Food Tank at NYC Climate Week 2025

Join Food Tank in New York City for NYC Climate Week at NPR Studios' The Greene Space from September 21st-26th!

More than 250 luminary speakers, chefs, journalists, academics, CEOs, farmers, and Broadway performers have already been announced—join us for a week-long series of delicious food, powerful conversations, and unforgettable performances. More information coming soon!

All events curated by invitation only.

To request an invitation or press passes please email Bernard at Bernard@FoodTank.com with the specific event you are interested in attending.

Register to stay up-to-date as NYC Climate Week 2025 approaches. Events are by invite-only and Food Tank Members recieve exclusive access to early tickets. Become a Food Tank Member at any level HERE and you will recieve an access code that unlocks a hidden ticket for you and a +1.

Sunday, Sept 21st

-SOLD OUT. Sunday, Sept 21st. Evening Arts Session: 5:30PM Doors. 6:00PM Program. Theme: “Hope on a Plate: An Interactive Celebration of Regenerative Agriculture and Shared Possibility.” A multisensory event featuring a chef-driven meal, immersive storytelling, and live performances, all highlighting regenerative farming as a scalable climate solution. Speakers will be announced soon, including Dan Barber, Chef and Co-owner, Blue Hill and Blue Hill at Stone Barns; Founder, Row 7 Seed Company; J.J. Johnson, American chef and author best known for celebrating the food of the African diaspora; Jason Buechel, CEO, Whole Foods Market; Chef Marcela Valladolid, beloved Food Network personality known for Mexican Made Easy and The Kitchen; Oliver English, Co-Founder & CEO, filmmaker, chef, and food advocate; Simon English, Co-Founder & Creative Director, film director and cinematographer; Paul Lightfoot, General Manager, Patagonia Provisions; Suzanne Sengelmann, Chief Growth Officer, Lundberg Family Farms; Bryce Lundberg, Vice President of Agriculture, Lundberg Family Farms; Brita Lundberg, Fourth-Generation Farmer and Chief Storyteller, Lundberg Family Farms; Camilla Marcus, chef and restaurateur known for her sustainability-focused cooking; and many more! A special musical performance will feature Brian Russell Carey, currently appearing in the acclaimed revival of Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club and previously in Red Roses, Green Gold, the Grateful Dead musical. He’ll be joined by Cabaret’s Musical Director, Jacob Yates, a Lexington-born musician who conducts and performs in the show’s live onstage ensemble. Register for this event HERE.

Monday, Sept 22nd

-SOLD OUT. Monday, Sept 22nd. Morning Session. Theme: “Climate Action: A Food Waste Breakthrough.” In partnership with the UN Environment Program, Apeel Sciences, the American Frozen Food Institute, Flashfood, and ReFED. Confirmed speakers and moderators include Massimo Bottura, world-renowned chef, UNEP Goodwill Ambassador, and UN SDG Advocate, whose groundbreaking work is redefining how we value surplus food; Somini Sengupta, international climate reporter at The New York Times; Michael Grunwald, food and climate columnist at Canary Media and contributing writer for The New York Times Opinion; Ligia Noronha, Assistant Secretary-General and Head of the New York Office at UNEP; Dana Gunders, President of ReFED; Alison Bodor, President and CEO of the American Frozen Food Institute; Jordan Schenck, CEO of Flashfood; Roni Neff, Professor at Johns Hopkins University; Maria Siqueira, Co-Founder and Director of Public Policies and Projects at Pacto Contra a Fome in Brazil; Jilly Stephens, Chief Executive Officer, City Harvest; Brian Roe, Professor at The Ohio State University and lead of the Ohio State Food Waste Collaborative; and Prahlada Rastogi, age 10, winner of the 2025 Stop Food Waste Day Youth Poetry Competition—with many more to be announced soon! Special performance from Antoine L. Smith, Broadway actor and singer whose credits include MJ the Musical, Carousel, Miss Saigon, The Color Purple, and Cinderella. He has performed at the Tony Awards and received a Grammy nomination for The Color Purple cast album. Register for this event HERE.

