Toronto
May 5-6, 2024
Toronto Congress Centre, Toronto, ON

Noorayn Meraj, owner of Misri Sweet Finales, Chef-preneur and hospitalty professional with 20 years of experience as a Chef,  Food Consultant, Event Director and now Baker. Passionate about all things Culinary & Hospitality.

Session: Culture Talk: Celebrating Diversity with Up-and-Comers in Canadian Baking

Session: The Science and Nutritional Benefits for Your Customers of High-Fibre Amylose Flour

Coming from a family with French and Italian ties, Issa Niemeijer-Brown was raised in a tradition of home baking that appreciated quality and simplicity. After graduating cum laude in sociology from the University of Amsterdam, he chose to become a baker. In 2008, following years acquiring experience at renowned bakeries in the Netherlands, France, and Italy, Issa and his brother founded Gebroeders Niemeijer (The Niemeijer Brothers).

Located in the heart of Amsterdam, the artisanal French bakery quickly gained international standing and acclaim for its croissants, pastries, and bread. At gebroedersniemeijer.nl/blog you will find instructional videos about turning, shaping, cutting, and scoring dough. He is a passionate baker and author of A Book About Bread: A Baker’s Manual, which recently won the Gourmand World Cookbook Award for Best Bakery Book in the World, is an international bestseller now available in English (and at Bakery Showcase – visit the BAC Booth Sunday, May 5, at 4:00pm to meet Issa, chat baking and purchase a signed copy).

Sessions: Kneading, Folding and Shaping: The Development of Flavour, Book Signing: “A Book About Bread: A Baker’s Manual”, Artisan Baking into the Future

Martin Barnett is executive director of the Baking Association of Canada. Martin has a been involved in the Canadian baking industry since 1977. His wide experience includes running medium-size wholesale and retail bakeries in Victoria, working for the Fairmont Empress Hotel and teaching at Vancouver Island University. In 2018 Martin launched Seraphina’s Oven, a small artisan baking, training and consulting business. He has been involved with the Baking Association of Canada both provincially and nationally since 2005 and as a director since 2012.

Sessions: Baking Association of Canada AGM, Official Opening, International Visitors Meet-and-Greet

Trained as a chef, Simon Blackwell founded Blackbird bakery in 2010, becoming the fourth generation of bakers in his family committed to making quality baked goods. Beginning from a wild yeast sourdough culture in a mason jar, Blackbird has grown into a thriving retail and wholesale operation with more than 80 team members working hard to bring hand-shaped, naturally leavened breads and traditional pastries to neighbourhoods across Toronto every morning.

Session: Artisan Baking into the Future

Karen Bornarth is executive director of the Bread Bakers Guild of America, a nonprofit membership association dedicated to supporting the sustainable growth of the artisan baking industry through education, training and community.  The Guild’s 2,000-plus members are bakery owners, professional bakers, ingredient and equipment suppliers, educators and others dedicated to the production of the highest-quality baked goods and to advancing the baking industry.

Through her years of experience as a bread baker and educator in New York City’s culinary landscape, Karen brings a passion for education and advocacy for frontline food production workers. She is particularly interested in breaking down the systemic and structural barriers to career and economic advancement for people of color and women in the culinary industry.

In her current work with the Bread Bakers Guild of America, she supports bakery owners and professional bakers to achieve success in their baking practices and businesses through classes and events in baking techniques and the business of baking, and opportunities to connect with and learn from their peers.

During her seven-plus years with Hot Bread Kitchen, a nonprofit workforce and small business development agency in NYC, she developed an initiative to improve job quality and business performance in small food businesses, and oversaw a team to design and deliver a dynamic workforce development program in New York City.

She launched her career at Amy’s Bread as an overnight production baker, taught bread baking for several years at the French Culinary Institute, and developed products and processes for Le Pain Quotidien, an international franchise of bakery-cafés.

