FoodieCon returns to the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival presented by Capital One (SOBEWFF®) on Feb. 23 and Feb. 24. Now in its third iteration, FoodieCon recognizes the power and true influence that social media’s content creators hold in today’s world. It provides a platform for fans to interact directly with creators while they provide tangible insights, learn from each other, and gain more visibility. FoodieCon® brings together the most viral culinary content creators – from Joshua Weissman (@joshuaweissman, 1.8MM IG followers, 7MM TikTok followers) to Molly Baz (@mollybaz, 752K IG followers) to Toni Chapman (@themoodyfoody, 1MM IG followers, 1.5MM TikTok Followers) – and celebrities like Neil Patrick Harris (@nph, 9MM IG followers). Tickets for FoodieCon® events are sold separately and are now available, with 100% of net proceeds benefitting the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management at Florida International University.
FoodieCon® kicks off Friday, Feb. 23, with a Happy Hour hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, followed by an intimate FoodieCon® Dinner hosted by Robert Irvine (586K IG followers), Jake Cohen (@jakecohen 1M IG followers, 1.5M TikTok followers) and Olivia Tiedemann (@oliviatied 2.4M IG followers), who are collaborating on an exclusive, hyper-visual menu.
The all-day main event on Saturday, Feb. 24, hosted by W South Beach, will feature interactive panels, immersive activations, meet-and-greets, book signings, tastings, and more, bringing the digital world of social media to life.
FoodieCon launched at SOBEWFF in 2023 to a sold-out crowd and expanded this past fall at the Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival presented by Capital One (NYCWFF). In the last year, FoodieCon has received overwhelmingly positive feedback, attracting content creators from around the world.
Culinary content creators set to attend include:
Molly Baz, @mollybaz
Molly Baz is a two-time New York Times bestselling cookbook author of Cook This Book (2021) and More is More (2023), recipe developer, and video host whose number one goal in life is to convince the world that cooking is fun and not that hard to do if you’re properly set up. When she’s not writing books, Molly hosts a subscription digital recipe club, The Club, where she drops new recipes weekly for her fans. When she’s not doing that, you can find her at home sipping on a glass of Drink This Wine (that’s her natural wine company!) in her butter-colored kitchen while filming her hit YouTube series, Hit The Kitch, a casual, never too serious but always educational cooking show. Molly lives in Los Angeles with her husband and their mini dachshund named Tuna.
Toni Chapman, @themoodyfoody
Toni Chapman is a culinary content producer and author based in Miami, Florida. She draws inspiration for recipes from her Afro-Latina heritage and the homestyle foods she grew up with. Before shifting full-time to focus on her work, Toni was a Producer and Resident On-Camera Talent at Buzzfeed’s Tasty. To date, Toni has accumulated over 3 million followers and hundreds of millions of views and impressions across her library of online recipe content.
Jake Cohen, @jakecohen
Jake Cohen is a New York Times bestselling cookbook author based in NYC. After working in some of NYC’s best restaurants and test kitchens, he wrote his first book, Jewish, about his love of modern Jewish cooking and baking. His sophomore book, I Could Nosh, comes out on Sept. 12. Jake and his recipes have been featured on The Drew Barrymore Show and the Food Network, to name a few, and he is known on TikTok and Instagram for his challah braiding videos and recipes.
Nick DiGiovanni, @nick.digiovanni
Nick DiGiovanni is a celebrity chef, digital star, and New York Times bestselling author with over 25 million followers. After becoming the youngest-ever finalist on MasterChef, Nick rapidly gained a loyal, eager-to-learn audience for his award-winning video content. Nick has broken nine World Records for incredible food-related feats, was honored on Forbes’s 30 Under 30 List in 2021, won a Streamy Award in 2021, and won a Webby Award (Best Overall Creator) in 2022. Nick can add entrepreneur & business owner to his resume by creating his own salt company, Osmo, which serves as premium, chef-selected, Michelin-star quality salts. In 2022, Nick became a 6-time New York Times bestselling author with his book Knife Drop: Creative Recipes Anyone Can Cook.
Owen Han, @owen.han
Owen Han is a chef and culinary content creator, coined the ‘King of Sandwiches’ on TikTok, with over 7 million fans tuning in daily to see his latest take on Michelin-quality sandwiches. Owen first learned how to cook from watching his first-generation Chinese father and Italian mother in the kitchen and spending countless hours in his Nonna’s kitchen in Italy. However, he expanded on those skills when he and fellow digital creator H Woo opened a supper club while attending USC. He rapidly gained a following on social media with his quick-cut ASMR videos where he puts together mouth-watering sandwiches ranging from a Korean Philly cheesesteak to a Carne Asada Torta and an Indian Butter Chicken Burrito. Owen’s skill and passion for combining cultures and flavor profiles have made him fascinating for audiences to tune into and a trailblazer in the culinary industry. Owen currently resides in Los Angeles, California.
