Jacqueline Buffon is a VP/GM at Donna Karan. Jacqueline Buffon is a graduate of Cornell University.
<p>Over the past decade, Kimberly Yorio has forged a reputation as a keen marketer specializing in the development of strategic publicity and promotions campaigns for cookbooks, restaurants, chefs, and other food-related personalities and products.</p> <p>As the founder of Yorio, Inc., which she ran for three years beginning in 1998, Yorio represented a range of publishers including Hyperion Books, William Morrow & Company, Marlowe & Company, ECW Press, Dorling Kindersley, and Houghton Mifflin. The impressive media placements she secured for them included author appearances on The Today Show, Good Morning America, Emeril Live!, Live! with Regis & Kelly; and CBS This Morning as well as print placements and reviews in national magazines such as Time, Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, People and Entertainment Weekly.</p> <p>Prior to forming her company, Yorio was Director of Marketing for Artisan Books, an imprint of Workman Publishing, and a publicity consultant for Workman Publishing. In those capacities, she worked with leaders in grassroots publicity and promotion on projects including Sheila Lukins' USA COOKBOOK (40-city tour), the "25 Years of Workman Cookbooks" promotion (25-author, 100-city tour), and tours and special events supporting Barbara Kafka's SOUP, A WAY OF LIFE, and Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid's SEDUCTIONS OF RICE, both of which boasted more than 75,000 copies in print.</p> <p>Yorio gained her experience in cookbook publishing as Director of Cookbook Marketing/Special Sales Manager for William Morrow where she designed and implemented the marketing and publicity plans for 150 cookbooks representing the full range of cuisine, aimed at all segments of the market. Among the books she successfully promoted were such best sellers as BAKING WITH JULIA by Julia Child and LOUISIANA REAL AND RUSTIC by Emeril Lagasse. She developed catalogs and strategies to promote the Morrow line -both in the book trade and specialty markets.</p> <p>Prior to working for these publishing companies, Yorio was an Account Executive at Kratz & Company Public Relations representing chefs, restaurants, and food products including Gotham Bar and Grill (Chef Alfred Portale) and Mesa Grill (Chef Bobby Flay). She also worked on large-scale special events including fund-raisers for the Design Industries Foundation for AIDS. Prior to that, Yorio was Director of Marketing at Tihany International, a design firm and restaurant management group responsible for such milestone destination restaurants as Le Cirque 2000 and Jean Georges.</p> <p>Yorio began her career in publicity and promotion at the Children's Television Workshop where she arranged personal appearances for Sesame Street characters as well as special events for the media.</p> <p>In 2001, Yorio began seeking a partnership that would complement her talents and client portfolio. She entered into talks with a longtime professional acquaintance, Caitlin Friedman that eventually led to the formation of YC Media.</p>
<p>Caitlin Friedman is a public relations and marketing professional with more than ten years of consumer, food and beverage, publishing, and television-production experience.</p> <p>In July 1999, Friedman formed Caitlin Friedman Communications, a lifestyle public relations and marketing agency. Soon thereafter, Amazon.com enlisted Caitlin Friedman Communications to launch their new Kitchen Store. The public relations campaign for the Kitchen Store included a launch event in New York City, media lunches in major markets across the country, and nationwide press tours for Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos and Senior Editor Rebecca Staffel.</p> <p>In addition to AMAZON.COM, Caitlin Friedman Communications clients included TIME-LIFE TRADE PUBLISHING, TOSCORP, INC. (Pino Luongo's restaurant and retail group), UNION PACIFIC RESTAURANT, BROADWAY-DOUBLEDAY PUBLISHING GROUP, and HARPERCOLLINS/WILLIAM MORROW. Among the cookbooks Caitlin Friedman has publicized since 1999 are SIMPLE TO SPECTACULAR by Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Mark Bittman, COMMANDER'S KITCHEN by Ti Martin and Jamie Shannon, COOKIES UNLIMITED by Nick Malgieri, and ROOM FOR DESSERT by David Lebovitz.</p> <p>Prior to launching her company, Friedman served as the Publicity Manager for Broadway Books' Cookbook Program for two years, leading the publicity efforts for all of the company's culinary titles, including the best-selling (and, in some cases, award-winning) VEGETARIAN COOKING FOR EVERYONE by Deborah Madison; JEAN-GEORGES: COOKING AT HOME WITH A FOUR STAR CHEF by Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Mark Bittman; LaBELLE CUISINE by Patti LaBelle; and TENDER AT THE BONE by Ruth Reichl. While at Broadway Books, Friedman was instrumental in orchestrating strategic partnerships with such companies as Jell-O, Williams-Sonoma, and Cervena Venison to help support campaigns for titles such as THANKSGIVING 101 and WILD ABOUT GAME.