One in six kids in America don’t get the food they need every day, particularly breakfast. This puts a terrible strain on their health and development, and even threatens their futures. As a chef, employer, food advocate, and most importantly a parent, child hunger is an issue close to Hugh Acheson’s heart.

Partnered with organizations such as National Head Start Association, Seed Life Skills, and No Kid Hungry, Acheson works to inform schools, communities, and governments about what food programs are available, so that breakfast becomes a part of the routine for every student. Hugh also teaches parents how to make healthier meals that fit the budget, and that children will enjoy.

A pressing, bipartisan issue, child hunger is a practical matter for any business or organization who hope to hire young adults that can compete in an agile business world. As Acheson has said, the workforce of tomorrow is the kids of today, and a competitive, healthy society starts with breakfast.

Less than a century ago, the foods we ate and how we purveyed and cooked them was relatively static. Then advances in technology like refrigeration, freezing, canning, and the addition of food preservatives completely changed the way we nourish ourselves. That arc has led to some progress, but also to endemic health issues, a steady loss of food skills, and a change in attitude towards the worth of food. As Americans of means now yearn for pasture raised chicken and local organic vegetables, we are also confronted with choices that will have huge impact on the environment and the health of an entire society.

So what is the future of our food? How do we teach sustainable nourishment? And how do we change the mindset of a nation raised on Happy Meals?

In this speech, Hugh will walk us through the many possible futures of food, and offer simple, effective solutions for feeding an evolving population and creating a sustainable model.

At Hugh Acheson’s restaurant 5 & 10, there are no managers; every employee takes equal responsibility for customer experience and the restaurant’s success. As the visionary force behind the restaurant, Chef Acheson worked to build a trustworthy team, carefully staffing and training each position to encourage ownership and authenticity. By empowering people and aligning your vision with the wants, aspirations, and attitudes of your teammates, you respect them, and they give it back. Emphasizing the importance of teamwork, Chef Acheson explains his unique approach to management and how it can help you.

Hugh Acheson’s mantra is: local first, sustainable second, organic third. He believes that food is the key to improving one’s community and making it sustainable. Chef Acheson advocates that taking small steps like shopping at your area farmer’s market, frequenting independent restaurants, learning to garden, and meeting the people who grow your food will make the world a better place, one community at a time.

Having made his through the ranks in the kitchen, Hugh Acheson moved on to be a fan-favorite contestant and judge on Bravo’s Top Chef. Currently the host of Top Chef: Battle of Sous Chefs and Bravo’s official Food Blogger, Hugh shares stories from his well-rounded career in the kitchen, his rise to Top Chef, and the full flavor of his talent and passion.