Jacquelyn Chi

Director of Programs and Special Projects, Strategic Initiatives Group, The Culinary Institute of America; Napa, CA

Jacquelyn Chi, MA is director of programs and special projects for the Strategic Initiatives Group, the thought leadership arm of The Culinary Institute of America (CIA). In this role, Jacquelyn serves as program director for the Global Plant-Forward Culinary Summit, and also oversees the Flavor Summit retreat, targeting food and beverage executives in the hotel, resort, cruise line, casino, and upper-tier multi-unit restaurants sector. She previously ran the CIA’s reThink Food initiative, exploring the intersection of technology, behavior, design, and food; and Appetites + Innovation (A+I), which advanced culinary excellence, health and wellness, sustainability, and cultures of innovation in retail foodservice. In 2013, Jacquelyn project-managed the CIA’s first mobile app for its flagship Worlds of Flavor® International Conference & Festival, which won the 2013 Cvent Plannie Award for Best Use of a Mobile App. Prior to joining the CIA, Jacquelyn earned her bachelor’s degree in radio-television-film from Northwestern University, and her master’s degree in international communication from American University, where she researched food as a tool of public diplomacy, and the social construction of authenticity in foreign eating experiences. She has also served as photographer and videographer for a Turkish coffee truck diplomacy project; managed social media for a start-up food company; and worked in a chocolate factory. (Napa, CA) @jaxiecracks