The Bread Bakers Guild of America upcoming events

Building a Packaged Food Brand: An Introduction to CPG (09/28/2026)

Mon, 28 Sep 2026 21:00:00 GMT

Building a Packaged Food Brand: An Introduction to CPG

Monday, September 28, 2026 | 5:00pm – 6:15pm ET Via Zoom

Ever wondered what it takes to bring a consumer packaged goods (CPG) product to market? Whether you're launching a specialty cookie, snack mix, or another shelf-stable product, building a successful CPG brand can create new revenue streams, expand your customer base, and open doors to new sales channels.

Join Laurie Ellen Pellicano as she shares how she transformed her handcrafted shortbread and savory snacks into a successful CPG business. Drawing from her own experience, including her background in high-volume bakery production, food styling and recipe development, she'll discuss the key decisions involved in developing a market-ready product, building a recognizable brand, and choosing the right path to market.

You'll hear about how to:

Develop a packaged product for the consumer marketplace

Navigate labeling, packaging, and regulatory requirements

Evaluate sales channels, from direct-to-consumer to wholesale

Think through production choices and what scaling has meant for a small-batch business

Whether you're launching your first packaged product or considering adding a CPG line to your bakery, you'll leave with practical insights for bringing your ideas to market and building new revenue streams. Bring your questions for Laurie Ellen.

About Your Instructor

Laurie Ellen Pellicano is the founder of Laurie Ellen, a small-batch shortbread and savory snacks company based in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. With nearly 20 years of professional baking experience, including a former role as head pastry chef at Tartine in San Francisco, she brings a career baker's perspective to building a product business from the ground up. Laurie Ellen has won three Good Food Awards and been featured in New York Magazine, The Strategist, Vogue, and Wirecutter, which called the brand's Everything Cheddar Crackers "the perfect savory snack." Laurie's recipes and writing have appeared in the New York Times, Epicurious, and Food & Wine, and she was recognized as a Zagat 30 Under 30 honoree.

Photos of Laurie Ellen by Aya Brackett

Craft • Culture • Careers• Community

Ancient Grains, Modern Baking (09/29/2026)

Tue, 29 Sep 2026 17:00:00 GMT

Ancient Grains, Modern Baking

Tuesday, September 29, 10am - 4pm

Artisan Baking Center, Petaluma, CA

Join us for a unique in-person baking demonstration that explores how bakers are using ancient grains to create breads and pastries that showcase their distinctive flavors and character.

The day begins with an introduction to ancient grains led by Nicky Giusto of Central Milling, who will discuss the characteristics and functionality of each grain, and share insights into incorporating them successfully into baking formulas.

From there, Nicky and bakers Lauren Haas and Allison White will each present an original formula and demonstration centered on a different ancient grain, including einkorn, spelt, and buckwheat.

A light lunch will be provided, but you can also bring your own.

This program is presented in partnership with Central Milling

ABOUT THE PRESENTERS:

Nicky Giusto is a fourth generation baker and miller and is carrying on the Giusto legacy with great aplomb. Nicky competed at the Coupe du Monde and was the coach of Team USA at the most recent competition. He works for Central Milling, developing bread programs and teaching bakers of all levels, in addition to starting the Artisan Baking Center in Petaluma, CA.

Lauren V. Haas is a pastry chef and Professor at The Culinary Institute of America, Greystone. Her experience includes The White House, as well as faculty and department chair positions at Johnson & Wales University and service as Lead Chef for the Chocolate Academy centers in North America.

She has been recognized by Bake Magazine as a leading educator in the U.S., and by Dessert Professional as one of the Top Pastry Chefs in America.

She holds a master’s degree in Sustainable Food Systems and, in 2023, received the La Liste Game Changer Award, an international recognition honoring individuals shaping the future of gastronomy.

Learn more at www.lauren-haas.com and @laurenvhaas.

Allison White, owner of Matriarch Bread in Morgan Hill CA, has been running her cottage bakery for 4 years. She focuses on using a variety of local freshly milled whole grains to create delicious and wholesome bread for her community. With a background in food science and fitness, her unique approach to bread baking has allowed her to carve out a niche product that keeps her customers returning weekly.

Craft • Culture • Careers • Community

Guild Townhall: Meet the Candidates (10/05/2026)

Mon, 05 Oct 2026 23:00:00 GMT

October 5 / 7:00 - 8:15 pm ET

Guild Townhall: Meet the Candidates

Join us on Zoom to meet the five members running for our open Board of Directors seat starting in 2027. This is your chance to hear directly from each candidate, ask questions, and get to know the people who could help shape the Guild's future. Voting will open on October 6.