Sessions: Artisan Baking into the Future, Lessons from the Bakery Leadership Circle

Maria was born and raised in Winnipeg, the last of five daughters to Second World War Displaced Persons from Belarus and Ukraine. She moved to Toronto in 1997 to complete a bachelor’s degree in international relations, global politics and Russian language and literature at the University of Toronto and a postgraduate broadcast journalism degree at Ryerson University. She worked as a print and TV journalist for the Moscow Times Business Review Magazine in Russia, the Toronto Star, CityTV and CP24, and CBS News New York during the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and freelanced to the Globe and Mail before entering government communications and issues management work for the Ontario government. She worked as a strategic communications advisor and senior policy advisor at multiple ministries for more than 12 years.

In 2017, Maria resigned her position to pursue her passion for baking and serving up Eastern European comfort food and created Janchenko’s Bakery in Bloor West Village. After seven years of running the bakery, and responding to the community’s demand, she opened Marusyia’s Kitchen. Named in honour of her mother, the restaurant serves Janchenko’s baked products and employees refugees from Ukraine.

Session: Celebrating Diversity with Up-and-Comers in Canadian Baking

Chef Tammy Maki, a proud Nakota Sioux/Saulteaux Ojibwe from White Bear First Nation in Saskatchewan, is the CEO and owner of Raven Rising-Global Indigenous Chocolates, an award-winning company that specializes in creating artisanal chocolates utilizing Indigenous ingredients from around the world. Chef Maki’s love of baking and pastry began at a very young age and followed her throughout her life, prompting a change in careers.

She went back to school to take baking and pastry arts and then honed her craft to become a Certified Red Seal Journeyman Pastry Chef and Baker. She worked her way up the ladder, eventually becoming an executive pastry chef.  Wanting to have full creative control and the ability to explore the Indigenous identity that was taken from her during the 60’s Scoop, she opened Raven Rising Enterprises Ltd.

Under her leadership, Raven Rising is fast becoming a recognizable name with a thriving e-commerce site and retail partners across Canada. Raven Rising represents a story, a journey into her own lost background, and celebrates the stories, flavours and findings along the way. Connect with Chef Maki at info@ravenrising.ca or on Instagram @ravenrising.ca.

Session: Celebrating Diversity with Up-and-Comers in Canadian Baking

Tom Mattes is a proud co-owner of Del’s Pastry Limited, a Canadian pastry manufacturer, most recognized for our undeniably delicious cinnamon buns, danish and strudel. Tom is a member of the board of directors for the Baking Association of Canada. He is passionate about growing the business, spending time with his family and getting outdoors. Del’s Pastry is an SQF certified wholesale bakery. Del’s products contain all natural flavours and colouring and are Kosher certified (COR and OU). Connect with Tom through delspastry.com.

Session: Strategies for Thriving in Adversity

Encouraged by her success baking for Toronto’s legendary Cow Café, Dufflet Rosenberg established Dufflet Pastries in 1975. Today, this privately owned custom desserts manufacturer and wholesaler proudly supplies airlines, grocers, restaurants, cafés and specialty food shops across Canada and the U.S. with a dynamic selection of everyday and special occasion desserts crafted from premium, entirely natural ingredients – no hydrogenated fats or oils, and no artificial colours, preservatives or flavours.

Dufflet’s products include the award-winning Nutt-e, Gluten Free and VegeCert products. The company is a certified Women Business Enterprise (WBE) and the facility has achieved the elite BRCGS Global Food Safety Standard certification in recognition of the facility passing rigorous standards. Connect with Dufflet through dufflet.com.

Session: Strategies for Thriving in Adversity

At the age of 12, Joanne Yolles made her first coffee cake and from that moment she fell in love with baking. Her outstanding career as a professional pastry chef began to take shape almost 40 years ago in San Francisco, where she attended classes at the celebrated Tante Marie’s Cooking School. Returning to her hometown of Toronto, she landed her first job as a pastry chef at Fenton’s Food Shop, located next to the much-lauded Fenton’s Restaurant. From there, she moved to Scaramouche, the beloved fine-dining institution, where she became well known for her delicious desserts. Joanne was considered a trailblazer at the time because most restaurants didn’t have a full-time pastry chef role. To this day, Chef Yolles’s famous coconut cream pie is the restaurant’s best-selling menu item. After an 11-year run at Scaramouche, Joanne took time off to start a family and eventually returned to the culinary scene as the head pastry chef at the popular Pangaea restaurant. Again, her innovative desserts were celebrated and recognized by patrons and critics alike.

