FOOD & WINE magazine has released its third annual list of Game Changers, honoring 15 people and companies who are thinking deeper, dreaming bigger, and collectively changing the way we eat and drink for the better.
The list includes a wide range of individuals and organizations, from chefs and restaurateurs to food scientists and entrepreneurs. They are all working to make food more sustainable, delicious, and accessible.
Here are the Game Changers featured on the list:
2023 FOOD & WINE GAME CHANGERS
Theaster Gates — An acclaimed artist, city planner, and visionary transforming predominantly Black neighborhoods in Chicago into cultural hubs.
De La Calle Tepache—The first company to bring tepache, a fermented pineapple beverage made in Mexico for over 3,000 years, to the U.S. market.
Lisa Cheng Smith — A Brooklyn, New York-based retail entrepreneur giving a platform and an identity to Taiwanese products and makers.
Katie Jackson —Thanks to her Rooted for Good initiative, America’s ninth-largest winery, Jackson Family Wines, has emerged as a leader in sustainability.
Reem Assil — Celebrated San Francisco chef who’s turning her restaurant, Reem’s California (a 2018 F&W Restaurant of the Year), into an employee-owned co-op, hoping it will serve as a model for others.
Great Wrap — A compostable cling wrap using the humble potato and helping to solve the world’s single-use plastic waste problem.
Meherwan Irani — The Asheville-based restaurateur has played a pivotal role in reshaping how America sees, eats, and thinks about Indian cuisine.
Maui Nui Venison — This mission-driven business on Maui humanely harvests Axis deer, a threat to Hawaii’s native species, and transforms them into venison.
S.A.L.T.— Silversea Cruises Sea And Land Taste program offers the most innovative and compelling culinary tours at sea and on land.
Rockefeller Center— Real estate developer Tishman Speyer is transforming this New York City icon by building a new community of chefs.
Dia Simms — Liquor industry executive and co-founder of Pronghorn, Simms is working to diversify the booze business and create more than $2 billion for the Black community in the next ten years.
Heilala Vanilla — Founded in 2002 in Tonga, this vanilla company is the first of its kind to be awarded B Corp certification for its dedication to quality and sustainability.
Induction Cooking— Since the technology debuted in consumer kitchens in the mid-80s, innovation in the space is heating up more than ever, fueled by new tech, new regulations and new products.
FryAway — This plant-based, nontoxic powder is environmentally friendly and transforms liquid cooking oil into solid organic waste.
Joanna Lee Molinaro— Known by her moniker The Korean Vegan, this former attorney has become one of TikTok’s and Instagram’s most influential food creators.
The Game Changers highlighted by FOOD & WINE. The organizations and individuals listed here are all working hard to make food more accessible, delicious, and sustainable. We are all benefiting from their work, and it is making a difference.
It is a celebration of innovation and creativity that is the FOOD & WINE Game Changers list. One bite at a time, there are people who are working to improve our world.
Founder and Publisher digital content creator and supporter of Women Empowerment and initiatives. Enjoy traveling and dining out.