Whether you're still deciding how to vote or just want to connect with fellow members, we hope you'll join us.

Below is a short introduction to each candidate, drawn from their applications.

Ellen King - Owner, Hewn Bread (Evanston, IL) | Member since 2015

Ellen has been a Guild member since planning her bakery in 2012, volunteering at WheatStalk, taking Guild classes, and joining Guild bakery visits in Paris. She has since grown Hewn into a multi-location, woman-owned bakery, published a cookbook, and purchased a farm to grow grain for the business. She's especially focused on the connections between bakers, farmers, and regional grain systems, and hopes to give back to an organization she feels has given her so much. Her strengths include fundraising, marketing and brand, financial management, and strategic planning.

Why do you want to join the board? Over the years, I have truly valued being part of the Guild and the opportunities it has given me to learn, grow, and connect with other bakers. In 2012, while I was still in the process of planning my bakery, I had the opportunity to volunteer at WheatStalk at Kendall College. Since then, I have attended Guild classes that helped shape my skills as a baker, participated in bakery visits in Paris through the Guild, and benefited from the generosity, knowledge, and mentorship of so many people within the organization.

The Guild has played an important role in my development, both as a baker and as a bakery owner. I have been fortunate to meet many people and learn from others who were willing to share their experience and expertise. At this point in my career, I would very much like the opportunity to give back to an organization that has given me so much and to help serve and support the Guild and its members.

Kara Schlagheck - Owner, Coop Equipment Distributors (Buffalo Grove, IL) | Member since 2024

Kara brings roughly eight years in the baking industry and over twenty years in supply chain and distribution, along with about a year running her own equipment business. She's motivated by a desire to challenge the idea that automation and artisan craft are mutually exclusive, and believes bakeries can scale thoughtfully while keeping their identity. She offers skills in marketing and brand, financial management, and strategic planning.

Why do you want to join the board? I want to join the board because your core mission aligns with my own values and feels authentic. I'm hoping to disrupt the perception that automation and artisan craft are mutually exclusive. I believe they can co-exist, and that many things can be true at the same time: a bakery can scale, can consider phasing into automation, and can still maintain their identity as a brand. This would help me continue to expand my network, provide an even deeper view of the craft, and continue to build better version of myself as a business owner.

Tarit Tanjasiri - Founder & CEO, Crema Artisan Bakers (Irvine, CA) | Guild member since 2011

Tarit's career in foodservice began on the restaurant side, where he held ownership stakes in five different restaurants. His bakery journey started in 2006, baking out of his own cafe, and has since grown into both a retail and wholesale business employing over 70 people. Crema remains a family affair — Tarit runs the business alongside his two children and a close team of key staff. Beyond baking, his career has included real estate development and import/export work between Mexico and Thailand, and he's currently a partner in a wetsuit manufacturing business in northern Thailand. He points to the relationships he's built in and out of the industry as his most meaningful asset and the one he's most excited to bring to the Guild.

Why do you want to join the board? I hope to provide insights to business of baking to members, as well as providing support to the guild board in fundraising and membership recruitment.

Chrissy Traore - CEO, See and Be Kitchen (Cairo, NY) | Member since 2024

Chrissy brings a blend of for-profit and nonprofit experience to her candidacy, having founded a NYC-based cooking nonprofit and worked in marketing and brand strategy for major national clients before moving into food and bakery ownership. She's also taught culinary science at John Jay College (CUNY) for 14 years. Chrissy wants to help the Guild continue educating and connecting bakers, and would bring skills in fundraising, marketing/brand, nonprofit management, financial management, and strategic planning.

Why do you want to join the board? First and foremost, I believe in the mission of the Bread Bakers Guild and want to help other bakers in establishing, learning, and thriving. I believe in real bread and real food in general and think that the work being done to educate and connect with bakers is important.

Laura Unverzagt - Associate Professor of Baking and Pastry, Cascade Culinary Institute (Bend, OR) | Member since 2014

With thirty years in the profession, Laura is a baking educator, executive pastry chef, and baking nutrition scientist with a strong interest in sustainable and regional grain systems. She has taught at Johnson & Wales University and studied under Chef Harry Peemöller, GMB, while completing a Master's in Nutrition Science. Laura hopes to expand the Guild's reach by connecting more educators and professionals with the BBGA community, particularly in the Pacific Northwest and Western states. Her strengths include fundraising, marketing/brand, nonprofit management, and strategic planning.

