Jacquelyn Chi

Director of Programs and Special projects for the Strategic Initiatives Group, The Culinary Institute of America (CIA); Napa, CA

Jacquelyn Chi, MA is director of programs and special projects for the Strategic Initiatives Group at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA). In this role, Jacquelyn oversees the Flavor Summit retreat, targeting food and beverage executives in the hotel, resort, cruise line, casino, and upper-tier multi-unit restaurants sector; and co-directs the Global Plant-Forward Culinary Summit, a deep dive into plant-forward culinary and menu R&D strategy, drawing upon the work of the college’s Menus of Change initiative and longstanding Worlds of Flavor International Conference and Festival. She also previously directed initiatives exploring the intersection of technology, behavior, design, and food; and culinary excellence and cultures of innovation in retail foodservice. In 2013, Jacquelyn project-managed the CIA’s first mobile app which won the 2013 Cvent Plannie Award for “Best Use of a Mobile App.” Prior to joining the CIA in 2012, Jacquelyn earned a bachelor’s degree in radio-television-film from Northwestern University, and a 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. A third-generation food professional, Jacquelyn 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