About Us

Gavin Kaysen is the award-winning chef and founder of Soigné Hospitality Group in Minneapolis, known for his nationally recognized group of restaurants as well as his leadership in the culinary profession. His restaurants in the North Loop neighborhood of Minneapolis include Spoon and Stable, a 2015 James Beard Award Finalist for Best New Restaurant; Demi, an intimate 20-seat tasting menu experience ranked #3 on Robb Report’s list of “10 Best Restaurants in North America”; and Cooks | Bellecour, which serves an array of French bistro-inspired pastries, sandwiches, and more. His latest projects, Mara and Socca Café, were created in partnership with Four Seasons Hotel Minneapolis. He is the proud recipient of two James Beard Awards: Rising Star Chef of the Year in 2008, and Best Chef: Midwest in 2018. Gavin serves on the board of the Fastbreak Foundation, the official charity for the Minnesota Timberwolves, Minnesota Lynx, T-Wolves Gaming and the Iowa Wolves.

Andrew Zimmern is an Emmy-winning and four-time James Beard award-winning TV personality, chef, writer, and passionate global citizen. As the creator, executive producer and host of the Bizarre Foods franchise, Andrew Zimmern’s Driven by Food, What’s Eating America, Family Dinner, Wild Game Kitchen, Field to Fire, and The Zimmern List, he has devoted his life to exploring and promoting cultural acceptance, tolerance, and understanding through food. He is the founder of Intuitive Content, a Realscreen Top 100 production company, and Passport Hospitality. Zimmern has authored five books, including the Ippy Gold Medal-winning AZ and the Lost City of Ophir and the forthcoming The Blue Food Cookbook, a companion to the Emmy- nominated docuseries Hope in the Water. He sits on the boards of Autism Speaks, Services for the UnderServed, EXPLR Media, Soigne Hospitality, Giving Kitchen, and Beans is How. Andrew is a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations World Food Program and The Nature Conservancy, the International Rescue Committee’s Voice for Nutrition, and a founding member of the Coalition for Sustainable Aquaculture and the Independent Restaurant Coalition.

Bri Rosas is a seasoned sports business executive and strategic advisor with a nearly two-decade career spanning professional sports, media, and consumer brands. As Chief Executive Officer of KZ Provisioning, she leverages her experience guiding leaders across domestic and international leagues to build high-performing organizations that unite performance with player wellness. Rosas is known for her work as President and Co-Founder of Opus Sports Partners and built a reputation as the first woman to lead both communications and broadcast departments for the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves and the WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx. Her leadership and impact across the sports and business landscape has been recognized with multiple industry honors including the Business Journal’s 40 Under 40, PR Daily’s Top Women in Communications, and the MarCom Crisis Navigator Award.

Ryan realized his passion for cooking while spending his college summers as a candy-maker in northern Michigan. During his third year studying architecture, Ryan quit school and moved to Costa Rica where he landed a job cooking in a small mountain town just south of San Jose. This job solidified his desire to cooking a life-long undertaking. Ryan studied Culinary Arts at Johnson & Wales University and moved to Minneapolis to work for James Beard nominee Lucia Watson. Lucia’s Restaurant was a local pioneer of strong purveyor relationships, and Ryan formed deep connections with farmers that underscore his commitment to quality ingredients. When Gavin Kaysen returned to Minneapolis to open Spoon and Stable, Ryan joined the team immediately, going on to contribute to the launches of each of Gavin’s new ventures.