Rita Sodi &
Jody Williams
interviewed by
Kerry Diamond
Rita Sodi &
Rita and Jody are the powerhouse duo behind some of the most popular restaurants in the country. They’ve built a thoughtful community of businesses centered around New York’s West Village that includes Via Carota, Buvette, I Sod, Bar Pisellino, The Commerce Inn, Officina del Bere, and Officina1397. Rita and Jody have also embarked on a culinary partnership with The Metropolitan Museum of Art to reimagine their restaurant program.
Last year, they were Cherry Bombe cover stars and named to our 2025 Power List.
Radio Cherry Bombe host Kerry Diamond will interview Rita and Jody for a keynote conversation on the main stage, and during the breakout sessions following lunch, they’ll take part in Hospitality Hot Line. Learn how they went from self-taught chefs to award-winning culinary and hospitality visionaries.
During Happy Hour, Rita and Jody will be signing copies of their cookbook, Via Carota: A Celebration of Seasonal Cooking, and you’ll be able to try their Via Carota Craft Cocktails.
The Legacy of
Edna Lewis
with Toni Tipton-Martin & Nina Williams-Mbengue
interviewed by
Adrienne Cheatham
This year marks the 50th anniversary of Chef Edna Lewis’s landmark book, The Taste of Country Cooking. The cookbook has introduced countless chefs and home cooks to seasonal cooking and cemented Edna’s place as the godmother of American farm-to-table cuisine and one of the country’s most influential culinary figures.
Nina Williams-Mbengue and Toni Tipton-Martin will join us on the Jubilee stage for a keynote conversation about Edna’s legacy and the enduring importance of the book. They will be interviewed by Chef Adrienne Cheatham.
Following their talk, Nina and Toni will be signing copies of the 50th anniversary edition of The Taste of Country Cooking, which includes a new foreword by Toni. The book will be released on May 5th, but our bookstore partner Kitchen Arts & Letters was able to secure early copies for our attendees.
Nina, who is Edna’s niece, a long-time child welfare advocate, master gardener, and board member of The Edna Lewis Foundation, helped type the manuscript for TTOCC when she was just 12 years old. Toni is a culinary historian known for celebrating the vital contributions of Black cooks throughout history, and has written several books, including The Jemima Code and Jubilee. She received the James Beard Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award in 2025.
Adrienne is co-host of The Chef's Cut and author of the Sunday Best cookbook, and this is her third time on the Jubilee stage!
Nara Smith
interviewed by Sophia Roe
We’re thrilled to welcome Nara Smith to the Jubilee stage for the first time! Sophia Roe will interview Nara for a keynote conversation on the main stage.
Nara is a lifestyler creator, entrepreneur, and model known for her fashionable, from-scratch cooking videos narrated in her distinct style. She’s built a huge global audience for her unique approach to storytelling, and is teaching millions to be adventurous in the kitchen.
Her debut cookbook, Homemade, will be published by HarperCollins in October. Last fall, she launched her first culinary collaboration, a garlic algae oil with Algae Cooking Club, and she’s worked with fashion brands including Miu Miu, Schiaparelli, Calvin Klein, and Reformation.
Chef, recipe developer, mom, and TV host Sophia Roe is a long-time friend of Cherry Bombe’s, having appeared on our cover and podcast multiple times. Her last Jubilee appearance was in 2023 for a keynote conversation with Molly Baz. She is the founder of the Apartment Miso culinary studio in Brooklyn, and a frequent collaborator with food and fashion brands, including Springbone, Pamela Love, Dior, and Rag + Bone. She is a passionate advocate for food justice and maternal health.
Sophia won the James Beard Foundation Award for "Emerging Voice" in Broadcast Media in 2022.
The two will discuss finding one’s place in the food world, their approach to creating content, motherhood, and Nara’s upcoming book.
Jenny Nguyen
interviewed by
Olivia & Adrianna Maher
Few people believe in women’s sports more than Jenny Nguyen. So much so that she decided to try and open the world’s first sports bar dedicated to women’s sports. Even her parents questioned whether such a venture would work out. “There’s probably a reason nobody’s done it,” said her dad. But Jenny, a college athlete (until she blew out her ACL), chef, and dedicated fan, was committed to the cause.
She raised $105k through a Kickstarter, and when she opened the doors to The Sports Bra in Portland, Oregon, on April 1st, 2022, it was instantly iconic. Today, Jenny has worked with dozens of brands and sports teams, and has partnered with Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of Reddit and husband of Serena Williams, to franchise The Sports Bra. Locations are set to open in Boston, Indianapolis, Las Vegas, St. Louis, and Portland, Maine.
We are thrilled Jenny will join us to share her story and what’s next for The Sports Bra. She will be in conversation with Cherry Bombe cover stars Olivia Maher and Adrianna Maher, who also host the House of Maher podcast with their sister, rugby star Ilona Maher. Of course, we have to mention that Olivia, as many of you know, kicked off the Girl Dinner phenomenon back in 2023 when her TikTok video on the subject went viral.