Speakers from 2010

Michael Mandelbaum

Michael Mandelbaum's Headshot Michael Mandelbaum, Ph.D. Author and Professor at The Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies Michael Mandelbaum is one of America’s leading authorities on international affairs, known for his ability to explain, in clear and accessible ways, the meaning and consequences of complicated global developments and trends.

His classic book, , has been translated into seven languages including Chinese and Arabic. “The purpose of the book,” says Mandelbaum, “was to provide a framework for understanding all of the international issues of the 21st century, from globalization to terrorism, from Chinese succession politics to Latin American economic crises.” The Financial Times called it “a brilliant book” and Tom Friedman praised it as “important and compelling.”

Marion Nestle

Marion Nestle's Head Shot Marion Nestle is Paulette Goddard Professor in the Department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health at New York University, which she chaired from 1988-2003. She also holds appointments as Professor of Sociology at NYU and Visiting Professor of Nutritional Sciences at Cornell. Her degrees include a Ph.D. in molecular biology and an M.P.H. in public health nutrition, both from the University of California, Berkeley. She has held faculty positions at Brandeis University and the UCSF School of Medicine. From 1986-88, she was senior nutrition policy advisor in the Department of Health and Human Services and managing editor of the 1988 Surgeon General’s Report on Nutrition and Health. Her research examines scientific, economic, and social influences on food choice, obesity, and food safety, with an emphasis on the role of food marketing.

She is the author of three prize-winning books: (revised edition, 2007), (revised edition 2010), and (2006). Her latest book, , was published in 2008. Her newest book, , co-authored with Malden Nesheim, will be published in May. She writes the Food Matters column for the San Francisco Chronicle, and blogs at and for the , You can also follower her on .

Michael Gallis

Michael Gallis' Head Shot Michael Gallis is widely considered one of the country’s leading experts in large-scale metropolitan regional development strategies. His firm pioneered a specialty in building frameworks through which public, private and institutional leaders have been mobilized to develop new ways of responding to the challenges and opportunities of states and regions in the 21st century.

Mr. Gallis consulted with the National Surface Transportation Revenue and Study Commission in 2007 and 2008 on developing the "Big Picture" component of the vision for US transportation in the 21st century. He was invited to speak before the Committee on Transportation and the Environment of the US House of Representatives in January of 2009 and testified in the US Senate to the Infrastructure & Environment Committee.

Robert Kenner

Robert Kenner's Head Shot After opening to sold-out crowds at the Toronto Film festival and the Berlin Film Festival, Robert Kenner’s, , opened theatrically in the US in June ’09. The film lifts the veil on our nations food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that is hidden from the American consumer. Entertainment Weekly wrote, “Food, Inc. is more than a terrific movie …it’s an important movie.” The Los Angeles Times noted, “Food, Inc. does what good reporting does…it connects the dots”, and Variety remarked, “Food, Inc.… does for the supermarket what ‘Jaws’ did for the beach”. It is currently one of the top 20 documentaries of all time.

Chuck Alpuche

Chuck graduated from Delaware Valley College with a degree in Business Administration and later attended the University of Pennsylvania to pursue an M.S. degree. Chuck joined Pepsi Cola in February, 1982 as a Production Supervisor trainee in the Philadelphia manufacturing facility. He held a number of increasing operational managerial responsibilities in Philadelphia Pepsi Cola before moving to Newport News, VA as Production Manager and then Plant Operations Manager. Chuck then moved to headquarters in Somers, NY in 1990 as Manager, Operations Training and then Director, Process Improvement. After a variety of headquarters assignments in North America, Chuck moved to the Pepsi Cola International Division of PepsiCo where he was Vice President, Concentrate Operations, Americas/Asia. Pepsi Cola International is in 195 countries throughout the world and is a Division of the PepsiCo Corporation. PepsiCo also consists of Pepsi Cola North America, Frito Lay, Tropicana Juice, Quaker and Gatorade Companies.

Chuck moved to his current role as Senior Vice President, Supply Chain Operations for Pepsi Cola, North America in October 2005.

Pepsi Cola North America manufactures and distributes such brands as Pepsi Cola, Mt. Dew, Aquafina, Lipton Ice Tea, SoBe, Tropicana and Ocean Spray Bottled Juices, Starbucks Frappuccino and Double Shot, Ethos as well as many other leading brands.