AmyLeo Barankovich
AmyLeo Barankovich is a passionate vegan chef. She began cooking for a family of ten at the age of 13 and has since been delighting family, friends and colleagues with creative, delicious, beautiful, wholesome food. She has recently founded Vegan Affairs: A Place for Taste and Grace, offering private and public vegan cooking classes, Personal Chef Services, Vegan Coaching and restaurant consulting.
Dr. Sara Jean Barrett
Dr. Sara Jean Barrett is a Naturopathic Physician practicing in Bloomington, MN. She is board certified by the North American Board of Naturopathic Examiners, is a licensed physician in Arizona and registered by the Medical Board in the state of Minnesota. Dr. Barrett received her undergraduate degree in Biology from Georgia Institute of Technology with highest honor. She went on to receive her doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine from the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine with highest honor. In her practice, Alternative Solutions for Health, Dr. Barrett treats a variety of conditions including digestive concerns, hormonal imbalances, allergies & asthma, autoimmune conditions, metabolic disorders and more.
David S. Cargo, St. Paul Bread Club
David S. Cargo is one of the founding members of the Saint Paul Bread Club, a former baker at Trotter’s Café and Bakery and the St. Agnes Baking Company, and a featured baker in Kim Ode’s cookbook, Baking with the Saint Paul Bread Club: Recipes, Tips, and Stories.
Alexandra Glad
Alexandra Glad is a raw, vegan chef based out of Minneapolis, MN. She has been an instructor for 7 years and counting. She loves gardening, her many pets, and has a passion for creative eating.
Jan Zita Grover
Jan Zita Grover has taught community education cooking classes since 1986. She has taught in San Francisco, Duluth, Minneapolis, St. Paul, Woodbury, Cottage Grove, and White Bear Lake. Jan has run a commercial kitchen, catered, sold her baked goods at a farmers’ market, and enjoyed it all. Her goal is to help home cooks become more joyous, improvisational, and technically accomplished.
Kristin Hamaker
Kristin is first and foremost a real food advocate but is also the happy chef/owner of Farm to Fork, a bustling personal chef service in the Twin Cities. www.farmtofork.net
Jessica Hanley, TeaSource
Jessica, besides being a self proclaimed “tea-geek”, is also an artist, poet, and avid house plant gardener. Jessica has a degree in Education from Hamline University and has worked at TeaSource for two and a half years, managing the Saint Anthony shop for last year.
Nicholas Knutzen
Nicholas Knutzen is an active participant and benefactor of the paleo lifestyle. He is an avid cook and a believer and ambassador of the paleo lifestyle.
Liz McMann
Liz McMann is the Consumer Affairs Manager at Mississippi Market Natural Foods Co-op. She holds a master’s degree in holistic health studies from St. Catherine University and is a Master Food Preserver through UW-Extension. In her spare time Liz likes to garden, cook, make lists, do yoga, hang with her step kids, and blog about it all on www.foodsnobberyhobbery.blogspot.com
Dr. Crystalin Montgomery L.Ac., N.D.
Dr. Crystalin Montgomery is a Registered Naturopathic Doctor and Licensed Acupuncturist. She came to natural medicine via her experience as a collegiate athlete and coach, interested in optimizing performance. In her private practice, Dr. Montgomery uses a blend of Naturopathic and Chinese Medicine to treat many women’s health concerns, including hormone imbalance, HPV/cervical dysplasia, fertility support, insomnia, cancer support, digestive issues and autoimmune disorders.
Nutrition Educators from Nutritional Weight and Wellness
Nutritional Weight & Wellness is a leading provider of nutrition education and counseling. The company was founded by Darlene Kvist, who has educated and counseled people for over 20 years. Our passion is to educate people about nutrition. We want to show you the connection between what you eat and how you feel. www.weightandwellness.com
Susan Patterson
Susan Patterson was a baker at Birchwood Cafe and has been cooking gluten free since 2006.
Sonja M. Ramos, B.S., RYT, RTT, CHHC
Sonja is the founder of Fresh Betty Lifestyle, offering wellness and fitness coaching in Minnesota. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Outdoor Education and Recreation from the University of Minnesota Duluth, current certifications in yoga and Holistic Health Coaching, and has completed advanced trainings in Thai Yoga Bodywork. She is an avid runner and cross country skier and continually places in the top of her age division in competitive events. She shares a level of knowledge and energy that is easy to draw from and absorb and she lovingly shares this with others. www.sonjaramos.com
Mary Jo Rasmussen and Kelly Smeltzer, Urban Relish
Together, Mary Jo and Kelly have over 20 years of experience in teaching cooking classes, arranging exciting parties, and managing corporate events. Their goal is to help cooks feel confident in the kitchen, comfortable enough with their basic knowledge to improvise a missing ingredient, change a recipe to their taste or create a wonderful new dish based on what’s in the refrigerator. Mary Jo and Kelly co-own Urban Relish, a Minnesota based company that offers cooking classes, kitchen consulting, and private events. www.urbanrelishmn.com
Connie Taillon, Cedar Hill Natives
Connie Taillon is a graduate of the University of Minnesota with a degree in Civil Engineering. Prior to starting her own storm water engineering, native plant, and rain barrel business, Connie worked as a professional water resources engineer specializing in sustainable storm water management. Her love of native plants and commitment to environmental stewardship has led her to serve on the boards of both the Brown’s Creek Watershed District and the Oak Savanna Chapter of Wild Ones: Native Plants, Natural Landscapes. www.cedarhillnatives.com
Kenzie Tenter-Fox
Kenzie has worked at Mississippi Market Natural Foods Co-op for over four years and has been teaching for the past three. She has a degree in education and also teaches art for various school districts.
Nilgun Tuna
Nilgun Tuna is a Ramsey County Master Gardener. Her gardens have won 2nd prize several times at the State Fair.
