Linda Hampsten Fox is the chef/owner of The Bindery, an all-day bakery, market and restaurant, with locations in Denver’s historic Lower Highlands (LoHi) neighborhood as well as in Concourse A of Denver International Airport. 

Named Chef of the Year in 2018 by the Colorado Restaurant Association, Linda is a native of New Jersey and daughter of Polish and Czech immigrants. Her menu at The Bindery is a direct reflection of her heritage and culinary inspirations from regions where she has lived and spent extended periods of time, including Italy, Switzerland, Mexico, France and the island of Elba.

Linda perfected her craft while apprenticing with chefs in hotel kitchens on the Cote d’Azur to precious vineyards in Tuscany and mountain chalets in Switzerland. While her culinary passion is Mediterranean cuisine, her extensive travels have given her an intimate knowledge of food trends and cultures from all over the world. Through all this, the simple beauty and importance of gathering around the table has become undeniable to her.

A James Beard Foundation award winner for Best Chef Southwest in 2013, semi-finalist for Outstanding Chef in 2016 and Outstanding Restaurateur in 2020, Jasinski opened her first restaurant, Rioja, in Denver’s Larimer Square to critical acclaim in 2004. She and business partner Beth Gruitch acquired Bistro Vendôme, a French bistro in 2006 and moved it to Park Hill in 2023. Ultreia opened in 2017 and features the foods of the Iberian Peninsula in Denver’s historic Union Station.

“Chef Jen” was a finalist on the 2013 season of Top Chef Masters and won the Denver tour stop of Cochon 555 in 2014. She was named 2004 Colorado Chef of the Year and 2005 Western Regional Chef of the Year by the American Culinary Federation. Rioja is consistently listed among Denver’s top restaurants and has been annually awarded four stars by AAA since 2010. She was inducted into the MenuMasters Hall of Fame in 2021 and the Denver and Colorado Tourism Hall of Fame in 2023.

Born and raised in Colorado, The Greenbriar Inn’s Executive Pastry Chef, Lauren Leitner, discovered her passion for pastry at a young age in her childhood kitchen. A Colorado native, Lauren has always used baking as her creative outlet—turning simple ingredients into beautiful, delicious desserts. With over six years of experience in the culinary world, she blends technical precision with a lifelong love for creative expression to bring people together and share joy through her craft.

For Lauren, this role is more than a career milestone; it is a homecoming. Having celebrated countless birthdays and her parents’ 2001 wedding reception at the Inn, she finds deep meaning in creating sweet memories for a new generation of guests in a place that helped shape her own.

Born and raised in Colorado, Ariana Rios brings both local pride and professional precision to her role as Head Production Cook at Limelight Boulder. A CSU business graduate, Ariana pairs her culinary skill with a strong operational mindset—a combination that shines in the kitchen. She previously honed her craft at The Little Nell and Rosetta Hall, two of Colorado’s well-respected culinary destinations. With deep roots in the state and experience in some of its most dynamic kitchens, Ariana brings heart and hometown spirit to every dish she creates.

Business-owner, chef, and entrepreneur Dana Rodriguez knows how to turn up the heat. “Loca,” as she’s known by her friends and team members, hails from a farm in Chihuahua, Mexico where she grew up without running water or electricity under the watchful eye of a mother who taught her to grind corn daily into masa for tortillas. In her early 20s, Dana relocated to Denver and took a job at the city’s storied Panzano restaurant, starting as dishwasher and eventually working her way up to the position of Executive Chef while learning the ropes of the industry working and learning alongside some of the city’s top culinary talent.

Since then, Dana has gone on to open the Denver essential Work & Class, Super Mega Bien (since sold to her Chef de Cuisine), and global steakhouse Carne. At the close of 2021, Dana was announced as Culinary Partner at Casa Bonita, bringing her brand of “loca” to the iconic, beloved Colorado restaurant and entertainment experience. Dana has garnered an impressive six James Beard nominations, including in the 2023 “Outstanding Chef” category.

Rainbow Shultz is the Chef/Owner of The Jamestown Mercantile Cafe. “The Merc” as it is better known, is a community gathering place, music venue, an art space, restaurant, and a place where meals are shared by all walks of life. Rainbow earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film Production, a Masters Degree in Social Work, and has always worked where food, gathering, and social change intersect. She believes in the power of good food, as it brings people together in a meaningful way. Through The Merc, she works with local farmers, roasters, bakers, artists, lecturers, teachers, poets and  musicians to maintain a collaborative social space.

She believes that a thoughtfully designed meal shared with others is a unique art form because of its impermanent nature. Created with the chef’s inspiration and then immediately consumed during its appreciation, true culinary art depends on believing in the merit of living in the present moment, and in the value of a shared experience. In addition to operating The Jamestown Merc, Rainbow has also been the Chef for The Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art’s International Artist in Residency Program for over a decade.

St Julien Angels are a powerhouse collective from the St. Julien Hotel & Spa, made up of Camille Conner, Executive Sous Chef; Patty Wilson—affectionately known as Patty Cakes—Pastry Chef; Blanka Gandara, Sous Chef; and Kirbi Olson, Director of Catering & Conference Services.

Formed in 2023, this all-star team brings together culinary creativity, operational excellence, and a deep love of hospitality, united by one mission: to deliver unforgettable food and guest experiences in the heart of Boulder. With decades of combined experience spanning boutique bakeries, large-scale catering, luxury hotels, and kitchens from Texas to Colorado’s mountain towns, St Julien’s Angels embody the St Julien’s signature blend of precision, warmth, and flair.

Shamane Simons is the Chef/Owner of Shamane’s Bakery in Boulder—a culmination of years of culinary adventure, experimentation, and discovery. Shamane began as a pastry apprentice at the prestigious Flagstaff House Restaurant, before pursuing her formal culinary education at the Scottsdale Culinary Institute in Arizona.

Shamane’s resume includes time spent concocting lavish treats for recording artists such and Alice Cooper and Nine Inch Nails; and floating over the vineyards of France, Italy and the Alps of Switzerland, as personal chef for an exclusive hot air balloon company.

Shamane’s travels eventually brought her back to Boulder, where she built the bakery for The Med and Brasserie 1010 restaurants, before opening the beloved business that bears her name in April of 2004.