FIT Symposium
Mind, Body, Menu
November 5-6, 2026
The future of food is about more than what's on the plate.
Join chefs, restaurateurs, nutrition experts, educators, food innovators and hospitality leaders for two days of inspiring conversations, hands-on learning and memorable culinary experiences at the 2026 FIT Symposium.
This year's theme, Mind, Body, Menu, explores the powerful connections between wellness, performance, sustainability and the future of food. Through keynote presentations, panel discussions, interactive workshops and culinary demonstrations, attendees will examine how the industry is evolving — and the role each of us plays in shaping what's next.
- Inspiring keynote speakers from across the culinary, hospitality and wellness industries
- Dynamic conversations on food, health, hospitality and innovation
- Interactive breakout sessions and hands-on workshops
- Live culinary demonstrations and tastings
- Networking opportunities with industry professionals, educators and students
- Innovation showcases featuring emerging products, technologies and ideas
Programming will examine timely issues shaping the future of food and wellness, including:
- Culinary wellness and mental health
- Nutrition and performance
- Fermentation and food science
- Sustainable food systems
- Digital wellness and modern culinary careers
- Hospitality innovation
- Food education and teaching kitchens
- Seafood, agriculture and responsible sourcing
- Culinary craftsmanship and hands-on techniques
Whether you're a chef, educator, hospitality professional, healthcare practitioner, entrepreneur or student, the FIT Symposium offers fresh perspectives, practical insights and meaningful connections.
Registration is open! Reserve your spot today and take advantage of our discounted hotel block as you begin planning your FIT Symposium experience.
Teaching Kitchens and Enhanced Nutrition Education as Transformational Strategies
David Eisenberg, MD, Director, Culinary Nutrition, Harvard T H Chan School of Public Health
Despite unprecedented advances in medicine, poor nutrition remains a driving force behind many of today’s health challenges. In this plenary, Dr. David Eisenberg explores the evolution of teaching kitchens and how they bring together culinary arts and healthcare to improve health outcomes, encourage behavior change and redefine nutrition education.
Hospitality Without Hangovers
Sam Diminich
The food and hospitality industry is built around celebration, long hours and high-pressure environments, but for Chef Sam Diminich, embracing wellness became a catalyst for personal and professional growth. In this candid session, he shares his journey toward building a healthier, more sustainable career in food and hospitality.
A Rising Tide
Moderator: Jordyn Kastlunger
Panelists: Marisa Ferris, Chelsea Murgo and Jim Boyd
This panel brings together fishermen and industry professionals to explore the challenges of sustaining careers in a traditionally male-dominated and aging commercial fishing industry. The conversation will examine gender bias, workforce inequities, leadership access and the need to attract a new generation while considering how diversity and innovation can strengthen the future of fishing communities and the broader seafood sector.
Moderator: Richard Miscovich
Panelists: Sandor Katz
Join fermentation pioneer Sandor Katz in conversation with and Richard Miscovich to explore how ancient preservation techniques have become a defining force in contemporary food culture. From flavor development and culinary creativity to wellness and consumer demand, they'll examine fermentation's growing influence on menus and its enduring connection to health, community, and the future of food.
Thursday, November 5
9:20 a.m. — Welcome Remarks
Jason Evans, Ph.D., dean, College of Food Innovation & Technology
9:30 a.m. — Keynote
10 a.m. — Innovation Lightning Round 1
10:15 a.m. — Sandor Katz in Conversation with Richard Miscovich
Culinary Amphitheater
10:55 a.m. — Innovation Lightning Round 2
11:10 a.m. — Group Stretch
11:15 a.m. — Teaching Kitchens and Enhanced Nutrition Education as Transformational Strategies
David Eisenberg, MD, Director, Culinary Nutrition, Harvard T H Chan School of Public Health
11:30 a.m. — Hospitality Without Hangovers
Sam Diminich
2:45 p.m. — Welcome Back
Jason Evans, Ph.D., dean, College of Food Innovation & Technology
2:50 p.m. — The Great Debate: Who Do We Cook For?
