Celebrity Chefs Tim Ma and Brother Luck Join FoodMaven Advisory Board

FoodMaven today announced the addition of celebrity chef Tim Ma and celebrity chef Brother Luck to its Chef Advisory Board.

FoodMaven has created a Chef Advisory Board to gain insights from chefs and provide feedback on innovative ideas being considered to improve customer experience. The company is creating a network of thought leaders who will play a role in the transformation of the food system, and Chef Ma, a well-known Washington D.C. chef, is among the first to be named. The addition of Chef Ma signals the extensive reach and momentum that FoodMaven is gaining.

Chef Ma is widely known as a food-waste crusader. His newest restaurant, American Son, is located in Washington D.C.’s Eaton Hotel, and serves vegetable-focused dishes utilizing seasonal produce sourced from local zero-waste farms, certified organic and chemical-free farms, and from Eaton’s rooftop garden. He initially began his food waste reduction practices to help his bottom line, but ultimately his interest in the larger environmental and social implications of curbing food waste has grown.

“It’s ungodly how much food gets wasted, so FoodMaven’s model really spoke to me,” Ma said. “I’ve made food waste reduction and sustainability core elements of my business, and I’m proud to join their organization to bring greater visibility to these key issues.”

Chef Brother Luck will join Chef Ma on the inaugural FoodMaven Chef Advisory Board. Chef Luck has been working in professional kitchens since he was 14 years old, earning several culinary scholarships and awards like “Best Local Chef” and “Most Cutting–Edge Restaurant”. His latest restaurants, Four by Brother Luck and Lucky Dumpling, are based in FoodMaven’s hometown of Colorado Springs. Four by Brother Luck focuses on the four providers behind his cooking – hunters, fishermen, farms and gatherers – because he places great value on knowing where his food comes from. He has successfully competed on leading culinary shows Top Chef, Beat Bobby Flay and Chopped.

“It’s important to me to know where the food I serve is coming from. I want to know the story behind it,” said Chef Luck. “Working with FoodMaven has been an invaluable connection to local growers and ranchers, and I’m honored to be part of their mission to make an impact in our community.”

These announcements come on the heels of the news of FoodMaven’s new hospitality initiative that connects local farmers and ranchers to major hospitality brands like Hilton, creating a true farm–to-table system for institutions.

“As we continue our rapid growth, it becomes even more crucial to keep on top of what buyers, suppliers and partners need,” said Patrick Bultema, FoodMaven Founder and CEO. “We’re excited to have both Chef Ma and Chef Luck join our mission of seeing all food used with good purpose and look forward to their valuable insights and expertise.”

FoodMaven currently serves Colorado and is soon to begin operations in Dallas-Fort Worth with plans to expand to many more cities nationwide in the next two years.

About FoodMaven

FoodMaven creates new pathways for food lost in the system due to oversupply, out of spec, or local food without effective distribution channels. FoodMaven sells this food through an online marketplace to restaurants and institutions like universities and hotels and donates it to hunger-relief organizations to fulfill its mission of all food used with good purpose. FoodMaven is good for profits, good for people and good for the planet. For more information, please visit www.foodmaven.com.