In 2010, Chef Yolles turned her talents to teaching in the Baking and Pastry Arts Program at George Brown College where she was an instructor for more than a decade. She is also known for developing delicious recipes for LCBO’s culinary Food & Drink magazine and her work has been recognized in many publications; she was included in Post City Magazine’s list of “Seven Culinary Greats That Changed It All.” In 2022, Joanne appeared as one of the celebrity judges on Food Network Canada’s hit TV series, Wall of Bakers.

Chef Joanne Yolles considers baking for Julia Child as a career highlight. She is a Fellow of the Ontario Hostelry Institute and widely recognized for her generous involvement in charity events, including Porridge for Parkinson’s. For her next act, Joanne will be teaching small classes in her home kitchen; she’ll happily be sharing her recipes and all the tips and tricks she’s learned over her career.

Sessions: Demonstration: The Art of the Seasonal Fruit Tart

Inspired by her mother, Dawn began cooking at a very young age.  After receiving a degree in Philosophy from Bard University, she pursued her professional cooking and baking interests by accepting positions as pastry chef in New Orleans and head baker at artisan bakeries in New York and Toronto. Extensive travels expanded her repertoire by exposing her to Eastern Mediterranean, Thai, Chinese, Cambodian, Georgian and Middle Eastern cuisines. Dawn is committed to using heritage grain varieties sourced from Ontario farmers and millers and is known for her delicious experiments that incorporate less common grains into crackers and pastries. Dawn is an international leader in the whole grain movement and a frequent speaker at grain and baking conferences in Canada, the United States and the U.K. Dawn Woodward is the co-owner of Evelyn’s Crackers & Whole Grain Bakery, which was founded in 2008 by Dawn and her husband and partner, Edmund Rek.

Session: Artisan Baking into the Future

Rick Gessler is vice-president of engineering at Delkor Systems, a leading U.S. manufacturer of advanced robotic packaging systems. Based in Minneapolis, Minn., Delkor employs 350 employees in its state-of-the-art, 300,000-square-foot manufacturing campus. Delkor is Rockwell Automation’s OEM of the Year, a Fanuc Level 5 Certified Service Provider and a top North American manufacturing partner for yogurt, ice cream, and dairy case packing and cartoning equipment.

In his role at Delkor, Rick has led a multi-year development effort that enables robotic equipment to meet the ever-changing packaging requirements of today’s mass merchandisers and e-commerce retailers. He has been recognized by Walmart as a thought leader on the topic of retail ready packaging and has travelled to their Bentonville headquarters on numerous occasions to speak on this topic with Walmart executives and suppliers. Rick has been awarded several important package patents for new retail-ready shipper concepts, the most notable of which is his invention of the Delkor Cabrio Case, employed at major mass merchandisers. In 2023, over one billion Cabrio Cases were produced across many product categories in North America. Rick has more than 20 years of experience in the packaging industry and is a graduate of the University of St. Thomas (MBA) and Minnesota State University (Mechanical Engineering). You can connect with Rick at rgessler@delkorsystems.com.

Session: The Most Surprising Opportunity for Your Bakery in Robotic Automation

Denise joined the BAC as director of food and nutrition policy in May 2022. Denise holds a bachelor’s degree in nutrition science from the University of Guelph and nearly 25 years of experience that spans several regulated CPG industries, including food, natural health and cannabis, in policy, regulatory and quality management. Combining her education with many years of technical experience, Denise believes that finding workable solutions for business growth and innovation is based on solid science, a commitment to education, accessible and applicable information to all stakeholders and continuous progressive open communication between policymakers, businesses and customers.

Denise is an advocate for human health, fair policies and positive change within an industry and at a global level. She is excited to engage and collaborate with members and hear how she can support current practices and innovations and work through current industry challenges.

