Former Civil District Court judge, Kim Boyle, is a highly experienced employment and civil rights attorney, renowned for her persuasive oral advocacy skills in both trial and appellate courts.

Restaurateur, entrepreneur, author, and sought-after speaker Ti Adelaide Martin is a vocal advocate for genuine hospitality in business, her city, and various causes close to her heart.

Jeffrey Goldberg is the editor in chief of The Atlantic and the moderator of Washington Week With The Atlantic. He joined The Atlantic in 2007 as a national correspondent and in 2016 was named the magazine’s 15th editor in chief. During his editorship, The Atlantic has set new audience and subscription records, and won its first-ever Pulitzer Prizes. In 2022, 2023, and 2024, The Atlantic received the National Magazine Award for General Excellence from the American Society of Magazine Editors, the top award in the industry.

Thi Bui was born in Vietnam and came to the United States in 1978 as part of the “boat people” wave of refugees fleeing Southeast Asia at the end of the Vietnam War. Her debut graphic memoir, The Best We Could Do (Abrams ComicArts, 2017) has been selected for an American Book Award, a Common Book for UCLA and other colleges and universities, an all-city read by Seattle and San Francisco public libraries, a National Book Critics Circle finalist in autobiography, and an Eisner Award finalist in reality-based comics.

Veteran political strategist Donna Brazile is the former interim Chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC). She is the author of the New York Times bestseller "Hacks: The Inside Story of the Break-Ins and Breakdowns That Put Donald Trump in the White House" and the 2004 best-selling memoir "Cooking with Grease: Stirring the Pots in American Politics." Additionally, she co-authored "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Politics," which won the 2019 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work, Nonfiction.

Kimbal Musk is the co-founder of The Kitchen, an American bistro with restaurant locations in Boulder, Denver, Chicago, and soon Austin. Now marking its twentieth anniversary, The Kitchen serves thoughtfully sourced, Seasonal American Shared Plates with global influences. Musk is also the co-founder of Big Green, a philanthropic organization devoted to getting every American growing food. His personal mission is to empower and invest in the next generation who are building a healthier, happier future.

E.J. Lagasse fell in love with food at a very young age. As the son of Chef Emeril Lagasse, he spent most of his early years in kitchens and at home where the family table was a central part of daily life. Cooking with his dad at home and exploring new culinary experiences were fundamental to his childhood, and instilled an appreciation and respect for seasonality and nature that has led to his dedication to culinary artistry.

Ashley Hansen, a native of New Orleans, was adopted into a childhood surrounded by magic, under the care of the renowned Hansen family. Grandfather Ernest, a visionary machinist, etched his name in history with the invention of the world's first electric ice-shaving machine during World War II. His distinctive blue eyes, magnified by coke bottle glasses, spoke volumes of a life spent in ship hulls and machine shops.