Byron Brehm-Stecher

Iowa State University

 Byron Brehm-Stecher is the assistant professor of food science and heads the Brehm-Stecher Rapid Microbial Detection and Control Laboratory at Iowa State University. Dr. Brehm-Stecher has degrees in Bacteriology (B.S. 1995, M.S. 1996) and Food Science (Ph.D. 2002), all from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. After receiving his Ph.D., Dr. Brehm-Stecher continued his work in Madison as a postdoctoral research scholar in the laboratory of Professor Eric A. Johnson, followed by work in the biotechnology sector. He came to Iowa State University in September 2004 from a position as a senior scientist and molecular biologist with Applied Biosystems, Inc., Bedford, MA.

Dr. Brehm-Stecher’s research interests include: food safety and biosecurity, biodefense and emerging infectious diseases in relation to foods, rapid molecular detection of foodborne pathogens, flow cytometry and other single cell analytical methods, biomimetics, multicomponent antimicrobial systems for use in foods, and nanotechology-based approaches for microbial detection and control.

Tracey Duffey

World Cocoa Foundation

Tracey Duffey is the Program Director for the Southeast Asia and West Africa programs of the World Cocoa Foundation. Prior to joining the Foundation, she was the Africa Regional Director for Junior Achievement Worldwide establishing their Africa Regional Operating Center in Ghana. Tracey has worked in the field of entrepreneurial development, corporate social investment and institutional capacity building for over 15 years, nine of which she has spent working overseas in Sub-Saharan Africa, traveling within 24 countries in the sub-region. She has coordinated and implemented business development projects with corporate foundations, the European Union, USAID, and other development organizations. Tracey began her international development career as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mauritania under the Small Enterprise Development program.

Frederic Loraschi

Chocolat Frederic Loraschi

After attending the Souillac “Quercy-Perigord” culinary school, Frederic Loraschi began his career at the age of 16 as a cook for 1989 Bocuse d’Or winner Lea Linster in Luxembourg.  He later joined the team of acclaimed 3 Michelin Star Chef Bernard Loiseau in Saulieu, where he learned that passion; patience and hard work are the keys to success.

In 1999, Frederic decided to pursue his career in the United States by joining The Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel where he devoted one year as Assistant Pastry Chef before being promoted to Executive Pastry Chef for the reopening of the Original Ritz-Carlton, Boston. In 2003, Frederic received the offer to take the lead of the pastry operation at the Hotel Hershey in Pennsylvania. His expertise, technical skills and creativity earned him many awards and accolades by the local and national media. Frederic was featured on the Food Network in the show “Unwrapped” as the top 5 best Sunday brunch dessert buffets in the U.S.

Professional relationships with Meilleurs Ouvriers de France such as Philippe URRACA, Laurent LE DANIEL and Stephane GLACIER encouraged Frederic to only strive for the best. At the end of 2005, he left the Hotel Hershey to create Chocolat Frederic Loraschi.

Because Frederic is addicted to perfection and stands behind his product, Chocolat Frederic Loraschi became an instant success. For the last two years, Chocolat Frederic Loraschi has been supplying some of the most prestigious hotels across the country with his unique chocolate confections.

Frederic started offering his expertise in the world of consulting, transmitting without reserve his experience and knowledge in the United States and Mexico.Because of his simple and efficient approach to pastry, Chef Frederic was featured in many trades magazine such as “Pasticceria Internazionale “ (Italy), “Le Journal du Patissier”(France), “Chocolatier Magazine “United States, and “Cuisine & Wine Asia” (Singapore).

In 2007, Frederic was invited to participate as guest pastry chef at the “New World of Food and Wine 2007” at The Ritz –Carlton Millenia in Singapore, where he was the only chef representing the United States. Today, Chef Frederic Loraschi continues to share his passion and expertise creating world-class chocolate confections with his dedicated team in Central Pennsylvania where he fully savours happiness with his wife Diana and his son Julian.

Jim Mitchell

Jim Mitchell is Innovations and Development Manager of Organic Sweeteners and Fibers with CIRANDA Organic Ingredients. With an academic grounding in Physics at the University of Minnesota, Jim is intensely curious, and his passion is in figuring out how things work.  He travels worldwide, working with CIRANDA’s production partners in improving their production and quality processes and assisting customers in developing new organic products.

Jim has more than 18 years experience in a variety of positions in the food industry, including warehousing, logistics, production, R & D, procurement and management.  He has co-authored several patents, and has worked in developing nano technology ingredients.  He believes strongly in the Organic industry and cares deeply about the environmental and social issues of food production. 

Anisong Pathammavong (AP)

Printpack, Inc.

Mr. Pathammavong is currently the Market/Business Development Manager for Printpack, Inc.’s Snack division. He has 30 years of business experience in the areas of R&D, Manufacturing, Technical/Product Development and Marketing/Business Development.

Mr. Pathammavong has been employed in the Flexible Packaging Industry for 30 years. Prior to that, he had 3 years of R&D experience in the Space Physics Department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison studying Soft X-Ray.

Mr. Pathammavong is a member of the National Confectioner’s Association, the Pennsylvania Manufacturing Confectioner’s Association and the Product Development Management Association. He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and has a BS in Chemistry. Mr. Pathammavong is a Fulbright Scholar.