Sessions: Update from BAC Food Policy and Sustainability Committee, International Visitors Meet-and-Greet (Visitors Lounge)

Chef Joseph Montinaro owns and operates West Finch Bakery, which specializes in wholesale products, and Dolcini by Joseph retail bakery, with his wife Mary. Joseph took over West Finch Bakery, a European-style bakery in 1999, and in 2007, after an inspiring trip to Italy, he opened Dolcini by Joseph where he gave voice to his creative expression. Dolcini is a full-service café serving pastries, gelato and a gourmet lunch menu and catering for corporate and personal events with wedding cakes, petite gateaux, entremets, bonbons and more. Connect with Joseph through dolcinibyjoseph.com.

Session: Strategies for Thriving in Adversity

Thomas Zetlian is a highly experienced plant manager skilled in bakery manufacturing, HMR manufacturing, food and beverage, chocolate manufacturing, production management and sales. A strong operations professional, Thomas is skilled in plant design, reformulation and process engineering, the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) and business accounting. He is a graduate of Los Angeles Culinary Institute and Pierce College in California. You can reach Thomas through arzfinefoods.com.

Session: Time to Automate? Automation, Innovation and Your Bakery

Chef and bread fanatic Matthew James Duffy has more than 480,000 social media followers. After 15 years of international industry experience, from specialty bakeries to Michelin-starred restaurants, Matthew is following his baking passion as a baking and media professor at Centennial College in Toronto with online courses and consulting. Sourdough has taken Matthew to Freiburg, to work alongside a German master baker at Bäckerei Pfeifle and to King Arthur Flour to work with bread master Jeffrey Hamelman. Follow “Sourdough Duffy” on Instagram @matthewjamesduffy.

Matthew was the Canadian delegate selected to cook at the 50th Anniversary of the Canadian/Vietnamese Diplomacy. He worked alongside Chef Daniel Boulud at Café Boulud NYC and sous chef opening Café Boulud Toronto, Langdon Hall, Restaurant Noma Copenhagen, Ichiban Ueno Osaka, Japan, El Bohio Madrid, and many other notable restaurants.

A Red Seal Certified Chef, Matthew graduated from the University of Guelph in Hotel and Food Administration and Stratford Chefs School.

Session: Careers in Baking Panel and Networking

Tabitha Langel was raised in a farm-based Hutterite community in western Manitoba and her roots in communal farming, living and food production put her in touch with the farm-to-table experience from a very early age. She grew up surrounded by time-honoured agricultural practices that worked with the earth in a respectful way at a time and place where food was not something bought but grown. Hutterite communities are organized as collectives of 12-14 families, farming together and sharing resources, and it was in this inter-generational food milieu where she would learn large batch cooking, processing and baking, where producing for the common good was the Golden Rule.

After moving to Winnipeg, she worked with food professionally in restaurants, nursing homes, group homes and as a head cook at a government research station in Northern Ontario. At the same time, she was pursuing a degree in Social Work and community development, and she started to see the ways in which food and cooking could also be a tool for social change.

In the late 1980s, this led her and a group of like-minded others to start a small bread co-op in a church basement in the progressive and vibrant Wolseley neighbourhood where they lived. This co-op would in 1990 become Tall Grass Prairie Bread Co., a small bakery committed to the love and support of local food and food equity through baking. They committed to respecting everyone in the circle of production, from farmers and producers, to millers, cooks, and bakers, to customers and the wider community. They committed to practicing fair trade wherever possible, and to supporting local regenerative agriculture through their procurement and business practices. They wanted to support and foster a sustainable food system and a sustainable workplace.

Clearly they were on to something as 34 years later, “Tall Grass” is now known across Manitoba, with two locations (soon to be three!) committed to traditional baking with a wide fan-base, in-house milling of organic local grains, a vibrant kitchen producing soup and take-home meals sourced from local producers, and a committed community of long-term employees and multiple ownership partners.

