June 17
Community Idea Exchange
Food in Motion: The 7 Realms Shaping Our Food Future
Daniel Hintz, Velocity Group
Food in Motion is a dynamic exploration of the seven interconnected realms that power a thriving food system. This program highlights how food moves beyond farms and kitchens to shape economic growth, community health, cultural identity, and public life. Participants gain a clear, actionable understanding of how these realms work together—and how strategic alignment can unlock stronger, more resilient, and more equitable food communities.
From Skills to Scene: Culinary Training as a Catalyst for Food Culture
Marshal Shafkowitz, Brightwater: Center for Study of Food
Explore how culinary training fuels the growth of a thriving local food scene by building talent, strengthening kitchens, and creating pathways into food careers. This program highlights the role of workforce development in shaping restaurant quality, innovation, cultural expression, and economic opportunity. Participants will examine how training programs can support entrepreneurs, improve consistency across the dining ecosystem, expand access to livable-wage jobs, and ultimately elevate a community’s identity through food.
The Welcome Economy: Hospitality as Place Strategy
Rob Apple, OO Hospitality
This session explores how hospitality serves as both a local amenity and a tourism driver, shaping first impressions, visitor experience, and economic vitality. Participants will gain insights into developing place-driven food and hospitality concepts that are authentic, welcoming, and financially viable, while also aligning with broader tourism and destination strategies. The session highlights how coordinated hospitality investment can activate districts, reinforce local identity, and strengthen a welcoming economy that works for residents and visitors alike.
Chef-Led Storytelling: Building a City’s Food Identity from the Kitchen Out
Chef Matt Cooper, Conifer & Ryn, and Maryam Ahmed, Maryam & Company
Chef-led Storytelling explores how partnering with chefs can transform food from a commodity into a compelling cultural narrative. This program focuses on how chefs shape local identity through flavor, heritage, innovation, and hospitality—and how communities can strategically collaborate with culinary leaders to elevate their food story. Participants will learn how chef partnerships can strengthen branding, attract visitors, generate media attention, and create authentic experiences that position a place as a true food destination.
Retail Beyond the Store: Brand, Place & Memory
J. Scott King
This session focuses on how downtowns reposition themselves to attract the right tenants and audiences by aligning brand, experience, and place. Participants will explore how district identity, customer experience, and curated tenant mix influence leasing success and long-term vitality. Drawing on real-world examples, the session highlights strategies for recruiting tenants that fit a downtown’s story, creating environments that support business success, and building places people remember—and choose again.