</p> <p>Before joining Broadway Books, Friedman was an Account Executive at Kratz & Company, a New York City public relations firm, where she led public relations efforts for Rémy Martin Fine Champagne Cognac and The Macallan Single Highland Malt Scotch Whiskey. For these clients, Friedman created and executed strategic media and consumer outreach campaigns, which included a series of multi-city events and sponsorships in the film and culinary industries.</p> <p>Friedman's professional experience in the food industry extends beyond publicity. She was also a Segment Producer at the Television Food Network where she produced daily studio segments as well as field pieces for "Food News & Views," "In Food Today," and "Cookbook Corner."</p> <p>In 2001, seeking to expand her range of clients and grow her business, she partnered with Kimberly Yorio to form YC Media, a full-service public relations and marketing firm based in downtown Manhattan.</p> <p>Friedman is a graduate of University of Massachusetts.</p>
<p>Wendy Spelman is a Program Leader at Kraft Foods. She began her career at Kraft General Foods in 1989 in Tarrytown, NY. Wendy is currently on a short term assignment. In this role, she is collaborating on a new specification system. This will allow global access of specifications for Kraft R&D worldwide. She has worked on numerous product lines at Kraft and was the link to Open Innovation, Supplier Collaboration and External Development for Desserts R&D.</p> <p>Wendy Spelman holds a BS in Food Science from Cornell University and an MS in Food Science from the University of Delaware.</p>
<p>Russ Finkelstein joined the staff of Action Without Borders in August 1995 to help build the site and to train nonprofit and community-based organizations on how best to use the internet. After ten years in the New York City office he moved west to open an office in Portland, OR. Currently, he manages work supporting those working in and seeking work in the nonprofit sector, including human resources professionals, graduate and fellowship programs, nonprofit career fairs, volunteerism, and the range of professional development trainings. </p> <p> He previously served as program director for the Higher Achievement Program, an educational and social enrichment program for inner city children in Washington, DC. </p> <p>Russ Finkelstein has his B.A. from Connecticut College and a Masters in Public Administration (MPA) in Education and Nonprofit Management from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs.</p>
<p>Daniel Pink is the author, most recently, of THE ADVENTURES OF JOHNNY BUNKO: The Last Career Guide You'll Ever Need, the first American business book in the Japanese comic format known as manga. His previous book was A WHOLE NEW MIND: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future, a long-running New York Times and BusinessWeek bestseller that has been translated into 18 languages. </p> <p>A free agent himself, Dan held his last real job in the White House, where he served from 1995 to 1997 as chief speechwriter to Vice President Al Gore. He also worked as an aide to U.S. Labor Secretary Robert Reich and in other positions in politics and government.</p> <p>He received a BA, with honors, from Northwestern University, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and a JD from Yale Law School.</p>
<p>Julie Bauke is a Career Strategist and President of Congruity Career Consulting. Her business focuses on educating and motivating individuals to take charge of their careers. She has over 12 years experience working with everyone from executives to professional athletes to college students. She is a dynamic speaker, trainer and coach and is the author of "Stop Peeing on our Shoes: Avoiding the 7 Mistakes that Screw Up your Job Search". </p> <p>Julie Bauke has a BS in Human Resources from Purdue University and completed Masters work in Human Resources at Loyola University of Chicago - Graduate School of Business.</p>
<p>Larry Robertson has spent more than two decades in the entrepreneurial universe in roles ranging from advisor to investor and many in between. In 1992, he founded Lighthouse Consulting, which, appropriately, guides entrepreneurial ventures, their leaders, and those who invest in them. Robertson frequently lectures on entrepreneurship at Georgetown and Cornell Universities and is a recognized expert on entrepreneurship in public, private, and academic forums.</p> <p>Robertson is on the Board of Directors of Handwriting Without Tears and Really Great Reading, serves as Vice Chair of Netpreneur, and sits on the advisory boards of several other organizations. His professional journey includes roles with investment banking and venture capital firm Robertson, Stephens & Company, JP Morgan, and the Walt Disney Company.</p> <p>Robertson is the author of A Deliberate Pause: Entrepreneurship and its Moment in Human Progress, a game-changing book about the power of entrepreneurship and the truth behind everyone's ability to access it.</p> <p>Larry Robertson is a graduate of both Stanford University and the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University.</p>
Chris Stoia works during the day as a Manager for Northport Apparel. When he is not busy with his day job, he is working on developing his own startup in Evening and Bridal Dress Designs.
Chris Stoia received his undergraduate degree from Cornell University.