The Seventh MAD Symposium
Under Build to Last, we considered legacies and imagined the future. How do we best care for the planet that nurtures us? How do we strengthen our communities so that they flourish? How can we create resilient businesses that contribute to the world around them? And, crucially, how do we ourselves stay healthy and creative over the course of our careers?
Schedule
The schedule for MAD7 — Build to Last
Day One
Sunday, 25th May
Hospitality Without Hangovers
Mickey Bakst, the co-founder of Ben’s Friends, shares a path to recovery for the industry
Thomas Keller & René Redzepi in Conversation
Thomas Keller, the chef of The French Laundry and Per Se, discusses legacy with René Redzepi
How Can We Be Good Ancestors?
Roman Krznaric, the philosopher and author, asks: how can we become good ancestors?
Looking at Nature with Appetite
Ángel León, the chef of Aponiente, talks about staying creative, and staying hungry
Legacy in Action
Bérangère and Blanche Loiseau, the daughters of Bernard Loiseau, reflect on their dad’s legacy, and making it their own
Matty Matheson & Courtney Storer in conversation with Lisa Donovan
This trio explores how food becomes a character itself—carrying both nostalgia and trauma
How to Build to Last
Arianna Occhipinti, the winemaker, explains why there is no terroir without biodiversity
How to Take Over Your Parents Restaurant in Five Easy Steps
Justin Pichetrungsi, the chef of Anajak Thai, recounts how he fell in love with the family business
Chinampas are the Future
Pablo Usobiaga, the co-founder of Arca Tierra, reminds us that we can work with nature, not against it
Day Two
Monday, 26th May
Yvon Chouinard in Conversation with Lisa Abend
The founder of Patagonia chats with Lisa Abend about building a business with values front and center
The Art of Staying Engaged
Chido Govera, the creator of The Future of Hope Foundation, gets us started on making a difference
A Legacy Underwater
Andrea and Alexandra Hermóðsdóttir, and Áslaug and Arndís Árnadottir, Iceland’s pioneering fishing guides, have a message for us about rivers and seas
How to Fall in Love with a Delicious Future
The activist and writer Rob Hopkins helps us see, and hear, into the future
What Happens When We Don’t Kick the Ladder Away
Asma Khan, the chef behind Darjeeling Express, reflects on opportunity and what we owe each other
José Andrés and René Redzepi in Conversation
Together, they discuss finding creativity in impossible places
Videos from MAD7
Andrea and Alexandra Hermóðsdóttir, Arndís and Áslaug Árnadóttir
A Legacy Under Water
Justin Pichetrungsi
How to Take Over Your Parents Restaurant in Five Easy Steps
Thomas Keller, René Redzepi