-SOLD OUT. Monday, Sept 22nd. Afternoon Session. Theme: “A Roadmap to a Delicious, Nutritious, and Regenerative Food Future for All.” In partnership with Unilever. Confirmed speakers include Rasmus Munk, Chef & Founder of Alchemist, the acclaimed two-Michelin-star restaurant in Copenhagen known for its immersive, 50‑course "holistic cuisine" experience; Mark Bittman, New York Times bestselling author, former New York Times food writer, chef, and Founder of Community Kitchen; Dorothy Shaver, Global Food Sustainability Lead, Unilever; Rachel Krupa, Founder, The Goods Mart; Chitra Agrawal, Founder, Brooklyn Delhi and author of Vibrant India; Eve Turow-Paul, author, and Founder and Executive Director of Food for Climate League; Drew Mitchell, Senior Vice President, Brand Purpose, US Lead Edelman Gen Z Lab; Herrish Patel, President of Unilever USA and CEO of its Personal Care business in North America; Kim Severson, Food Correspondent, The New York Times; Christa Barfield, Owner & Founder of FarmerJawn, a regenerative organic farm based in Philadelphia—and many more to be announced soon! Special musical performance from Daniel J. Maldonado, a New York–based Broadway performer currently appearing in the Tony-nominated musical & Juliet, where he understudies the role of Romeo. Register for this event HERE.

-SOLD OUT. Monday, Sept 22nd. Evening Arts Session: “The Performing Arts Lights the Way: A Climate Week Celebration.” In partnership with the McKnight Foundation. Confirmed speakers, moderators, and performers include—and many more to be announced: Sean Sherman, Chef and Founder, The Sioux Chef and NATIFS; Kim Severson, Food Correspondent, The New York Times; Adam Met, a multi-platinum, Grammy-nominated musician with AJR who has performed for millions worldwide and is the founder of Planet Reimagined, a nonprofit advancing climate justice and sustainable development. He bridges pop culture, academia, and policy to drive bold climate and food policy action globally; Tamika Lawrence, two-time Grammy winner (Dear Evan Hansen, The Greatest Showman) and Broadway veteran (If/Then, Beautiful, Matilda, Come From Away, Caroline, or Change, The Heart of Rock and Roll); Tonya Allen, President, McKnight Foundation; Amber Rubarth, an acclaimed singer-songwriter and former chainsaw sculptor whose latest album Cover Crop reimagines classic songs as a meditation on our interconnection with nature; Alysia Reiner, Award‑winning Actress, Producer, Activist, and Environmental Advocate (star of Orange Is the New Black, Ms. Marvel, Better Things); Lakisha May, Broadway and TV actress (Skeleton Crew, Jaja’s African Hair Braiding, Law & Order: SVU), food justice advocate, Board Member at SÜPRMARKT, and Co-Vice Chair of the James Beard Foundation Leadership Awards; Eliza Ohman, New York–based performer and choreographer (Hamilton, King Kong, SIX: The Musical, Fosse/Verdon, Up Here, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel); and Jennifer Noble, New York–based Broadway actor, singer, and dancer (Ghost: The Musical, King Kong, Kinky Boots, The Heart of Rock and Roll) accompanied by Ryan Fielding Garrett, a Broadway musical director, conductor, composer and keyboardist who served as associate musical director and keyboardist on the original Kinky Boots Broadway production! Register for this event HERE.

Tuesday, Sept 23rd

-SOLD OUT. Wednesday, Sept 24th. Morning Session. Tuesday, Sept 23rd. Morning Session. Theme: “Keeping Farmers on the Land.” In partnership with American Farmland Trust. Confirmed speakers include Alice Waters, Chef, Author, and Food Activist; Founder and Owner, Chez Panisse; Founder, Edible Schoolyard Project; John Piotti, CEO, American Farmland Trust; Caitlin Leibert, Vice President, Sustainability, Whole Foods Market; Sam Smidt, National Director of Land Use and Protection Research, American Farmland Trust; Bianca Moebius-Clune, Climate and Soil Health Director, American Farmland Trust; Jay Goldmark, Farm Manager, Stone House Farm; Tim Fink, Vice President of Policy, the American Farmland Trust; Lucy Bullock-Sieger, Vice President of Strategy, Lightstar Renewables; Anna Toenjes, Associate Vice President, Impact & Business Development, Sol System; Ethan Winter, National Smart Solar Director, American Farmland Trust; and many more to be announced. Special musical performance by Janayé McAlpine is a professional dancer and singer, best known for her roles in MJ: The Musical and Moulin Rouge! The Musical, with performances across Broadway, national tours, and cruise line productions. Register for this event HERE.