Moderator: Alexa Gagosz
3:20 p.m. — Innovation Lightning Round 3
3:10 p.m. — A Rising Tide
Moderator: Jordyn Kastlunger
Panelists: Marisa Ferris, Chelsea Murgo and Jim Boyd
3:40 p.m. — Innovation Lightning Round 4
3:55 p.m. — Break
4:05 p.m. — Presentation 5
4:45 p.m. — Cocktail Reception
Music by Matt Byrnes
5 p.m. — Culinary Club Dine Around
Featuring Culinaria Latina, Pastry Arts and Cooking Asia
Friday, November 6
8:15 a.m. — Breakfast
8:45 a.m. — Welcome Back Remarks and Workshop Guidance
Jason Evans, Ph.D., dean, College of Food Innovation & Technology
9 a.m. — Workshops Begin
Workshop details coming soon.
1 p.m. — Lunch
2:30 p.m. — Conference Conclusion
Sponsors
Media Sponsor
Platinum Level
Silver Level
SYMPOSIUM ARCHIVE
Last year’s theme, “Cultivating Food Literacy,” focused on understanding the impact of nutrition and ingredients; where food comes from; and how to grow, manage and prepare it. The program also explored solutions for improving food insecurity, strengthening K–12 food education and advancing nutrition among high-risk populations alongside renowned chefs, policymakers and food activists.
The Symposium featured interactive panel discussions, tastings and hands-on workshops leveraging JWU’s modern culinary facilities. Attendees gained unique insights that expanded their ability to drive meaningful change within their communities.
FIT Symposium Forges Collaboration, Conversation & Community
With two days of expanded programming, the 2024 FIT Symposium focused on bringing a world of culinary techniques to Providence. With a full day of interactive workshops, attendees could try new working methods and learn from experts in soba making, plant-based pastry, coffee cupping, chocolate-making, and more.
In addition, Jacques Pépin ’10 Hon. and Farmer Lee Jones shared wisdom from their long careers — Pépin of his 70 years of making people happy with his cooking, whether on PBS or Instagram, and Farmer Lee Jones of his 40 years of sustainable farming.
FIT Symposium Brings a World of Expertise to Life
“Cooking is love. You cannot cook indifferently.” Jacques Pépin ’10 Hon.
Culinary professionals have a reputation for being independent and driven, and their work frequently demands a head-down work ethic favoring autonomy over community. The third edition of JWU Providence’s Food Innovation & Technology (FIT) Symposium brought together a diverse group of chefs, activists, makers and creators to network and collaborate.
Johnson & Wales University’s College of Food Innovation & Technology (CFIT) held the second FIT Symposium, a virtual gathering of the food industry’s top thought leaders, in March 2022.
Watch a playlist of individual panels below. (You can scroll through the panels by clicking the button marked “1/11” in the upper right corner of the screen.)
Panels included:
- Culinary Nutrition Defined
- Food Safety Evolution
- Future Focused: Leveraging Trends to Shape the Industry
- Leading Women: The Entrepreneurship Journey
- Reaching our New England Food Vision
- Peak Performance: Fueling the Modern Athlete
- Innovation from Curiosity
- Focused on Food Justice
- Keynote: Evolution of a Chef
- Growing a Grainshed
- Closing the Gap: Cannabis & Your Overall Health
The 2021 FIT Symposium examined the curve balls, unexpected challenges and potential for massive change that 2020 threw the industry’s way. Veteran restaurateurs Emeril Lagasse ’78, ’90 Hon. and Aarón Sánchez served as keynote speakers, sharing their own lessons learned, while Champe Speidel ’00, ’16 Hon. of Persimmon (Providence, RI), Paul Kahan of One Off Hospitality Group (Chicago, Ill.), and Lindsay Tusk of Quince (San Francisco, Calif.) traded war stories and wisdom from an unprecedented year of upheaval and adaptation.
Watch their thought-provoking discussions below, and catch up on the takeaways in this post-Symposium wrap-up.
