Pierre Thiam is a chef, author, and social activist best known for bringing West African cuisine to the global fine dining world. His company Yolélé Foods advocates for smallholder farmers in Africa’s Sahel region by opening new markets for crops grown there. His TedTalk has been viewed over one million times and his cookbooks have won numerous awards including the James Beard Award for Best International Cookbook.

DIG loves him because he’s passionate about promoting diverse, healthy, conscious food cultures where eating and sharing food is an act of love for yourself, your community, and for the environment.

At this year’s event, Chef Pierre will take us on a culinary journey to West Africa and introduce us to an ancient grain that’s transforming lives and helping restore the local food system.