Executive Pastry Chef Claudia Victoria Martínez Colmenares, Miller Union 999 Brady Ave NW, Atlanta, GA 30318

Claudia grew up in a Venezuelan family that likes to both cook and eat. As a little girl, she enjoyed spending time in the kitchen, tasting various kinds of food and learning from her family members and culture.

Now a celebrated pastry chef (2022 James Beard Award Finalist, 2020 Rising Star - Full Service, Alum - Johnson & Wales), Claudia fuses natural flavors to create unique, elegant desserts that please the palate.

@claudvictoria @millerunionatl

Chef Jen Chan, Jen Chan’s 186 Carroll Street SE, Atlanta GA 30312

At Jen Chan’s, “Eat Supper Together” isn’t just a slogan for the restaurant – they live it with their Cabbagetown community and all of the guests around metro Atlanta who stop by.  Owner Jen Chan started the restaurant with her wife Emily in early 2019, and after two shorts years – and one pandemic – they’ve become a neighborhood favorite.  They take Jen’s Chinese heritage and cooking experiences and combine it with Emily’s all-American culinary background to create a one of a kind menu, filled with favorites from multiple cuisines.  Bring your family and friends to Jen Chan’s, and Eat Supper Together!

Chef Jack Sobel, Agave Restaurant, 242 Boulevard SE, Atlanta, GA 30312

Chef Jack Sobel ’s passion for fresh New Mexican – Southwestern Cuisine gave rise to Agave Restaurant in 1999.. Jack was taught to cook from his Sicilian Grandmother at an early age, and then from Mexican & Navajo colleagues at the Cafe del Sol in Albuquerque.

After 22 years in the hospitality industry in 4 different cities, Jack decided to take a chance on a little corner spot in Cabbagetown, far from his original roots in New Mexico . Agave ships its Hatch Green Chile and Red Chile in weekly from New Mexico and is committed to receiving all of its fresh product in daily in small quantities to ensure quality. Fresh squeezed lime juice is in all of their award winning margaritas and guests can pick from 100 wines and 100 tequilas at the bar.

@agaverestaurant

Su-Jit Lin, Lifestyle Writer
Originally from New York, Su-Jit Lin is a travel, food, and lifestyle journalist delighted to now be based in Atlanta. Her work has been published in Food & Wine, HuffPost, EatingWell, Reader's Digest, Better Homes & Gardens, Vinepair, The Takeout, Eater, The Kitchn, Simply Recipes, The Spruce Eats, and more. Locally, she has served as the Atlanta correspondent for OpenTable and is currently the Hit List columnist for Resy Atlanta. When she's not eating food, writing about food, or working off food at the gym or on the streets with her rescue pit Sable Sugarpig, she likes to volunteer for LifeLine Animal Project and Bosley's Place, because dogs.

Follow her at @sjlin on Instagram, her dog at @sable.sugarpig, and get involved with LifeLine in Fulton and DeKalb and Bosley's Place in Smyrna.

Akila McConnell, Author / Historian, Owner - Unexpected Atlanta

Akila McConnell is the founder and owner of Unexpected Atlanta and Unexpected Virtual Tours. Her book “A Culinary History of Atlanta” (Arcadia Publishing) was released in 2019. Akila’s superpower is her uncanny ability to always finish dessert.

She is a travel writer and historian who focuses on the story of Atlanta. Much to her delight, a lot of people like to call her a "food and travel expert," including Conde Nast Traveller, USA Today, Yahoo.com, and About.com. She has written for numerous print and online publications, including National Geographic books, Wandr’ly, the Food Traveler’s Handbook, Atlanta Parent magazine and her own blog The Road Forks.

Akila grew up in Alabama and has lived in Atlanta for almost 20 years. In between, she spent three full years traveling across the world. Akila spends most of her free time reading biographies and cooking with her two micro-foodies.

@unexpectedatl

Stacy & Jake, “C’town Chows” - Cabbagetown Neighbor Newspaper
Stacy & Jake are food enthusiasts who pen the monthly food & beverage column in our Cabbagetown Neighbor called, “C’Town Chows”. Stacy’s love for food started at a young age when she went to cooking camp while the other kiddos were learning archery. Years later, she went on to have a career in Food & Beverage Public Relations prior to her current gig in Travel PR. Jake also has a longstanding passion for food, starting in his childhood sitting at the kitchen counter eating his mom’s famous PB&J’s. His sweet tooth soared from there and the rest is history. Follow them on IG @stacyspector and @jakegussin. And be sure to suggest where they should try next for C’Town Chows at: Stacy.spector22@gmail.com.

Bites with Brit @bites.with.brit
Food & Lifestyle Writer,
Social Media Influencer,
SC State Alumni
East Atlanta Native

Brit bounces around her hometown sampling and savoring all the amazing sights and sounds, which she generously shares with her audience via compelling video and gorgeous still photography. Celebrating Atlanta’s food culture is second nature to this friendly and outgoing writer, always taking in her surroundings and living life to its fullest. You’re just as likely to find her sipping Chardonnay as skydiving, as Brit has been known to be a bit of a daredevil, traveling the globe and enjoying the view.

@bites.with.brit

Councilmember Liliana Bakhtiari - District 5
Liliana Bakhtiari was born and raised in Atlanta and is serving their first term as a member of the Atlanta City Council, representing the residents of District 5.  Liliana currently serves on the Finance/Executive, City Utilities, and Community Development/Human Services Committees for City Council.

Liliana is the first queer Muslim person to be elected in the state of Georgia, and the first nonbinary person elected in the city of Atlanta. She identifies as gender fluid and uses “they/them” or “she/her” pronouns.

A longtime resident of Southeast Atlanta and the daughter of Iranian immigrants, Liliana grew up working at her father’s pharmacy in the historic Sweet Auburn neighborhood where she learned the value of hard work and what it takes to run a small business. She began organizing in the community from a young age, and by college, began investing her time in student-led coalitions at Georgia State University and causes such as affordable education and the Georgia Dreamers program.

@lilianaforatlanta
Official Site: CityCouncil.AtlantaGA.gov