies, clothing designers, landscape artists, art conservation firms and fragrance creators.   Areas of practice in which she concentrates include all forms of contracts (including supplier, reseller, and employment agreements as well as intellectual property licenses and leases), trademark work and general corporate matters, such as corporate formation and transactional work.

Prior to founding The Greenberg Law Firm, Valerie served as General Counsel (in-house) for Dot Hill Systems Corp.   Following Dot Hill’s merger and relocation to the west coast, the NASDAQ-listed company remained a client of The Greenberg Law Firm until its acquisition by Seagate Technologies in 2015, at which time the The Greenberg Law Firm began handling legal matters for Seagate as well.  From 1993 to 1998, Valerie was an Assistant District Attorney in Philadelphia, first in the trial division and then in the civil litigation unit defending the District Attorney’s Office and its employees from federal civil rights and discrimination claims.   Highlights of her career as a prosecutor included several felony jury trials, hundreds of bench trials, a perfect record defending the District Attorney’s Office in federal court, and a successful argument before the U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals.

Valerie earned a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania and a J.D. from the Boston University School of Law, where she was a Paul J. Liacos Distinguished Scholar.  She was born in Brooklyn, raised in Queens, and educated in the Bronx, at the Horace Mann School.   Valerie now lives in Westchester County with her husband, Michael, and three children, Jonathan, Matthew and Zoe.

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LAURIE BENSON

LAURIE BENSON

 

Laurie Benson – Owner at Boutique Yin Studio and Laurie Benson Coaching  

Laurie is a transformational coach. Her clients have been incredibly successful in life “doing”. They are accomplished entrepreneurs, and leaders in their field and lives. They have reached a point where they want to be doing more, contributing in a greater way. They are ready to step into the power and beauty of “being”. Prior, Laurie was the founder of 1% For Women, focusing on empowering and uplifting women in agriculture on a global level.

She believes that the empowerment of women is a crucial component to changing worldwide economic, environmental and social degradation. Laurie is also co-owner of The Village, a Fair Trade store that further supports women and artisans in communities around the world.

ROB BLEIFER

ROB BLEIFER

 

Rob Bleifer – Food Network Executive Chef & VP of Culinary  

Robert became interested in the food world at a very young age.  “I have very distinct memories of watching PBS with my mom and her repeatedly saying ‘help mom take notes on the cooking show and when it’s over, your shows will be on.’  I was raised on Julia Child and The Galloping Gourmet.’”

Bleifer’s interest in food only grew over the years.  In graduate school at Rochester Institute of Technology where he pursued his MFA in Photography, he used time between classes to watch cooking shows on cable.  While working as a freelance photographer after graduation, Bleifer realized his true love was food and moved to New York City to begin his culinary education at the French Culinary Institute in 1994.  

Upon completion, Bleifer worked as a line cook at Park Avenue Café for a year.  During that time he received a tip that freelance work was available at Food Network.  When Bleifer began work for the network in 1996, it was still very new, but with his background and skill set, it was a perfect match.

As Executive Chef at Food Network, Bleifer is responsible for everything from managing kitchen of ten, to hands-on food styling and cooking for special events, to coordinating with network Production teams, Chef/Hosts, Guest Chefs, photographers, and network departments.  He oversees in-house food production, location production, photo shoots, vignettes, and food for more than 100 Food Network events annually.  Recently, he has become wine-blender on entwine, Food Network & Wente Vineyards partnered wine.  He has also had an on-air presence, judging numerous Food Network Challenges, catering the 3 Food Network Wedding specials, and many other “cameo” appearances.

He completed his undergraduate work at Union College with a BA in Economics and recently moved to the suburbs of NYC with his wife and daughters.

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DR. NEIL SCOTT

DR. NEIL SCOTT

Dr. Neil Scott – Founder, The Makery Hilo

In 2003, Dr. Neil Scott joined the University of Hawai`i with support from the National Science Foundation to continue the research and design he began at Stanford University in 1992, focusing on creative problem solving to improve human/computer interaction strategies and technologies in education and disability access.

In January 2000, Neil was recognized as one of fifteen Bay Area futurists who would shape the way people live, think, work, and play in the new millennium. He was named a Lifetime Tech Laureate in 2002 by the International Tech Museum, San Jose for his commitment to creating innovative technologies that promote equal opportunity and diversity for people around the world.  Neil is committed to helping people in Hawai`i develop technological skills and careers and has developed a unique concept, called The Makery that provides individuals with the knowledge, skills, tools and resources to transform their own ideas into real functioning products.

Dr. Scott’s experience and documentation has convinced him that coping with our complex technology-based world requires:

 

  • an understanding of how things work
  • knowledge of how things are made, and
  • acquisition of the skills required to make needed products.

 

He established a training program for people with disabilities entitled Technology for Untapped Talent (TUT) in 2011 to empower individuals with disabilities to become  participants and leaders in creating computer-based design and manufacturing in Hawai`i.  

In 2013, Dr. Scott founded The Makery Hilo, to provide individuals throughout the community with unique opportunities to learn computer aided design (CAD) and computer assisted  manufacturing (CAM), and how to use these to tools create and market valuable wooden products from invasive species such as albizia and eucalyptus,  and traditional Hawaiian hardwoods such as koa, monkeypod and mango. The Makery is ecologically challenged to create valuable products from reclaimed wood.

The Makery works with public and private schools to develop curriculum that engages students in art, mathematics science, engineering,and technology (AMSET).  Dr. Scott is working closely with Connections Public Charter School, Hilo, to provide students with hands-on Makery experiences, both in-school and out-of-school.

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SAMEENA SHAH

SAMEENA SHAH

 

Sameena Shah – ‎Managing Director, Head of Data Science – ‎S&P Global Ratings  

Sameena is an award – winning scientist with a Phd in Machine Learning from IIT Delhi. Her expertise lies in bringing disparate data sets together, creating large-scale models and deriving intuitive and innovative insights. Sameena holds several patents, has published about 20 papers, and is on the review panel of major computer science journals and conferences. At CocoaCompassion, Sameena leverages her data analytics background to envision, and create analytics focused on the cocoa supply chain. 

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