Tom Smith, Executive Chef

For Chef Tom, 1999 graduate of Sullivan University in Louisville, Kentucky, renown began early: While attending Sullivan, he was part of the distinguished team chosen to prepare Mother’s Day Brunch at The James Beard House.

Upon graduation, Chef Tom became executive chef of Brasserie Dietrich’s, gaining skills that laid the foundation for his career.  As Sous Chef at Hemingway’s Restaurant, a Mobil 4-Star and Fine Dining Hall of Fame restaurant in Killington, VT, he had the great honor of preparing a birthday dinner for Chef Julia Child.

In 2001, Chef Tom relocated to Indianapolis where he brought his talents to some of Indianapolis’s finest restaurants including Fine Dining Hall of Fame restaurant Something Different. As Chef de Cuisine at Oakley’s Bistro, he helped earn the title of Indy’s Best Restaurant for 3 of the 4 years he was at the helm. Also during that time, he placed first in the Indiana Pork Producers “Taste of Elegance” competition and second nationally in the two years he participated in the event.

In 2007, Chef Tom turned his focus to foodservice marketing.  In this expanded role, he has worked with some of the world’s largest manufacturers and operators,  including Mission Foods, National Pork Board, Torani, Lamb Weston, Nestle Professional, Tyson, Bama, Splenda, Bush’s Beans, Checkers/Rally’s and other Top 200 chain operations.

Some stuff that Tom likes

Cari Price, Corporate Chef

Chef Cari is a graduate of the French Culinary Institute in New York City, where she had the honor of studying under distinguished chefs such as Jacques Pépin and André Soltner. She also has a Bachelor of Science degree in Dietetics from Missouri State University.

After graduation, Cari worked as editorial assistant for NYC’s PastryScoop.com, where she researched and wrote about foodservice industry trends. She also worked at L’Ecole restaurant and TPC Catering (which specialized in large scale events in NYC).

Prior to her work with FoodIQ, Cari worked as a corporate development chef for a leading food marketing agency. She has shared her skills with some of the largest manufacturers in the industry, including Tyson, MARS Foodservice, PepsiCo, and J.M. Smucker Co., and major foodservice operations such as Checkers/Rally’s, Subway, and Taco Bell.

As Corporate Chef at FoodIQ, Cari brings her clients a combined experience in culinary and dietetics which informs her invaluable nutritional consulting role. She specializes in recipe development with specific nutritional guidelines and parameters.

Some stuff that Cari likes

Phil Daniels, Group President

Phil brings to Food IQ his 33 years of experience in strategic consulting, sales, marketing, manufacturing, and brand/product development. Among his consulting, marketing and advertising credits include work on national brands such as Tyson Foods, Kraft, Maxwell House, Borden’s, Gerber, Minute Maid, Coca Cola Foods, Johnsonville Foods, Starbucks Coffee Company, French’s, Mission Foods, Nestlé Professional, STOUFFER’S, Lean Cuisine, Butterball Turkey, Healthy Choice, Hunt-Wesson, Lamb Weston, H.J. Heinz, The Other White Meat, Tamko Roofing Products, Akzo Nobel, Splenda, Serta, Nescafe, Nesquik, Coffee-Mate, Torani Syrups, Everpure, Hot Pockets and Dreyer’s.

Phil has a BS degree in engineering from the US Military Academy at West Point and an MS in marketing from Webster University. Chef and Food Strategist, Phil is also a trained process innovation facilitator, having studied with Dr W. Edwards Deming at the New York University School of Business.

Mindy Armstrong, Insights & Account Manager

Mindy began her marketing career in radio—first in London, then at a local Springfield, MO radio station. In early 2005, she joined the Marlin Company in an account service role.  In the years since, she has worked with several foodservice brands, including Sartori Foods, Everpure, French’s Foodservice, Minor’s, Stouffer’s, Lean Cuisine, and Nestle Professional.

In 2011, Mindy took on the role in the network as Insights and Account Manager at FoodIQ.  Her experience in account management, national account work and passion for innovating the next big idea brings an added level of strategic thinking to the team.

In her free time, she is the President of Slow Food Southwest Missouri—a non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness of good, clean, fair food in the SWMO area.