Eva Chin
Born and raised on a farm in Hawaii, chef Eva Chin grew up immersed in the breathtaking bounty that Mother Nature has to offer, inspired by the mountains, the ocean, and earth. She learned at an early age that food is the connection between people and the land. This connection is translated into her cuisine. Born and raised on her grandmother’s farm in Kahuku, Hawaii; equipped with Chinese, Samoan and Singaporean heritage, food knowledge, and the nature surrounding her, Eva’s career as a chef was no surprise. The connection between cuisine and culture drives Eva’s passion and creativity in the kitchen.
Eva has staged and cooked at renowned restaurants around the world, including Maaemo in Norway, Jason Atherton Pollen Street Social, and Brae in Australia.
She credits much of her cooking style and success to her time spent working under Shane Osborn. Her favourite professional accomplishment was a lauded eight-month New American pop-up in Hong Kong called The Lazy Hog, adjacent to Yardbird. Prior to joining Royal Dinette, Eva cooked Pidgin and Hawksworth in Vancouver, before taking a brief opportunity to work with Dominique Crenn at Atelier Crenn in San Francisco.
Following her stint as Chef de Cuisine at Boulevard Kitchen and Oyster Bar in Vancouver, Eva made the move to Toronto to helm the kitchen as renowned Kojin (by Momofuku) where she brought diners the Hawaiian Concept of Aloha. Nex, Eva was the head chef at Avling Kitchen Brewery and committed to “cultivating community, shared through cuisine and stories from our cultures.”
Chef Eva is currently focused on her passion brand, The Soy Luck Club, telling life stories through her food. She is also a sought-after chef consultant to the industry, strategizing for retail and restaurant operations alike. Chef Eva is a voice for many communities and has done great work with leading brands and commodities.

Joshna Maharaj
A powerful and engaging speaker, Joshna Maharaj is a two-time TEDx speaker and oft-sought after voice for business spectrums of all genres. She currently hosts Kitchen Helpdesk, a weekly food column on CBC Radio.

In addition to supporting an array of food-driven community causes, Joshna also dedicates her time to educating post-secondary students and industry peers alike.

Joshna released her first book “Take Back the Tray” (ECW Press) in 2020, about her work building new models for institutional food procurement, production and service. The book is a movement to reconnect food with health, wellness, education, and rehabilitation in public institutions around the globe. It is a passionate story about how a chef tried to disrupt the institution in hopes for systemic change.

Joshna has represented and produced notable work for major brands and can be seen highlighted on mainstream media from editorials in Chatelaine to the critically-acclaimed national program Fridge Wars

Trevor Lui
Trevor Lui has made a life and career surrounded by the sights and sounds of food and drink. Trevor was awarded the 2022 Social Advocate Award by Restaurants Canada and was named to the 2023 Power 60: Inspiring Asian Canadians of Influence. He has spent more than 20 years producing thousands of event experiences as an executive for major entertainment venues, top-tier hotels & casinos for the likes of heads of states and Hollywood starlets. A diverse builder of innovative implementation, brand marketing, operations and ground-zero build outs, he likens a good, honest meal on a street corner than being tied down to a corporate boardroom. He’s a lover of ‘the story’ and inspired with each bite and sip around him and believes we are all connected through our dining experiences.
In 2018, Trevor shed his corporate job to fulfil his entrepreneurial dream of creating unique experiences. He has helped co-create and develop some of Toronto’s foremost food brands, Kanpai Snack Bar, Yatai Japanese Street Food, Shook Noodle, La Brea Food, Fat Rabbit and Stackt market collaborations, Makan Noodle Bar, Pop Kitchen, Joybird, BaoBird, and his most recent creation, Superfresh Night Market.
In addition, Trevor is a frequent consultant, speaker & editorial contributor to industry publications and business forums as well as holding executive posts on boards in the global tourism and academia space including Destinations Toronto. He has also provided promotional ambassadorship to numerous notable consumer brands and is a regular contributor to Cityline. Trevor just released his inaugural cookbook, Double Happiness, now available at all major retailers.

Philman George
Corporate Chef, High Liner Foods Inc | Co-founder, The Re-Seasoning Coalition
Chef Philman has over 20 years of industry experience working in a wide variety of establishments from the traditional English style pub to award winning restaurants, private clubs & hotels In Canada, Australia, and the Caribbean. As the corporate Chef for High Liner Foods, Philman is responsible for product innovation for both the retail and foodservice divisions of the company. Chef Philman is a member of the Black Food Sovereignty Advisory Circle which is a collective of community stakeholders dedicated to advancing Toronto’s Black Food Sovereignty Plan. Most recently Chef Philman launched the Re-Seasoning coalition, a non-profit organization poised to break down systemic barriers faced by Black Canadians in the food industry

Rebecca Mackenzie
Passionate about the interconnection between food, agriculture, tourism, arts, and culture, Rebecca has been instrumental in developing tourism products including Prince Edward County’s award-winning Taste Trail & Arts Trail and the Culinary Tourism Alliance’s Feast On® certification program.

In her role at the Culinary Tourism Alliance (CTA), Rebecca manages highly participatory and asset-based community development projects at the local, regional, provincial, and national levels. She oversees programming, partnership development, and develop comprehensive marketing partnerships to increase awareness of Canada’s food tourism experiences.

Rebecca contributes her expertise to a variety of industry boards including the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario (TIAO) and the United Nations World Tourism Organization’s (UNWTO) Sustainable Development Goals Working Group. She has written curriculum for Centennial Colleges Food Tourism Post Graduate Program, contributed chapters to the 2nd UNWTO Global Report on Gastronomic Tourism, and produced a chapter on Transforming the Terroir into a Tourist Destination to the Routledge Handbook of Gastronomic Tourism (release date of fall 2019). Rebecca completed a Master of Arts in Global Leadership at Royal Roads University in 2021 with a specific interest in sustainable tourism. She is a part-time professor at George Brown College in their Food Tourism Entrepreneurship program.

Born and raised in Toronto, Rebecca spent her summers in rural Prince Edward County. In her grade 12 year, she sailed with West Island Colleges Class Afloat on a 156-foot-tall ship to 20 countries in Europe and Africa – an experience that rooted her passion for travel, adventure, and taste of place! Rebecca continues to split her time between Toronto (week) and Prince Edward County (weekends) sharing her adventures with her husband, two teenage sons, and silver labrador Blueberry.

Peter Keith
Entrepreneur & Chef
Working his way from 14-year old dishwasher to an award-winning chef and entrepreneur in just ten years, Peter Keith has never been one to back down from a challenge. After winning international cooking competitions, working in some of Canada’s top restaurants, and earning degrees in culinary arts and business, Peter was ready for more. He followed his relentless spirit and opened “Meuwly’s” - a celebrated charcuterie brand and boutique retailer in Edmonton.

He's a passionate speaker on topics of team leadership, mental health, and business innovation, and engages in thought leadership around the future of the food industry in an ever-changing world. He’s learned how to empathize and connect with creatives, c-suite, and customers alike - and he mentors other professionals to do the same in their roles. He is also a founding member of “In the Weeds,” a nonprofit focused on mental health and wellness for restaurant workers.

Peter has quickly become a sought-after voice in Western Canada’s food and small business ecosystem and was awarded the Culinary Federation’s “Canadian Chef of the Year” and Canadian Foodservice & Hospitality’s “Top 30 Under 30” in 2020.