Tory attended Seattle Community College after high school and graduated with a culinary science degree. He traveled to New Orleans after college to experience the city's illustrious past, Creole cuisine and of course, Mardi Gras. He was hired by Commander's Palace Executive Chef Jamie Shannon at the age of 19 and he advanced quickly through all 12 kitchen levels while mastering his art and... read full bio
Southern Louisiana native John Besh has established the standard for gourmet dining in New Orleans, a city whose identity is tied to its cuisine. His twelve highly regarded establishments—August, Lüke, Domenica, Pizza Domenica, Borgne, Shaya, Willa Jean, Eunice and The Caribbean Room, Bayou Bar, Hot Tin and Silverwhistle Cafe residing in the Pontchartrain Hotel—celebrate the region's abundance and customs. In his restaurants,... read full bio
Sir John Armitt is an English civil works engineer and current chairman of the United Kingdom's National Infrastructure Commission. Sir John has a wealth of experience working with the government at the ministerial level as well as in the building, engineering and transportation industries. Having served as Chair of the Government Commission on the Thames Estuary, the Olympic Delivery Authority and the... read full bio
Scott Bayman is a former President and Chief Executive Officer of GE India. He guided GE to become one of the top multinational corporations in India during his 14 years there, with in-country sales of 3 billion US dollars. Scott now serves as chairman of the board for Lumis Partners, a private equity firm that specializes in financing tech-driven, development businesses.... read full bio
Jo Fairley began her entrepreneurial journey in 1991 when she co-founded Green & Black's Chocolate, which is now approaching a £100 million a year brand. Jo Fairley left school at 16 and went on to become the UK's youngest-ever magazine editor through perseverance and dedication. Because of the success of Green & Black's, Jo has been able to launch multiple businesses, including Judges Bakery,... read full bio
The Honorable Dr. Pippa Malmgren is an economist who clarifies the global economy through writing, establishing tech companies, consulting with international legislators, public speaking and instructing. She serves as a Special Advisor to Avonhurst, a UK-based legal and advisory firm that specializes in deals, regulation and project finance, as well as a Senior Advisor to The Monaco Foundry, a start-up workshop for innovators with an... read full bio
For his efforts to combat wasted food, Tristram Stuart has won the Sophie Prize, an international environmental honor. Tristram has developed into a well-known advocate after the critical acclaim of his first book, The Bloodless Revolution and has worked in a number of nations to help reduce the environmental and social impact of food production. He showed that Western nations waste up... read full bio
One of the most well-known women in business management, Jan Fields served as president of McDonald's USA, LLC and is a former McDonald's executive. She rose through the ranks of the business, from the restaurants to administration to the executive suite, thanks to her diligence and commitment. Ms. Fields is a well-known motivational speaker, a champion of personal growth and a skilled... read full bio
The Real Housewives of New Jersey is where sassy Melissa Gorga is best known for her work. She has three children with her husband Joe Gorga. Her musical career includes numerous successful tracks that have topped the dance charts on iTunes and can be heard on numerous RHWONJ episodes. Gorga, who is also a fashion designer, just established her own store, Envy,... read full bio
Courtney Hansen is a television personality, syndicated columnist, and author who also loves cars. Her co-hosting position on the popular car makeover series Overhaulin' was her most popular television gig. Since then, she has fronted a number of additional programs with an automotive theme, including Vinsetta Garage on the Discovery Channel's Autoweek, Rides and Million Dollar Motors on TLC and Powerblock on... read full bio
As the office manager for Richard Rawlings, the renowned Gas Monkey Garage's owner and the star of the auto-themed Discovery Channel series Fast N' Loud, Christie Brimberry made headlines. The team looks for damaged cars and fixes them for cash. The episodes of this distinctive reality television program occasionally included themes and skits. Christie Brimberry had surgery to remove a thyroid lymph... read full bio
Mike Brewer is a British automobile dealer who hosts television programs about automobiles. He presently co-hosts Wheelers Dealers on the Discovery Channel with Edd China. Other programs he has hosted include Wheeler Dealers Trading Up, Deals on Wheels, Pulling Power, Wrecks To Riches and Driven on Channel 4. Brewer presents coverage of the British Rally Championship for Sky Sports and has... read full bio
The host of GearZ on MavTV and Velocity, Stacey David, has worked on a variety of auto repair and modification projects. The results of several of these projects are extremely distinctive. Stacey works on a wide range of vehicles, including off-road four-wheel drives, hot rod street trucks, all-terrain vehicles for use in the forests and pretty much anything else with an engine... read full bio
Ian's debut on television was as a guest builder on Monster Garage on the Discovery Channel. They successfully constructed the Monster Garage "Santa Claus Parade Float" with a group of builders. Ian was excited to meet Jesse James, a renowned motorcycle builder and host and he is pleased that they stay in touch so that he may know about Jessie's upcoming endeavors. Ian Johnson is... read full bio
Wayne Carini is the star of the TV documentary series Chasing Classic Cars, in which he looks for vintage vehicles of all eras to restore. The show's restoration and auction scenes are where the action happens and what really sets it apart is Carini's knack for discovering automobiles that haven't been seen in public for decades. Legendary tennis player Ivan Lendl, David... read full bio
David Gooding is well-known for his roles in the television series What's My Car Worth on Discovery HD Theater and Chasing Classic Cars on Discovery Channel. Additionally, he appeared in the CNBC series Jay Leno's Garage: The Ultimate Car Week, where Leno investigated classic vehicles during Monterey Week at Pebble Beach in California. David also owns Gooding & Company, which... read full bio
McKeel Hagerty is well-known for his appearances on automotive television programs including What's My Car Worth and Chasing Classic Cars on the Discovery Channel. He also serves as the CEO of Hagerty, whose mission is to help owners of classic cars enjoy their vehicles to the fullest. McKeel is a hands-on boss who genuinely cares about his team members, car... read full bio
Mark Duplass, an accomplished actor, director and producer, is well-known for his groundbreaking independent movies including The Puffy Chair, Jeff, Who Lives at Home and Baghead. In his lectures, Duplass covers a variety of topics, including his own "shaky" path to success as a director, his predictions for the future of filmmaking in the age of new innovations and advice for those just... read full bio
Lou is a well-known author, expert, host and lecturer who specializes on Disney World. He is the host and producer of WDWRadio.com, creator of the Disney World Trivia Books and author/narrator of the Audio Tours of Walt Disney World (awarded Best Travel Podcast). The Dream Team Project, which brings children with terminal illnesses to Disney World, was founded by him. Lou is... read full bio
New York City-based writer and editor James Ledbetter was formally editor-in-chief of Reuters.com. He joined the online publication Slate, where he was in charge of the Big Money business news website. Ledbetter formerly worked for the financial news website CNNMoney.com before joining Slate. He was a former senior editor of Time Magazine, The Industry Standard and staff writer for The Village Voice... read full bio
