Michel Nischan is a four-time James Beard Award-winning chef with over 40 years of experience advocating for a sustainable, healthful food system. A lifelong Ashoka Fellow, he co-founded Wholesome Wave, a nonprofit dedicated to ending food and nutrition insecurity, and founded Wholesome Crave, a food company that supports Wholesome Wave's groundbreaking work. Beyond his nonprofit leadership, Chef Michel has authored three cookbooks and previously owned the Dressing Room Restaurant alongside the late actor Paul Newman. He also co-founded the James Beard Chefs Boot Camps for Policy and Change. To further his mission of mentorship and advocacy, he created Wholesome Wave’s OneKitchen program, a mentorship and training program that empowers chefs to engage in advocacy and drive food systems change in the communities they call home. Most recently, he received the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition’s 2024 Lifetime Impact Award, recognizing his extraordinary career and relentless commitment to improving food equity and nutrition across the U.S. (Bridgeport, Connecticut)