Food for Thought

Guy Vaknin is the creative culinary powerhouse behind a family of inventive plant-based restaurants like Beyond Sushi, Coletta and Willow that have redefined what vegan food can be. His passion is for hospitality, artistry and feeding people well.

Guy grew up in Sderot and lived on Kibbutz Be'eri. After his service in the Israel Defense Forces, he came to the United States and built a life here — restaurant by restaurant and risk by risk. Since October 7th, Guy has been targeted not for his politics, but for his identity. His businesses have faced boycotts and vandalism. People have threatened his family. The vegan community that once celebrated his work, turned on him simply because he is from Israel.

I asked Guy to join me on my podcast because he represents the best of us. He's someone who's had to start over again and again, who built something from nothing, who leads by example — under pressure — and who refuses to cede ground to the forces of hatred.

I hope you’ll tune in to hear — or watch — this important conversation wherever you get your podcasts.