-SOLD OUT. Tuesday, Sept 23rd. Afternoon Session. Theme: “Humanitarian Innovation in a World of Climate Extremes.” In partnership with World Food Program USA. Confirmed speakers—and many more to be announced soon—include Andrew Zimmern, renowned American chef, restaurateur, TV and radio personality, food writer, director, producer, and businessman; Barron Segar, President and CEO, World Food Program USA; Nicole Clifton, President, Social Impact and The UPS Foundation; Chase Sova, Senior Director of Public Policy and Research, World Food Program USA; Kenneth Lee, Co-Founder, Lotus Foods; Jennifer Burney, Professor of Environmental Social Sciences & Earth System Science, Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability; and Emily Coppel, Food Communications and Policy Lead at the Rockefeller Foundation. Special musical performance featuring Bella Coppola, a Broadway actor and singer who originated Chloe in Smash and played Jane Seymour in SIX, accompanied by her longtime pianist and collaborator Adam Cole Klepper, Associate Music Director and pianist for Broadway’s Gypsy and Spamalot. Register for this event HERE.

-Tuesday, Sept 23rd. Evening Session. "Catalyst Coffee" a new play written and presented by Food Tank. Named by The Arts Fuse as “one of the best new shows of 2024,” Catalyst Coffee pulls you behind the counter and into the high-stakes world of a barista union campaign. This immersive theatrical workshop reading—directed by Lakisha May—blends sharp drama with bold questions about power, solidarity, and survival. Come for the show. Stay for the food, the drinks, and an evening of conflict and inspiration you'll never forget. Special musical performance featuring Clair Rachel Howell, a Broadway and touring artist currently performing in Wicked on both Broadway and the National Tour, accompanied by Noah Turner, a New York–based music director and Broadway accompanist known for his work on Jersey Boys, The Sound of Music, and Joy the Musical. Register for this event HERE.

Wednesday, Sept 24th

-SOLD OUT. Wednesday, Sept 24th. Morning Session. Theme: “The Sustainability Leadership Summit: Strategies for Founders, CSOs, and Changemakers.” In partnership with Nature’s Fynd, Applegate, King Arthur Baking, Certified Origins, and ButcherBox. Confirmed speakers include Marion Nestle, Professor Emerita at New York University; Nina Teicholz, Founder of the Nutrition Coalition; Sonya Gafsi Oblisk, Chief Merchandising & Marketing Officer at Whole Foods Market; and Thomas Jonas, Co-founder and CEO of Nature’s Fynd; Amy Keister, Global Director of Sustainability, Compass Group; Stephanie Grotta, VP, Responsible Sourcing & Sustainable Capabilities, Target; Carolyn Gahn, Senior Director, Mission & Advocacy, Applegate; —with many more to be announced soon! Special performance from Sydni Moon, a Broadway actor and singer who made her debut in the 2024 revival of Elf the Musical and is currently appearing in JOY: A New True Musical Off-Broadway. She will be accompanied by Cullen Curth, a New York–based pianist and music director whose credits include the pre-Broadway production of The Karate Kid: The Musical and An Evening with Ben Platt at the Perelman Performing Arts Center. Register for this event HERE

-SOLD OUT. Wednesday, Sept 24th. Afternoon Session. Theme: "2nd Annual Sustainable Foods Showcase." In partnership with J.P. Morgan. Talks and tastings will feature Sarela Herrada, Co-Founder of SIMPLi; Viraj Puri, Co-Founder and CEO, Gotham Greens; Anna Hammond, Founder & CEO of Matriark Foods; Mark Kaplan, Founder of Wholechain; Kelly Belcher, Head of Climate Tech, J.P. Morgan; Michael Fox, Founder & CEO of Fable Food; Cecilia Chang, Chief Business Officer, Mission Barns; and Eben Bayer, Co-Founder of MyForest Foods—with many more to be announced soon! The final tasting experience will include a special collaboration between Ron Ben-Israel, celebrity cake maker and television judge, and Brendan Summerville, Co-Founder and COO of Oishii. Also speaking are Julia Collins, Founder of Planet FWD, in partnership with J.P. Morgan, and Jay McEntire, CEO of Arva. Special musical performance from Afra Hines, currently appearing as one of the Stanley Daughters in Pirates! The Penzance Musical at Roundabout’s Todd Haimes Theatre, is a celebrated Broadway performer whose credits include Hadestown, In the Heights, Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, and Shuffle Along, with a national tour of Hamilton and a seven-year run as a Radio City Rockette. Register for this event HERE.

