Michel Nischan

Experience

Chef Michel Nischan has been a driving force in the local, sustainable, farm-to-table movement for more than three decades. He developed his deep appreciation for wholesome local, seasonal ingredients and cooking good food early, growing up in a farming family where he learned how to cook, butcher, cure, and preserve what was grown on their land. As a chef, Nischan incorporated the values of his upbringing into his restaurants, from Miche Mache in North Stamford, Connecticut, to Tribeca Grill and Heartbeat in New York City to Pure in India. He found a kindred spirit in the late actor and activist Paul Newman with whom he opened The Dressing Room, named one of the top 95 restaurants in the world in 2006 by Condé Nast Traveler. Inspired by the business model and ethos of Newman’s Own, Nischan partnered with friends Michael Batterberry and Gus Schumacher to found Wholesome Wave to make positive changes in public food policy and support community-based organizations working to combat food and nutrition insecurity. He has received accolades and recognition for his food activism and extensive philanthropic work, including the IACP Humanitarian Award, American Heart Association Change the Future Award, and Monterey Bay Aquarium Sustainable Chef of the Year, among many others.