In collaboration with Chefs’ Manifesto, the SDG2 Advocacy Hub, and CIMMYT, I had the honor of preparing a multi-course meal at the CIMMYT World Headquarters in Mexico City—home to some of the most innovative agricultural scientists working across Africa, South America, and Asia. The meal was a celebration of biodiversity and seed sovereignty, built around climate-resilient legumes, grains, and ground crops—ingredients that nourish both people and planet. From heirloom beans and teff to milled maize and drought-tolerant sorghum, every dish told a story rooted in sustainability, cultural identity, and food justice.

One of the most meaningful roles I’ve stepped into as a chef and food systems advocate is serving as Chef Lead for the Coalition for Sustainable Aquaculture—a multi-stakeholder initiative working to advance responsible offshore aquaculture policy in the United States. Formed by the Environmental Defense Fund, CSA brings together scientists, environmentalists, industry leaders, and chefs to align on one simple but ambitious goal: ensuring that aquaculture in U.S. federal waters is guided by science, equity, and sustainability from the ground up.

The James Beard Foundation Chef Action Summit is one of the most energizing gatherings in the world of food advocacy, and attending the third annual summit in Asheville, North Carolina was nothing short of inspiring. Hosted in a city still demonstrating remarkable community resilience following Hurricane Helene, the setting reminded us that climate events aren’t theoretical—they’re lived experiences. Asheville welcomed us with grace, offering a powerful environment to explore the intersection of sustainability, food justice, and policy reform.

Every year, I put on my chef coat, step out of the kitchen, and head to Washington, D.C. Not to cook. But to fight—for the future of our food, our oceans, and the communities that depend on both. Chefs are uniquely positioned to speak truth to power. We we see firsthand how climate change, overfishing, and broken systems impact our food supply and the communities that rely on it.

As a longtime Smart Catch Leader and member of the program’s Board of Advisors, I’ve had the privilege of helping shape how chefs and restaurants source sustainable seafood—not just as a culinary priority, but as a moral and environmental responsibility.

In collaboration with Eric Schwaab of the Environmental Defense Fund, I recently co-authored an op-ed in LA Weekly making the case for sustainable aquaculture as a necessary response to the escalating threat climate change poses to our global seafood supply. The article, titled “Climate change is threatening our supply of fish. To save seafood, we’ll need to grow it sustainably,” draws a straight line between climate-driven ocean disasters—like the billion shellfish that boiled alive in the Pacific Northwest—and the need to build a resilient, domestic seafood system here in the U.S.

When the Hope in the Water docu-series made its world premiere on the Blue Carpet in Los Angeles, I was honored to attend—and even more honored to host the VIP after party at my restaurant, Joyce Soul & Sea in Downtown LA.

My restaurants have always been rooted in the belief that food can—and should—be a vehicle for environmental and social impact. That’s why I’m proud to share that we have officially been named the first restaurant in California to earn Green Business Innovator status from the California Green Business Network—a milestone that represents years of commitment to sustainable operations, community engagement, and climate-forward thinking.

At the Culinary Institute of America’s Hyde Park campus, I had the honor of joining a distinguished panel of culinary leaders and seafood advocates for a critical conversation on the future of sustainable seafood. Alongside Chef Michael Cimarusti, Chef Jeremy Sewall, and Hudson Valley Fisheries President John Ng, we explored the vital role that chefs play in shaping a food system that supports healthy oceans, responsible aquaculture, and thriving coastal communities.

There are nights when everything just clicks—killer setting, good people, great food, and a mission that matters. That’s what went down when I helped organize and host the first-ever seafood-focused dinner on the Malibu Pier in collaboration with Outstanding in the Field and the LA Times Food Bowl.

When I co-created the first-ever Sustainability Summit at LA Chef Con, my goal wasn’t just to talk about sustainability—it was to put it in the spotlight where it belongs. Alongside Brad Metzger and Corey Peet, we built a full-day program that tackled the issues chefs face beyond the plate, focusing on the triple bottom line: People, Planet, and Profit.

Since 2016, I’ve had the deep honor of serving on the Blue Ribbon Task Force—a mission-driven coalition created by the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program to connect chefs with scientists, sustainability leaders, and policymakers in the fight to protect ocean health. The chefs on this task force aren’t just celebrated for their cooking—we’re chosen because of our commitment to use our voices, our platforms, and our purchasing power to create real, measurable change in the seafood supply chain.

In an industry driven by image, the Good Food 100 Restaurants list stands out by focusing on something deeper: transparency. When I chose to participate in the Good Food 100 assessment, it wasn’t about chasing another accolade—it was about putting our values on paper. Through an in-depth third-party audit, the program tracks how much of a restaurant’s purchasing budget directly supports local, sustainable, and ethical food systems.

Working alongside Robert Egger—founder of L.A. Kitchen and DC Central Kitchen, and an early collaborator of Chef José Andrés—was one of the most transformative and purpose-driven chapters of my career. A visionary in every sense, Robert spent decades reshaping the way we think about food, equity, and opportunity. His life’s work centered on the belief that hunger isn’t about a lack of food—it’s about a lack of justice.

As part of the Chefs’ Manifesto—a global chef-led initiative aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals—I joined an international delegation of chefs from India, South Africa, Peru, Italy, and the U.S. to spotlight the role food plays in solving global challenges. Led by Paul Newnham, Director of the SDG2 Advocacy Hub, this gathering was more than symbolic—it was a working collaboration grounded in action, dialogue, and cultural exchange.

Trondheim, Norway was the stage for one of the most impactful events of my culinary career: Aqua Nor, the largest aquaculture technology conference in the world. In partnership with Corbion and BioMar, I had the honor of delivering the keynote address and creating a sustainable seafood experience for over 300 global attendees—bringing together science, storytelling, and serious flavor.

At Preux & Proper, we voluntarily joined Zero Foodprint and climate consultancy 3Degrees to complete a comprehensive carbon footprint audit—one of only 80 restaurants worldwide to take part in this pioneering effort. Led by James Beard Award–winning chef and food systems innovator Anthony Myint, the audit provided a full-spectrum analysis of our restaurant’s greenhouse gas emissions—measuring 395 metric tons of CO₂e across sourcing, energy use, waste management, and operations.

My wife and partner, Kassady Wiggins, and I were honored to receive a Green Star Award from the City of Los Angeles in recognition of our work helping launch one of the city’s first restaurant composting pilot programs—an initiative that ultimately contributed to shaping California Senate Bill 1383, the state’s landmark food waste legislation.

At the 2019 Seafood Expo North America (SENA) in Boston, I had the honor of serving as a Headlining Chef Presenter for the continent’s largest seafood industry event. This platform gave me the chance to cook for—and connect with—some of the most influential voices in global seafood, from fisheries experts and aquaculture scientists to chefs, buyers, and sustainability advocates.

As part of a national gathering in Portland, Oregon, I joined a group of leading chefs and fisheries policy experts to help draft the Portland Pact—a chef-led platform focused on advancing sustainable seafood and science-based fisheries management. The initiative was developed in partnership with the Monterey Bay Aquarium, whose mission and work around ocean conservation and responsible sourcing have long been aligned with my values as a chef and advocate.