Thursday, Sept 25th

-Thursday, Sept 25th. Morning Session. Theme: “Nourishing People, Planet, and our Future.” In partnership with The Rockefeller Foundation. Confirmed speakers—and many more to be announced soon—include Elizabeth Yee, Executive Vice President of Programs & Chief of Staff, The Rockefeller Foundation; Aulo Gelli, Senior Research Fellow, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI); Carmen Burbano de Lara, Director, School-Based Programmes, World Food Programme; Adam Met, a multi-platinum, Grammy-nominated musician with AJR who has performed for millions worldwide and is the founder of Planet Reimagined, a nonprofit advancing climate justice and sustainable development. He bridges pop culture, academia, and policy to drive bold climate and food policy action globally; Isabelle Kamariza, Founder & President, Solid’Africa, Rwanda; Gerardo Martinez, Founder and Owner, Wild Kid Acres in Edgewater, Maryland; Kate Mackenzie, Executive Director, Mayor’s Office of Food Policy, New York City; Sweta Chakraborty, behavioral scientist and U.S. President of We Don’t Have Time; and Sara Farley, Vice President, Global Food Portfolio, The Rockefeller Foundation. Special musical performance by Cajai Fellows Johnson, a Broadway dancer and actress currently appearing in Wicked, who began her professional career at age 10 in The Lion King national tour and previously performed in Frozen on Broadway.Register this event HERE.

-Thursday, Sept 25th. Afternoon Session. Theme: “Food is Medicine and Eating for Health.” In partnership with the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation. Confirmed speakers—and many more to be announced soon—include Grace Young, James Beard Award–winning cookbook author and renowned food historian; Marcel Van Ooyen, President and CEO, GrowNYC; Nancy Easton, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Wellness in the Schools; Jilly Stephens, Chief Executive Officer, City Harvest; Leslie Gordon, President & CEO, Food Bank For New York City; Robert Graham, Co-Founder, FRESH Med; Kathleen Finlay, President, Glynwood Center for Regional Food and Farming; Lyndsey Waugh, Executive Director, Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation; Tony Hillery, Founder and Executive Director, Harlem Grown; A‑dae Romero‑Briones, Director of Programs, Native Agriculture & Food Systems, First Nations Development Institute; Stacey Vanek Smith, Senior Story Editor, Bloomberg; and Leah Douglas, Agriculture and Energy Reporter, Reuters. Special musical performance from Racquel Williams, currently appearing on Broadway in The Book of Mormon, accompanied by Maria Caputo, a versatile pianist, composer, and music director who has worked Off-Broadway, at Feinstein’s/54 Below, and on Norwegian Cruise Lines. Register for this event HERE.

-Thursday, Sept 25th. Evening Session. 7:00PM Reception. 7:30-9:00PM. Program. 9:00-10:00PM Reception. Theme: “Digital Futures: A Better Food Future Celebration at Climate Week NYC.” In partnership with Wholechain, Better Food Future, and Journey Foods in support of the UN Global Compact Ocean Stewardship Coalition. Featuring Jidenna, Nigerian-American rapper, singer, and songwriter best known for his Grammy-nominated hit “Classic Man.” He earned a second Grammy nomination as a contributor to Doja Cat’s Planet Her (Deluxe), nominated for Album of the Year; Mark Kaplan, Co‑Founder & Partner, Wholechain; Riana Lynn, Founder & CEO, Journey Foods; and many more. Musical performance from Chelle Denton who made her debut as Mary Jane in the first national tour of Jagged Little Pill (Aug 2022 – Apr 2024). She then appeared on Broadway in Smash until the show's closing on June 22, 2025. Accompanied by Adam Cole Klepper, Associate Music Director and pianist for Broadway’s Gypsy and Spamalot, on piano. Register for this event HERE.