Ryan Stoesz is one of these long-term employees and soon-to-be ownership partners. Raised with a love of food, people, and ideas, Ryan grew up in Winnipeg just blocks from Tall Grass Prairie Bakery and often went there for treats and baking as a kid, so it was a natural place to get a job while finishing a philosophy degree in 2005. Ryan started at the bakery by first making sandwiches, then learning how to bake, and has since gone on to spend time in almost every part of the company, from night shifts to driving, serving customers at the front counter to milling flour, and helping manage the social media to hosting bakery tours for students.

Over the years, he has also spent time training at other bakeries – in Hamilton/Burlington from 2008-10, and recently in 2019 in Hannover, Germany, for six months – but has always returned home to Tall Grass, adding what he learned into the mix. In the next year, Ryan joins the ownership team to make his home official. He has always had strong interests in teaching, within the company as a baking instructor and educator but also as one of its ambassadors in the wider baking community, holding classes and talks at local schools about baking and sustainable food practices, and helping build bridges between local producers, consumers and members of the food industry in Manitoba by championing everyone on the food chain, from the local farmer to the local baker. He is happy to become the next generational link in the Tall Grass intergenerational ownership group, helping steward the bakery into its next 34 years of building community through bread.

Session: Taking a Successful Community-Based Bakery into the Future: Q-and-A with Tall Grass Prairie Bakery

Alyson has been serving as the chief executive officer of ABI since March 2023. With a focus on expanding ABI’s growth strategy, particularly in North America, Alyson brings over 20 years of operational leadership experience.

Having previously served as Corporate Senior Director of Operational Excellence and Continuous Improvement at Celestica, Alyson has honed her skills in managing complex products, diverse supply chain solutions, and operational planning optimization and execution. Her background in general management, operations, and production control equips her with invaluable insights into driving organizational efficiency and fostering high-performance teams.

Session: Time to Automate? Innovation and Automation in Baking

Marlene O’Connell is the Membership Director for Retail Bakers of America (RBA). Marlene has been involved with the baking industry since 2016. As a trade association, RBA plays an important role in connecting buyers and sellers within the industry, and is dedicated to helping baking businesses succeed. The RBA is a robust and dynamic community of retail bakeries, allied suppliers, educators, students, and other industry partners.

Judge, Dawn Foods “My Canada” Student Cake Decorating Competition

Rosalyn Hyslop is a social entrepreneur who is passionate about her family, the company she co-owns with her husband Blair and the communities they do business in. Mrs. Dunster’s has grown to be the largest commercial bakery in Atlantic Canada. with distribution to more than 800 stores and restaurants in Atlantic Canada, Ontario, Quebec and the State of Maine. Rosalyn has been named one of the Top 50 CEOs in Atlantic Canada four times and in 2023 was named The CEO of the Year by Atlantic Business Magazine.

In 2017, Mrs. Dunster’s was named Exporter of the Year for the Province of New Brunswick, received Food in Canada Magazine Leadership Award, Rosalyn was named a finalist for 2017 EY Entrepreneur of the Year and she and Blair were also named Huddle’s 2017 Entrepreneurs of the Year. Rosalyn runs a charity called Good Fit Book which received the Marilyn Trenholme Counsell Literacy Award. Rosalyn lives in Quispamsis, N.B., with her husband Blair, and kids Josie, Emma, and Noah.

Session: Careers in Baking Panel and Networking

Dina Hamed is a classically trained visual artist turned Red Seal certified, Baker-Patissier with experience in small businesses, retail bakeries, fine dining, and recipe development. Currently, she is Pastry Customer Development Chef for the Nestle Professional Confectionery category at Nestle Canada Inc.

Dina is also a Continuing Education Teacher at George Brown College and an active member of the Ontario Chapter Board of Directors for the Baking Association of Canada, managing the organization’s social media platforms. Currently pursuing a Professional Master of Education at Queen’s University, specializing in the Classroom Specialist concentration, Dina’s research focuses on integrating creativity and innovation theory into baking curricula to enhance students’ critical thinking, employability, professionalism, and technical proficiency.

