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Season 2 of the Ignite Podcast is officially here — and we’re kicking things off with a powerful conversation about leadership, purpose, and feeding the next generation.

In this episode, we sit down with Jennifer Gordon, the SNA Director of the Year, a powerhouse in child nutrition who oversees a team serving thousands of meals to students every single day. Her journey is filled with heart, purpose, and the kind of operational grit that keeps kids fed, fueled, and ready to learn.

Jennifer opens up about what it really takes to run a program at this scale — from navigating staffing and menu challenges to creating a culture where her team feels supported, valued, and deeply connected to the mission. You’ll hear how she leads with both compassion and strategy, why innovation matters more than ever, and how school nutrition is evolving to meet the needs of modern students.

Whether you work in foodservice, leadership, or simply love a story about people changing lives through meals, this conversation will leave you inspired.

🎧 Tune in and hear how Jennifer and her team turn kitchens into community lifelines — one plate at a time.

👨‍🍳 Our HOSTS

Robert Simmelink
Director of Culinary Services — Phoenix, Arizona
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Luke Simonds
Corporate Chef — Denver, Colorado
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Ryan Devereaux
Corporate Chef — Kent, Washington
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🍳 Our COMPANY

Looking to find out more about a piece of equipment? In search of new ideas to develop your menu? Or just not sure where to start when it comes to your foodservice operation? We’re here to help answer your foodservice equipment questions!

Learn more at the Ignite Foodservice Solutions Website

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👨‍🍳 DISCLOSURE:

Views expressed in the Culinary 360 Podcast are individual opinions and they do not represent the employers of each host or guest, or the firm with which each host or guest is associated. Our podcasts are for educational and informational purposes only and should not be deemed or viewed as advice or recommendations.

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In this episode, we meet Jennifer Caraway, the powerhouse behind The Joy Bus — a nonprofit and restaurant delivering hot, chef-prepared meals to homebound cancer patients. What started as a personal gesture for a friend has grown into a movement touching lives across Phoenix and beyond.

From her humble beginnings washing dishes at 14 to opening restaurants in Portland and Puerto Vallarta, Jennifer shares her culinary path and the mission that fuels her work today. You’ll hear how she built a team, trained customers, tackled massive growth (hello, $5M capital campaign!), and stayed grounded in the why behind it all.

If you’ve ever wondered what it looks like to run a purpose-driven kitchen — and feed a community in the process — this one’s for you.

🎧 Tune in now and get inspired to serve something bigger than a plate of food.

👨‍🍳 Our GUEST

Jennifer Caraway
Chair, President & CEO — The Joy Bus
https://www.joybus.org/

👨‍🍳 Our HOSTS

Robert Simmelink
Director of Culinary Services — Phoenix, Arizona
Follow Robert on LinkedIn

Luke Simonds
Corporate Chef — Denver, Colorado
Follow Luke on LinkedIn

Ryan Devereaux
Corporate Chef — Kent, Washington
Follow Ryan on LinkedIn

—

🍳 Our COMPANY

Looking to find out more about a piece of equipment? In search of new ideas to develop your menu? Or just not sure where to start when it comes to your foodservice operation? We’re here to help answer your foodservice equipment questions!

Learn more at the Ignite Foodservice Solutions Website

—

👨‍🍳 DISCLOSURE:

Views expressed in the Culinary 360 Podcast are individual opinions and they do not represent the employers of each host or guest, or the firm with which each host or guest is associated. Our podcasts are for educational and informational purposes only and should not be deemed or viewed as advice or recommendations.

Send us a text

From her CIA dreams at age 12 to running a cutting-edge R&D kitchen for Sigma, Chef Kaylah Farina’s journey is equal parts culinary passion and scientific precision. We dive deep into how she blends food science, menu development, and customer experience to bring craveable concepts to market.

She walks us through the full product lifecycle — from ideation to testing to scale-up — and what it takes to make something memorable in both retail and foodservice.

Whether you're in product development, R&D, or just love geeking out on food systems, this episode is full of insight, strategy, and a whole lot of fun.

Listen now and rethink what it means to be a chef in today’s industry.

👨‍🍳 Our GUEST

Kaylah Farina
Product Development Manager — Sigma Foodservice
https://sigmafoodservice.com/

👨‍🍳 Our HOSTS

Robert Simmelink
Director of Culinary Services — Phoenix, Arizona
Follow Robert on LinkedIn

Luke Simonds
Corporate Chef — Denver, Colorado
Follow Luke on LinkedIn

Ryan Devereaux
Corporate Chef — Kent, Washington
Follow Ryan on LinkedIn

—

🍳 Our COMPANY

Looking to find out more about a piece of equipment? In search of new ideas to develop your menu? Or just not sure where to start when it comes to your foodservice operation? We’re here to help answer your foodservice equipment questions!

Learn more at the Ignite Foodservice Solutions Website

—

👨‍🍳 DISCLOSURE:

Views expressed in the Culinary 360 Podcast are individual opinions and they do not represent the employers of each host or guest, or the firm with which each host or guest is associated. Our podcasts are for educational and informational purposes only and should not be deemed or viewed as advice or recommendations.