WITS Talks: A Variety of the Virtual

 

This past school year has been virtually…well…virtual. In-person events and activities had to be adapted for a virtual format, and while this was difficult at times, it also gave us the opportunity to have conversations more easily with people who no longer had to travel to take part in Wellness in the Schools engagements. Our WITS Talks panel series this past Spring brought together chefs and food entrepreneurs from around the country such as Nicole Dawes, Caroline Schiff, and Pierre Thiam to share their stories with the Wellness in the Schools audience. From these discussions, we learned how nimble the food industry has been in the face of a global pandemic, and how it continues to adapt when confronted with other obstacles such as providing affordable and accessible healthy foods. If you missed the series, do not fear! We recorded these forward-thinking conversations, moderated by WITS Board Member and Almanac Insights Partner, Elly Truesdell. Tune in for some great inspiration and insight, combined with humor and hope for the future of food from these chefs (and other panelists) who think and act beyond the kitchen: Chefs Beyond the Kitchen, Forward-Thinking Food Founders, and Pandemic Pages: Cookbooks and Home Cooking in Quarantine are all a treat to the mind and heart. 

But before we had the WITS Talks panel series, we had Talks with Telepan. In late Spring of 2020, Executive Chef of Wellness in the Schools Bill Telepan sought to take advantage of the fact that everyone was at home on their phones. “It was a difficult time for everyone, but especially for chefs. I wanted a way to catch up with people in the WITS community who we got separated from because of the pandemic, while also promoting whatever they had going on at the moment.” That was the beginning of Talks with Telepan.

Talks with Telepan has been a regular fixture on the @wellnessintheschools Instagram ever since Bill came up with the idea. Bill has spoken with, cooked with, and even worked out with friends of WITS ranging from Mark Bittman, Kate Bock, Barkha Cardoz, Gail Simmons, and many more! 

Of course, we know this year has been busy for many people, and not everyone has been able to tune in at 6pm to watch Bill with his guests, so we decided to put together some highlights from this year’s season of Talks with Telepan.

We hope you enjoy some of the best moments that Talks with Telepan had to offer this year, and be on the lookout for more Talks with Telepan in the Fall!