Why do you want to join the board? After thirty years in the profession, I am at the point in my career where I want to give back to the baking community in a meaningful way. The Guild has been an important part of my journey in baking education, providing opportunities to learn through workshops, lectures, formulas, resources, apprenticeships, and perhaps most importantly, through the relationships I've built with fellow bakers and leaders since beginning my career as a baking and pastry instructor 15 years ago. Some of the most memorable and formative moments in my career come from these shared experiences. The quality and depth of education available through the Guild expanded my knowledge, challenged my skills, and shaped the baker and educator I am today. I align with the Guild's belief that education is a shared resource, and I value how the Guild has created a community where ideas are freely exchanged to strengthen the industry. It would be an honor to serve on the Board of Directors and contribute my time, skills, and passion to the community that has given me so much. I hope to strengthen the Guild through connection, educational opportunities, and pathways supporting the next generation of professionals. At this point in my career, I can give back through the perspective, connections, and experience I have gained throughout my career.

Thank you to all five candidates for their willingness to serve, and thank you to our members for staying engaged in the Guild's leadership.

This townhall will be recorded and available for future viewing.

Craft • Culture • Careers • Community

BreadTalks: American Bread with Andrew Coe (10/06/2026)

Tue, 06 Oct 2026 20:00:00 GMT

BreadTalks: American Bread with Andrew Coe

Tuesday, October 6, 2026 | 4:00pm–5:00pm ET

Join award-winning author and culinary historian Andrew Coe for a conversation about his new book, American Bread: A History (University of California Press), a fascinating journey through the breads that have nourished Americans for generations. From early corn breads and immigrant baking traditions to sliced white sandwich bread and today’s sourdough revival, Andrew uses iconic loaves to tell the story of how bread has shaped American life.

Andrew will be joined by Amy Halloran, writer and author of The New Bread Basket (Chelsea Green Publishing), for an engaging conversation about the evolution of American bread culture and the rise of today’s artisan baking movement.

Whether you are a professional baker, bread enthusiast, or simply curious about the history behind the loaves we love, you'll gain a deeper appreciation for the role bread has played in American history and culture.

Praise for American Bread:

"I love this book! A must-have for every enthusiastic baker." -Daniel Leader

“A fascinating study of the pursuit of daily bread and the human spirit, transporting the reader through American history, one loaf at a time.” -Amy Scherber

“An essential reference.” -Apollonia Poilâne

ABOUT OUR SPEAKERS:

Andrew Coe is a writer and independent scholar specializing in culinary history. His new book, "American Bread: A History," will be published in October 2026. He and his wife, Jane Ziegelman, are co-authors of "A Square Meal: A Culinary History of the Great Depression," which won a James Beard award. His ground-breaking "Chop Suey: A Cultural History of Chinese Food in the United States" was a finalist for a James Beard award and named one of the best food books of the year by the Financial Times. He has written books, articles, and blog posts on everything from the ancient history of foie gras to the secret criminal past of chocolate egg creams to where to buy the tastiest bread in New York City. He has appeared in documentaries such as the National Geographic Channel's "Eat: The Story of Food" and "The Search for General Tso." He and his wife live Brooklyn with their two children.

Amy Halloran lives in Troy, New York, where she is writer in residence at the Hart Cluett Museum. Her book, The New Bread Basket profiles people who are reviving regional grain production. Her fiction has been published by Gargoyle and McSweeney’s. She is studying the twinned histories of the modern American loaf and the modern American woman, and working on a book about the myths and other ingredients that baked her, and her forebears.

Craft • Culture • Careers • Community

Leavening Agents: Three Ways to Rise + Get to Know the Bread Bakers Guild of America (10/12/2026)

Mon, 12 Oct 2026 21:00:00 GMT

Leavening Agents: Three Ways to Rise + Get to Know the Bread Bakers Guild of America

October 12 | 5:00 - 6:00pm ET | Via Zoom

In this 20-minute mini-class, Karen Bornarth, Executive Director of the Bread Bakers Guild of America, will take a practical look at the three main types of leavening agents (physical, chemical, and biological) and how each works in baking. We’ll explore when and why you might choose one over another, and how your choice can affect both your workflow and the finished product.

Ideal for professional or aspiring bakers, this session is designed for anyone looking to deepen their understanding of leavening and make more informed choices in the bakehouse. You’ll leave with practical insights you can apply to your own baking—and a glimpse into the kind of craft-focused education the Guild offers.

After the session, stick around for a brief introduction to the Bread Bakers Guild of America with the Guild Team. You’ll learn about member benefits and how our education, events, and community support bakers at every stage of their journey. We’ll close with time for questions and conversation. New Guild members welcome!