Session: Careers in Baking Panel and Networking

An RBA Certified Master Baker, Peter Jacobs has worked more than 40 years in the bakery and food production industry in North America and Europe. His passion for baking started in Europe in the 1980s where he earned dual diplomas as journeyman baker and pastry chef by the age of 20. He moved to North America in 1990 where he became proficient in bread, bun, cake and pastry production. Since then he has built his skills, training and wide network in a variety of positions in the baking industry.

Peter is the owner of The Baker’s Workshop, a bakery-specific consulting company that provides such services as production optimization, efficiency evaluations, formula adjustments and collecting data during the baking and freezing process using an oven M.O.L.E. He is passionate about helping bakeries and pizzerias develop products, improve their production-line efficiencies, develop formulas and mentor new recruits.

Peter can be reached at peter@thebakersworkshop.ca.

Session: Time to Automate? Automation, Innovation and Your Bakery

Colleen Cross is the editor of Bakers Journal and Canadian Pizza national trade magazines serving the professional baking and fresh pizza industries.

Moderator for Education Sessions in the Bakers’ Classroom

Austin D’Souza is a dynamic bakery and pastry Technical Sales Professional / Regional Sales Leader experienced with workings of North American, Europe, Middle East, Asia Pacific and South Asian markets. Quality focused, innovative and customer oriented, Austin is an expert in developing solutions based on analysis and monitoring of operations and processes. He offers recommendations and technical services to support applications and identify business growth opportunities and has project management experience operating in cross-continental and multi-cultural settings.

Judge, Dawn Foods “My Canada” Student Cake Competition

Chef Romain Dufour started baking early on with his uncle and continued as an apprentice with him. At the end of his apprenticeship, he continued his journey at Plaza Athenée Hotel in Paris beside Christophe Michalak.

In 2009, He decided to leave France and work in Dubai for six years, from a five-star hotel to a semi-industrial bakery. Since 2016, he has been the Master Baker of Research and Development of Eurogerm USA, a French/American company specializing in dough conditioners, bread mixes and pastry mixes. It has been an opportunity of growing his knowledge in technology and understanding the importance of ingredients and processes from artisan to industrial bakers.

In September 2023, Romain was named the Head Chef for the Chicago Chocolate Academy. He says, “I have been using the chocolate baton from Cacao Barry since I was 10 years old working in my uncle’s bakery. I would never have believed that I would be joining such an incredible team and it is my privilege to represent the bakery world within Barry Callebaut.”

Session: Demonstration: Viennoisseries Times Two!

Reid McEachran, a marketing professional with six years of experience at Ardent Mills, excels in product and digital marketing. Known for his keen consumer insights, he collaborates with a dedicated team, passionate about advancing the food industry. Outside of work, as a former Canadian National Team athlete on the World Cup circuit, Reid embraces his competitive spirit in all aspects of life and his career.

Demonstration: Ardent Mills Egg Replace

Kirk Borchardt is an accomplished professional chef with over 25 years of experience in all aspects of the food service industry. He holds his Inter-Provincial Red Seal Certificate along with the Canada’s Principal Designation in Supply Chain, as well as his professional cooking and baking certificates from DuBrulle Culinary in Vancouver, B.C. His background in culinary and baking, back-of-the-house food service operations, building solid customer relationships, coaching, and mentoring are key to his work.

Demonstration: Ardent Mills Egg Replace

Alan Dumonceaux is the Academic Chair for Baking and Pastry Arts at NAIT in Edmonton, Alberta. He also is very active with Skills Canada, as the National Chair and World Expert. He has competed in the Louis Lesaffre Cup, the Coupe de Monde de La Boulangerie and the World Bakery Masters. Alan serves on the Baking Association of Canada’s board of directors and education committee.

Sessions: Ask an Expert: Learn from Canada’s Coupe de Monde de la Boulangerie and World Bakery Masters Expert, Demonstration: Croissants and Breads: Understanding Differences in Finished Products Based on Ingredient Choices; Baking Association of Canada Consultation (BAC Booth 911)

Randy Belcot has worked in supplying capital equipment solutions to the food industry for more than 30 years. The past 26 years have been with Reiser Canada as a territory salesperson, field sales manager and currently vice-president of sales. As part of an ever-changing food industry, Randy has learned to listen to understand the needs of companies and industry in order to adapt to provide what is needed.

