Bizarre Food's Andrew Zimmern Leads Babson College Food Day Celebration Oct. 23-24

The two-day festival will include panel discussions on the chewy issues impacting global food systems, nicely balanced with an array of fun food events like "The Marketplace of Great Food and Great Ideas," an outdoor food mall that serves only healthy, sustainable foods.

Babson's traditional dining hall will close its doors so students can nosh at the Marketplace, and Babson Food Days will culminate with an entrepreneurial action incubator that allows wannabe entrepreneurs to pitch and receive feedback on their food-related ventures from industry experts and teams of Babson students.

Babson Food Days Schedule:
Tuesday, October 23, 2012

2:00 - 4:00 p.m. Food is Everybody's Business

Local leaders and pioneers share their food journeys and desires for change in our food system.

• Andrew Zimmern (Bizarre Foods, AZ Canteen, Go Fork Yourself)
• Catherine D'Amato (The Greater Boston Food Bank)
• Brandy Brooks (The Food Project)
• David Waters (Community Servings)
• Dr. Frederick Douglass Opie (Babson College)
• JD Kemp (Organic Renaissance, Food Ex)

5:30 - 7:00 p.m. Entrepreneurship and Innovation in the World of Food sponsored by: First Republic Bank 

Andrew Zimmern and some of New England's top chefs and restaurateurs chat about the world of food.

• Andrew Zimmern (Bizarre Foods, AZ Canteen, Go Fork Yourself)
• Michel Nischan (Wholesome Wave, Dressing Room)
• Skip Bennett (Island Creek Oysters)
• Jamie Bissonnette (Toro, Coppa)
• Todd Heberlein (Volante Farms)

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

12:00 - 2:00 p.m. The Marketplace of Great Food and Great Ideas

A dynamic fair of locally-sourced food, fresh ideas, and food entrepreneurs right here at Babson!

• Andrew Zimmern (Bizarre Foods, AZ Canteen, Go Fork Yourself)
• DUNK THE JUNK led by pediatrician turned food education innovator Dr. Kevin Strong
• YouthTrade
• Babson food entrepreneurs and leaders of all kinds

2:00 - 4:00 p.m. Quick-Service Incubator

Quintessential Babson, this rapid-fire action tank features an expert panel and teams of Babson students at the ready to support selected entrepreneurs on challenges they are facing today.

• Andrew Zimmern (Bizarre Foods, AZ Canteen, Go Fork Yourself)
• Gail Simmons (Top Chef, Food & Wine Magazine)
• Bob Burke (Natural Products Consulting)
• Bob Stringer (Crimson Seed Capital)
• Ed Doyle (Real Food Consulting)
• Jason Laprade (Sodexo, food trucks)
• Ashley Stanley (Lovin' Spoonfuls)

Babson Food Day Web Page with Full Schedule of Activities and Events
Twitter: @FoodDay2012 #BabsonFood
Registration required.

About Food Day at Babson 
Food means different things to different people, but it touches each and every one of us every single day.

At Babson, we define and activate Entrepreneurship of All Kinds™. On October 23 and 24, join us to define and celebrate food Entrepreneurship of All Kinds with Babson Entrepreneur-in-Residence Andrew Zimmern (celebrity food hero, host of Bizarre Foods and Bizarre Foods America on The Travel Channel) and an extraordinary cast of local food innovators, pioneers, and entrepreneurs.

Food is big news these days. Questions of nutrition and health, food safety, supply-chain ethics, energy, sustainability, and access are ever-increasing concerns. At Babson Food Days, we'll acknowledge and explore these grave dilemmas, but always with an eye toward the "bite-sized" action step that the attendee can take now to begin to make a difference. Whether the food industry interests you as a career space or not, you are most definitely its consumer.

So come get closer to your food, take stock of what you're eating, ask questions, and start a conversation--and maybe even a business.

SOURCE Babson College