Speaker: Karen Bornarth

Karen has been a member of the Guild for more than 20 years, and has served as Executive Director since June of 2022. In her work with the Guild, she supports bakery owners and professional bakers to achieve success in their baking practices and businesses through education, training, and community-building events. Prior to taking the role of ED, she spent 8 years in workforce and small business development with Hot Bread Kitchen, a nonprofit in NYC dedicated to creating economic opportunity for immigrant women and women of color through careers in food. While at HBK, Karen developed an initiative to improve job quality and business performance in small food businesses, and she oversaw a team to design and deliver a dynamic workforce development program in New York City, growing program outcomes fourfold over a three-year period. She launched her career at Amy’s Bread, one of very few women in production, and worked her way up from packer to supervisor while teaching part-time at the Artisan Baking Center.

The French Culinary Institute provided her the opportunity to focus her passion for teaching; she spent five years as the lead instructor and coordinator of their bread department, improving the curriculum and creating new classes for both professional and amateur students. She also worked for four years at Le Pain Quotidien, where she managed its Bleecker Street demonstration and teaching bakery, and then transitioned to product development, quality control and training on a national level. Through all of her years of experience as a bread baker and educator in New York City’s baking landscape, she brings a passion for education and advocacy for frontline food production workers. She is particularly interested in breaking down the systemic and structural barriers to career and economic advancement for people of color and women in the baking industry, and in cultivating and nurturing the next generation of bakers and bakery owners.

Craft • Culture • Careers • Community

Hearthside Chat: Family Businesses (10/13/2026)

Tue, 13 Oct 2026 20:00:00 GMT

Hearthside Chat: Family Businesses

Tuesday, October 13 | 4:00 - 5:00 pm ET | Via Zoom

What does it take for a family business to thrive across generations?

Join Amy Guittard of Guittard Chocolate Company, Niki Russ Federman of Russ & Daughters, and Wilson Tang of Nom Wah Tea Parlor for a candid conversation about what it means to honor tradition while meeting the needs of a changing world.

From growing up in the business to stepping into leadership, our panelists will share stories of preserving what makes their businesses special while adapting to new opportunities, evolving customer expectations, and an ever-changing operating environment.

Moderating the conversation is Guild Board member Apollonia Poilâne of Paris's renowned Poilâne bakery, who shares her own perspective as a leader of one of the world's most celebrated family bakeries.

This is a rare opportunity to hear from the people shaping the future of these iconic family businesses.

ABOUT THE PANEL

Amy Guittard, Chief Marketing Officer at Guittard Chocolate Company, is the great-great-granddaughter of the company's founder and a fifth-generation member of the family business. She serves on the Chocolate Council for the National Confectioners Association; works closely with the World Cocoa Foundation; and regularly travels to origin to meet with farmers, buyers, and traders. Her mission is to translate the craft, science, and human stories behind chocolate for culinary professionals and chocolate lovers everywhere. She lives in San Francisco, California.

Niki Russ Federman is the fourth-generation co-owner of Russ & Daughters and co-author of the 2026 James Beard Award nominated cookbook Russ & Daughters: 100 Years of Appetizing. At the age of 27, Niki chose to return to the shop in which she grew up. Together with her cousin, Josh, she has grown Russ & Daughters into what it is today, while preserving its cultural and culinary legacy. Russ Federman has been featured in The Sturgeon Queens, the award-winning documentary about Russ & Daughters; television shows such as Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi and Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations; and publications including The New York Times, The New Yorker, Food & Wine, Zagat, Vogue, and W Magazine. She was inducted into the Manhattan Jewish Hall of Fame and has an encyclopedic entry in the Jewish Women’s Archive.

Photo of Niki Russ Ferderman by Dani Case.

Wilson Tang is the Owner and CEO of Nom Wah Tea Parlor, New York City’s oldest dim sum restaurant, which has been a Chinatown institution since 1920. The son of Chinese immigrants who worked in the restaurant and bakery industry, Wilson grew up helping in his family’s businesses before earning his degree from Pace University and pursuing a career in finance. In 2011, he left finance to take over Nom Wah from his uncle. Since then, Wilson has helped preserve and build upon the restaurant’s rich history while expanding the Nom Wah legacy to locations in Manhattan, Philadelphia, Las Vegas, and China. He is also the co-author of The Nom Wah Cookbook, which celebrates the restaurant’s history and beloved recipes.

IN CONVERSATION WITH:

Apollonia Poilâne has been described as a “fierce defender of a magical tradition and also a brave innovator for a new era.” The precocious inheritor & leader of Paris’s most iconoclastic and celebrated bread bakery, Apollonia Poilâne stands at the helm of baking tradition that has been chartering new frontiers for three generations and is a singular authority in the world of bread.