Julie Van Ossel
Julie is journalist, moderator, editorial consultant and podcast creator. She has 15 years of experience in journalism and has covered many food stories for French TV : Arte, M6 and France Télévisions. She has also worked for Euronews, an international news channel broadcasted in 9 languages, as newsroom coordinator.
Julie is the host and creator of "la recette", a French monthly podcast about sustainable food. Each episode features a conversation with local leading changemakers who are developing ideas to improve our global food system.
She moderates at food and gastronomy events and helps organizations tell stories and make their voice heard through podcasts. She also teaches editorial design and podcast production at CFJ journalism school and at UCLy, Catholic University of Lyon.
Mathilde Carpentier, Promotion and Partnership Manager, OnlyLyon Tourism and Congress (France)
Mathilde has 25 years of extensive experience in the tourism industry. She began as a sales representative for various French tour operators and Air Transat airline, before advancing to the role of director, overseeing 20 Selectour travel agencies throughout the Rhône-Alpes region.
Since 2022, Mathilde has served as the Promotion and Partnership Manager at OnlyLyon Tourism and Congress, the official tourist office of Lyon. Her department works tirelessly to promote the rich touristic offerings of the Lyon metropolis to tourism professionals, media outlets, and the general public.
As Lyon is internationally renowned as the gastronomic capital of France, Mathilde collaborates closely with various stakeholders in the local culinary ecosystem, highlighting their dedication and expertise. These gastronomic treasures represent significant tourism assets that she showcases both nationally and internationally.
Gautier Chapuis, Deputy Mayor, City of Lyon (France)
Gautier Chapuis is Deputy Mayor of the City of Lyon, responsible for Greening, Biodiversity, Animal Welfare, and Food Policy. He also serves as co-president of the Green Group on the Lyon City Council.
With a scientific background, he holds an engineering degree in Water and Environmental Sciences. After working as a research engineer specializing in river flooding, he spent nearly 10 years as an entrepreneur.
He is also an active member of an environmental NGO advocating for better air quality in cities and has helped organize "Climate Marches" in Lyon. He is committed to protecting shared resources such as water and air and ensuring fair and equal access to these essentials for all.
Alberto Laplaine Guimarães, Secretary General, Municipality of Lisbon (Portugal)
Alberto Laplaine Guimarães is the Secretary General of the Municipality of Lisbon and holds the office of Executive President of the House of Latin America. A law graduate from the Universidade Clássica de Lisboa, he also completed the National Defense Course and was a Fellow of the GMF - German Marshall Fund in 1988.
His extensive career spans public administration and international cooperation, having served as Director at the Ministry of Justice, Secretary of State Council (1986-2006), Deputy Chief of Cabinet of the President of Republic (1986-2001) and Deputy Secretary General of UCLG. Alberto is a member of the Board of the City of Lisbon Foundation and Vice President of the Literary Guild (Grémio Literário). He is President of the Board of the European Community of Gastronomic Culture and Vice President of the Portuguese Academy of Gastronomy, Member of the Board of IDL – Instituto Amaro da Costa and Vice President of the Club of Lisbon.
Alberto has co-authored several books and publications, written numerous opinion and expert articles in domestic and foreign newspapers and magazines, and has received multiple international honors.
Kate MacKenzie, Executive Director, New York City's Mayor's Office of Food Policy (MOFP) (USA)
As Executive Director of New York City's Mayor's Office of Food Policy (MOFP), Kate advises the Mayor on all issues related to food policy and the city's food system. From evolving the city’s emergency food system and prioritizing food insecurity and benefits access, to ensuring a culture of wellness through food education in all city schools and supporting the food economy through jobs and M/WBE food contracts, Kate prioritizes food system transformation throughout New York City.
Under her leadership, MOFP released Food Forward NYC, the city's first-ever 10-year food policy plan and a comprehensive policy framework to reach a more equitable, sustainable, and healthy food system by 2030. Kate championed the City’s commitment to decrease the carbon footprint of its food purchases by 33% by 2030, ensuring that the largest city in the country takes bold action to address the role of the food system in our climate crisis. She was a chief architect of the city’s Food Education Road Map and worked closely with NYC Public Schools to ensure the adoption to launch of Plant-Powered Fridays in its school meal programming.
Kate holds a master's degree in public health nutrition from Columbia University and a bachelor's degree in nutritional sciences from Cornell University. She is also the mother of two NYCPS students, who eat school lunch every day!
Guillermo Massana Romero, Councillor of Tourism, Hostelry, New Citizens and University, City of Castelldefels (Spain)
Guillermo Massana Romero is the Councillor for Tourism, Hostelry, New Citizens, and University in Castelldefels, representing the Popular Party. He holds degrees in Business Sciences, Marketing Research, and Business Administration from the University of Barcelona, as well as a Master’s in Economics Education. He also studied Russian philology at Kiev Linguistics University.
With a strong background in international trade, Guillermo has worked as a consultant and held roles in export, marketing, financial management, and education. A native of Castelldefels, he brings both practical experience and academic expertise to his public service role.
Jakub Mazur, Deputy Mayor, City of Wrocław (Poland)
Jakub Mazur serves as Deputy Mayor of Wrocław since 2018, overseeing the city’s strategy, sustainable development, climate adaptation, and economic growth. With over 25 years of experience in business and strategic consulting across sectors like IT, urban planning, energy, and foreign investment, he brings a wealth of expertise to public service. He played a key role in the success of Wrocław as European Capital of Culture in 2016 and is currently leading the city's long-term strategic planning toward 2050.
Mr. Mazur also serves as President of METREX – the Network of European Metropolitan Regions and Areas – and is Member of the European Regional Executive Committee (RexCom) of ICLEI and Co-Chair of the Committee on Local Government Structure, Urban and Metropolitan Areas at the Joint Commission of the Government and Local Government.
He is a graduate of the University of Economics (former the Academy of Economics) in Wrocław from 1995 to 2000 and University of Wrocław, Faculty of Law and Administration, forum 1997 to 2002.
Emeric Richard, CEO, Nomad Kitchens, Co-Founder, Lyon Street Food Festival (France)
Emeric is the CEO of Nomad Kitchens and co-founder of the Lyon Street Food Festival. With a degree in economics, he began his career as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at the Geodis Group. This role took him around the world, including a four-year stint in Hong Kong with the group's APAC Freight Forwarding division.
At the age of 40, he made a bold career shift, relocating to Lyon and venturing into entrepreneurship in the events industry. His initial project — launching a large-scale rock music festival in Lyon — ultimately did not come to fruition. However, it paved the way for a new opportunity. He joined forces with Thomas Zimmermann to create Nomad Kitchens, an innovative event agency specializing in gastronomy.
Laura Styyra, Restaurant Owner of Kuurna, Helsinki (Finland)
Laura Styyra is a Helsinki based restauranteur who runs Finland's only organic fruit and vegetable shop along-side restaurant Kuurna, which after 19 years of existing still stands strong in the fore-front of the Finnish seasonal bistro scene. Laura is dedicated to modernizing restaurant industry's employee experience in order for Helsinki to achieve a sustainable and lively restaurant scene in the future. She is enthusiastic about the topic of discovering what hospitality and food can be in its most authentic form.
