Orane Blake is currently VP of Operations for Chow Tai Fook Enterprises - Baha Mar, in which he is responsible for procurement, logistics and warehousing for the 1,000 acre multi site resort. Prior to this role he held various supply chain executive roles at Kraft Heinz, McCain Foods, Revlon and PepsiCo.

Mario M. Martinez is an Associate Professor and Consolidated Researcher in the Food Technology Division at the University of Valladolid (Spain), and also holds a joint appointment as Associate Professor in the Department of Food Science at Aarhus University (Denmark). Since September 2023, he has served as an editor for the International Journal of Biological Macromolecules. His research focuses on structure–function relationships and the interactions among food components within complex systems and diverse environments, including the human gastrointestinal tract.

Dr. Senay Simsek is Professor and Head of the Department of Food Science at Purdue University. She is internationally recognized for her research in cereal and grain chemistry, with a focus on carbohydrate functionality and grain quality. Dr. Simsek brings deep academic and industry experience to the Whistler Center, where she helps guide strategic initiatives that connect fundamental research with real-world applications.