About

When we started MAD nearly fifteen years ago, it wasn’t part of a master plan. It was a reaction. And an experiment!

We were looking to create a space where people in food—chefs, yes, but also farmers, policymakers, hospital cooks, restaurant owners, food scientists, anyone who shapes the way the world eats—could come together. A space to ask and learn about the culture of eating, the systems behind what we do, and the responsibilities we carry.

Food is one of the most powerful forces on the planet. It connects everything—culture, nature, health, economy, identity. And yet, the people who make it all happen are often left out of the conversations that shape their future.
That’s how the MAD Symposium began. Annual gatherings. Honest conversations. Different themes every time, always about the future. Always asking: how can we do better?

Better ingredients. Better systems. Better leadership. How do we run restaurants that aren’t only creative but are also financially resilient? How do we help our people thrive? How do we stay creative without being reckless? How do we break the old, out-of-date patterns handed down to us? How do we protect the nature that is at the core of everything we do?

Today we’re still experimenting and asking questions. But we’re building on what we’ve learned with a leadership academy, for people already in the food industry who are ready for their next step. Where they learn how to lead. How to build an healthy organization. How to be good stewards of the environment. How to plan for the future. How to stay creative in a food world that needs much more thoughtful and daring leadership.

This is what MAD is for. It’s a place to get better at what you do. A place to meet the best in our industry. A place to take part in shaping what’s next.

Welcome!

René