Ryan Hutmacher

About Ryan Hutmacher

I am an award-winning chef, entrepreneur, and speaker with 20 years in the wellbeing industry. My entrepreneurial journey began as a personal chef focused on nutritious foods and expanded into a full-service event space and wellness-themed cooking school.Beyond the bricks and mortar, I expanded services to include corporate wellness programming for the healthcare, legal services, and insurance industries, featuring nutrition-based cooking programs led by chefs and dietitians.My work attracted bespoke projects such as recipe development and brand activations for CPGs and ad agencies, which broadened my understanding of product & ingredient applications. This opened doors to culinary R&D and product development as a research chef for food manufacturers and ingredient companies. As my exploration of wellbeing continues to deepen, I’m fascinated by the importance of nourishing ourselves beyond what we eat. At the intersection of food and human connection, my work within culinary arts and wellbeing continues to evolve.With food as the universal language, my consulting services now take the form of highly curated group dinner experiences, designed to connect people at the table over amazing food.Although my unique dinner programs have been popular within the corporate sector, I’ve also seen incredible results hybridizing my programs as a form of therapeutic treatment.At the core of my work is empathy for the end user - designing food, programs, and experiences that support personal wellbeing. I’m passionate about helping brands and organizations with my transformative food experiences.I\'ve been fortunate that along the way, I’ve appeared on national TV, spoken on the TED stage, and even won ABC’s The Chew “Search for the Weight Watchers Chef” competition and served as their spokesperson.

Experience

1. Founder Culture Builder & Wellbeing Consultant

   The Well Beyond Food Project

   Sep 2020 — Present

   Founder of a consultancy that uses food discovery and experiential design to empower human connection and foster inclusion among individuals, teams, and brands. Design and facilitate immersive programs—ranging from team-building workshops and wellness retreats to interactive dinners and virtual cooking experiences—that integrate storytelling, culinary exploration, and guided conversation.Collaborate with organizations to develop bespoke experiences that build trust, belonging, and psychological safety within hybrid and in-person teams. Produce original content across video, web, and social media channels to amplify the project\'s mission and engage a growing audience.Create signature frameworks such as \"UnCorporate Dinners\" and “Beyond Happy Hour,” which trains leaders to use food as a tool for strengthening relational intelligence and workplace wellbeing.

Education

• Kendall College

  Associate of Science (AS), Culinary Arts/Chef Training

  2004 — 2005

• Illinois State University

  Bachelor's degree, Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication

  1997 — 2001

Skills

• Nutrition
• Public Speaking
• Catering
• Wellness
• Entrepreneurship
• Team Building
• Food
• Culinary Skills
• Recipes
• Fitness
• Educational Workshops
• Event Planning
• Menu Development
• Ingredients
• Parties
• Cuisine
• Time Management
• Customer Service
• Event Management
• Management
• Social Media
• Sales
• Food & Beverage