Friday, Sept 26th

-SOLD OUT. Friday, Sept 26th. Morning Session. Theme: “Chefs Change the World.” In partnership with The James Beard Foundation and Organic Valley. Confirmed speakers—and many more to be announced soon—include Ruth Reichl, food writer and editor; former restaurant critic (Los Angeles Times and The New York Times), Editor‑in‑Chief at Gourmet magazine, and six‑time James Beard Award winner; Florence Fabricant, food and wine writer, The New York Times; Clare Reichenbach, CEO, James Beard Foundation; Sheryll Durrant, Urban Farmer, Educator, and Food‑Justice Leader, Board President, Just Food and NYC New Roots; Melissa Clark, an American food writer, cookbook author and New York Times columnist; Ashleigh Shanti, an acclaimed American chef and sommelier known for celebrating African-American culinary traditions and Appalachian cuisine; Joshua McFadden, celebrity chef and restaurateur, James Beard Award–winning chef known for seasonal cooking and sustainable food practices; Priyanka Naik is a Food Network champion and sustainability advocate known for her globally inspired cooking; Anne McBride, Vice President of Programs, James Beard Foundation; Geoffrey Kie, Indigenous chef and founder of Kie’s Pies from the Pueblo of Laguna; and Rick Simington, Organic Valley. Special musical performance by Caleb Grice, Mel Haygood, Brandon Jae‑Min Large, and Brandon Burks, currently performing in the Broadway revival of Gypsy and members of the vocal group Penthouse IV. More to come! Register for this event HERE.

-Friday, Sept 26th. Afternoon Session. Theme: "Regenerative Food Systems: Scaling Impact from Soil to Shelf." In partnership with Arva and Kiss the Ground. Confirmed speakers with more to be announced include: Sam Kass, Founder, TROVE and Former Senior Policy Advisor for President Barack Obama's Nutrition Policy, and Executive Director for First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! Campaign; Evan Harrison, CEO of Kiss the Ground; Jay McEntire, CEO of Arva; Chloe Sorvino, food and agriculture journalist and author of Raw Deal: Hidden Corruption, Corporate Greed, and the Fight for the Future of Meat, Matthew Dillon, Co-Chief Executive Officer, Organic Trade Association; Patrick Brown, Director of Farmer Inclusion at Nature for Justice, where he works to elevate farmer leadership in the face of climate change; Kimberley Sundy, Senior Director of Global Sustainability at Kellanova; Michael Benedetti, Senior Director of Sustainability, Regulatory, and Quality at Clover Sonoma; Vaughn Duitsman, Director of Sustainability at Bartlett; Steven Jennings, Stakeholder Relations & Brand Lead, Ahold Delhaize USA; Jamie Ager, a fourth-generation farmer and managing partner at Hickory Nut Gap, a regenerative farm in Fairview, North Carolina; and Alexia Akbay, CEO and Founder of Symbrosia, a marine biotech company pioneering red seaweed–based livestock feed that reduces methane emissions by more than 90 percent. Special musical performance by Emily Kristen Morris, a celebrated NYC-based actor and singer currently serving as Elphaba on the Wicked Broadway National Tour, and known for her standout turn as Bea in the Something Rotten! National Tour. Register for this event HERE.

-Friday, Sept 26th. Evening Experience. Theme: “A Night Honoring Our Farmers - Food and Agriculture Storytelling.” Confirmed farmers include Ron Mardesen, a third-generation hog farmer from Elliott, Iowa, who has raised pigs for Niman Ranch for over 20 years using humane and sustainable practices; Karen Washington, a farmer, activist, and co-founder of Black Urban Growers, working to uplift food justice and community farming in the Bronx and beyond; Sabrina Servais, a passionate young dairy farmer and Assistant Herd Manager at her family’s Organic Valley member farm in Wisconsin; Sea Matias, a regenerative farmer and community organizer growing culturally relevant crops and advancing food sovereignty through mutual aid; Olivia Fuller, a fourth-generation farmer at Fuller Acres in upstate New York, raising pastured livestock and maple products on protected land to build a resilient and diversified future; Caroline Radice, co-owner of Black Dog Farm & Catering in Northern California and co-founder of the Good Farm Fund, supporting small farmers with microgrants and EBT access; and many more to be announced soon! Special musical performance by Joey Contreras, award-winning songwriter of the viral musical In Pieces, will perform a set of originals and covers. He’ll be joined by guitarist, Nick Potocki (Dead Outlaw) and Hannah Verdi, who is featured on the In Pieces: Highlights Deluxe album released by Broadway Records. Many more names to be announced! Register for this event HERE.

For partnership inquiries contact Bernard at Bernard@FoodTank.com.

We look forward to celebrating NYC Climate Week with you!