• Tiffany Meesha Thompson, EMBA

    Tiffany Meesha Thompson, EMBA, stands as the driving force behind Petrichor Projects, a company dedicated to orchestrating monumental public art endeavors across the globe. Specializing in the curation of civic-scale art commissions and the management of expansive public art projects, she is currently innovating funding strategies tailored for museums. Notable among her clientele are the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, The Royal Commission of Riyadh City, Mauritius' Ministry of Arts and Culture, The Mayo Clinic, City of Rochester, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, Omaha Public Library, The Crossroads Hotel, and the City of Ventura, California.

    Tiffany, a seasoned director, oversees multiple artist residencies spanning across the USA, Chile, and Germany. Her passion project, the Yucatán Artist Residency at Casa Ocea, reflects her dedication to fostering artistic innovation and collaboration in a unique and inspiring environment.

  • Chef Ted Habiger

    Nominated three times by the James Beard Foundation for the Outstanding Chef Award, Ted Habiger has stimulated taste buds as a chef, sommelier, brewery owner, restaurateur, entrepreneur, and philanthropist.

    Finely tuned culinary practices enabled Chef Habiger to prosper early as the chef of Cafe Allegro, consistently named the number one restaurant in Kansas City by the Zagat Survey. In New York City, Chef Habiger's career spotlighted him as the sous chef of the highly respected Union Square Cafe, one of the United States' most esteemed dining institutions and the flagship restaurant that launched Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group. Throughout the years, Chef Habiger has been the owner of numerous other food endeavors, including a craft brewery, an artisanal bakery, a commissary kitchen, as well as international food tours, multiple restaurants, and holistic school lunch programs.

    Today, Ted Habiger wears the dual hats of owner and chef at Room 39, with the restaurant's upcoming participation as a vendor at the inaugural professional female soccer stadium adding an exciting dimension. On the other side of the border in Mérida, Mexico, he takes on the role of executive chef and partner at Ánima, a restaurant specializing in open fire gastronomy. Alongside these culinary pursuits, Ted also owns a commissary kitchen in Kansas City, providing support to local food trucks, emerging entrepreneurs, and expansive event caterers.

    When it comes to philanthropy, Chef Habiger is the go-to chef. His culinary skills inspire repeated invitations to host events like the March of Dimes Signature Chef Series, serving hundreds of guests and raising millions of dollars.