Kristen Rasmussen, MS, RDN is a culinary nutrition and food systems expert currently serving as assistant director of health & sustainability programs at the Culinary Institute of America. Her career spans global research, from studying traditional diets in Greece and Oaxaca to serving as a visiting researcher at Copenhagen’s Nordic Food Lab. An adjunct teaching faculty member at UC Berkeley and founder of Rooted Food, LLC, Kristen consults on plant-rich, "stem-to-root" menu innovation. She also co-leads Berkeley Open Source Food, a non-profit focused on wild edible plants. Whether spearheading "West Coast Nordic" pop-ups or advocating for sustainable foodways, Kristen is dedicated to promoting traditional food cultures and overlooked, underloved ingredients. She is constantly exploring new flavors and is probably thinking about her next meal. (Northern California)