Session: Time to Automate? Automation and Innovation in Your Bakery

Anna Olson may be Canada’s baking sweetheart but she’s an accomplished savoury chef as well, and with her positive and common-sense approach in the kitchen, she has become one of the country’s most recognizable television chefs. Anna has appeared for two decades on The Marilyn Denis Show and Food Network Canada shows like Bake with Anna Olson and Great Chocolate Showdown. Her Oh Yum YouTube channel, which now has over 1.4 million subscribers, features her classic content, livestreams and fresh series such as “Food Travel Diaries.”

An expert in writing recipes with a practical sense, her work appears in magazines and best-selling cookbooks. Anna’s newest cookbook, Anna Olson’s Baking Wisdom: The Complete Guide: Everything You Need to Know to Make You a Better Baker became an instant bestseller upon release in 2023, and her previous book, Baking Day, received a gold medal at the Taste Canada cook-book awards.

Sessions: Celebrity Book Signing at Baking Association of Canada’s Booth (911) – Anna Olson’s Baking Wisdom, Careers in Baking Panel and Networking

Eric Dell, JD, MBA, joins the American Bakers Association from the National Automatic Merchandising Association as the organization’s executive vice-president. During his 10-year tenure, he built a best-in-class advocacy program, forged new industry partnerships, revitalized the industry trade show, and invigorated high-performing teams. A veteran of Capitol Hill, serving two stints as Chief of Staff and Counsel to Representative Joe Wilson (R-SC), Dell also was a practising attorney and law clerk to South Carolina Circuit Judge Marc Westbrook. He is a South Carolina native with a degree in political science and a Juris Doctorate from the University of South Carolina. He earned his master of business Administration from the Johns Hopkins University – Carey School of Business.

Session: What’s Happening in the U.S. Baking Industry

Since 1982 Joe Swiston has been on an educational journey within the baking industry. In Joe’s words, “I have been fortunate enough to work and learn from so many great people while enjoying the ride. Today I spend a lot of time sharing those experiences with the next generation. In my present role of VP of Operations for WOW! Factor Desserts, it is truly a pleasure to come to work each day knowing that we put smiles on people’s faces daily with our products. My career choice has taken my family and I across the country to many different facilities with Canada Bread, Adrian’s Bakery, Rich Products, Byblos Bakery, Son’s Bakery and now WOW! Factor Desserts. Each facility unique and challenging; this is why I love what I do!”

Panel: Time to Automate? Automation and Innovation at Your Bakery

Chef Ali Isitmezoglu of Pizza Boat of Burlington, Ont., placed third at the Canadian Pizza Chef of the Year Competition in 2023 with its Turkish/Mediterranean style pizza crust with a unique boat shape. Learn about this unique thin crust, folding technique and distinctive toppings from Chef Ali and Pizza-Boat owner Yesim Erkus.

Session: Demonstration: Making Unique Turkish Pizza (Pide)

Rodney Alléguède is the co-owner and head pastry chef of Goûter bakery and patisserie. He studied culinary arts and hotel-restaurant management in Paris, allowing him multiple work-terms in Michelin starred institutions – Fouquet’s, Les Violon d’Ingres (Maison Constant) and La Maison Lenôtre. His work experiences in France and subsequently in Canada allowed him to refine his culinary skills, and fall in love with pâtisserie, and chocolaterie. In 2016 Rodney decided to follow his own inspiration opening the doors to Goûter.

Bianca and Rodney met in Paris in 2018 during a business trip at the Salon du Chocolat and fell in love.

Bianca Mazzi majored at the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo, Italy, and subsequently worked for Domori, a producer of bean-to-bar chocolate to then shift her focus towards equipment for chocolate production for both commercial and industrial use.

Bianca moved to Canada in 2019 and joined the Goûter adventure alongside Rodney as general manager taking care of aspects of sales (retail and wholesale) as much as PR and Social Media.

Session: Careers in Baking Panel and Networking