Brian Lindo, @briancantstopeating
Brian Lindo is a food and lifestyle content creator based in New York who is passionate about culinary exploration. Growing up in a Jamaican household where family meals played a central role, it was clear to Brian that food was his ideal entry point for cultural immersion. Brian has worked extensively with restaurants, highlighting their cuisine and humanizing their story to his audience of 200k+ across Instagram and TikTok. Brian has been featured in Forbes and NY Mag’s The Cut. When he’s not sharing the latest hot spots around the city, he enjoys running, meditation, and planning his upcoming wedding to fiancé Alyssa.
Nadia Caterina Munno, @the_pastaqueen
Nadia Caterina Munno, also known as “The Pasta Queen,” is an Italian-born chef and social media star with millions of followers, an entrepreneur, author, and mom-of-four. Her family, known in Rome as the “Macaronis,” has been making pasta and wine in their factory in Southern Italy since the 1800s. She is the New York Times and international best-selling author of The Pasta Queen: A Just Gorgeous Cookbook. She is known for her straightforward recipes, palpable humor and effervescent personality.
Piryanka Naik, @chefpriyanka
Priyanka Naik is a self-taught Indian vegan award-winning chef, Food Network champion, TV Host, Author of THE MODERN TIFFIN, columnist of “Ecokitchen” for The Washington Post, pop-up restaurateur and a TEDx Speaker! Her globally inspired and original recipes have garnered attention from nearly 300,000 followers and have been featured everywhere, from Business Insider and VICE to The Kelly Clarkson Show, NBC’s The TODAY Show, and more. She is a first-generation Indian American raised on Staten Island, and her Indian heritage plays a big part in her cooking style. She attributes her devotion to Indian roots and passion for Indian food to her loving and supportive parents.
Albert Niazhvinski, @albert_cancook
From Belarus to California, hardware engineer-turned-culinary-creator Albert Niahvinski has rapidly become one of the cooking world’s largest influencers. Audiences have been captivated by his highly entertaining and fast-paced videos, and his creativity constantly pushes the boundaries and raises the bar higher for his peers, garnering Albert over 40 million followers. From cartoon and anime-inspired meals and AI-generated recipes to making a caviar dish from the back of a car, Albert constantly evolves and challenges his followers.
Daniel Rankin, @mancancooknz
Daniel Rankin has gained an adoring legion of fans across various demographics since debuting his TikTok Cooking videos in December 2021. His passion for creating gastronomic delights like lasagna layered with deep-fried lasagna toppas and cinnamon roll cake with coconut and cream cheese icing makes him a fan-favorite online. His on-screen presence is highlighted by his eye-catching shredded physique and the company of his best friend, a pug named Fraser, whose deadpan expressions and penchant for dressing up have viewers howling with laughter.
Alex Snodgrass, @thedefineddish
Alex Snodgrass is a recipe developer, food stylist, health enthusiast, and founder of the popular blog and social media outlet, The Defined Dish. Her first two books, The Defined Dish and The Comfortable Kitchen, were instant New York Times bestsellers and her third book, Dinner Tonight, will be released on Dec. 26 of this year. Her recipes use better-for-you ingredients and are known for being simple, easy, and full of flavor. In 2018, she was recognized as a finalist in the prestigious Saveur magazine Blog Awards in the category of “Most Inspired Weeknight Meals.” In 2022, Alex launched her multipurpose dressing line, SideDish, to further make mealtime easier and more delicious. She lives in Dallas with her husband and two young daughters.
Olivia Tiedemann, @oliviatied
Olivia Tiedemann is a private chef and food content creator based in New York City and the Hamptons. Olivia has exploded onto the culinary scene; in only 12 weeks, she gained over 2.1 million followers. What sets Olivia apart is her Michelin star-level dishes and her signature dry sense of humor that effortlessly draws in a legion of devoted fans. Her personality, taste in music, and style of showing both the food and the cooking process have given her content a unique edge.
Joe Vadakkedam, @thejoemustgoon
Joe is the Fire Escape food content creator, where he is constantly yelling out from his New York City ‘balcony’ asking people, “If I could cook you one meal, what would it be?”. That question transforms into a sidewalk meal and a moment of truth for the dish to see if it’s any good. From his viral Butter Chicken Mac + Cheese to something as simple as Chicken Nuggets, Joe has captured his audience by showing a more human side of social media with his versatility in the kitchen. He began by learning the basics of cooking and South Indian dishes from his mother, which led him to explore different cuisines and flavors. With one of the highest engagement rates in the industry, Joe is a creator to watch out for in 2024.
Joshua Weissman, @joshuaweissman
Chef Joshua Weissman has been obsessed with food from an early age. When other kids asked for video games for their birthdays, he asked for whole animals to butcher and prepare. Joshua began cooking professionally at age 19 and has worked at some of the top fine-dining restaurants in the United States. With his uncompromising, over-the-top approach to food, he entertains and instructs over 20 million fans across his online platforms. He’s the author of the #1 New York Times-bestselling cookbook Joshua Weissman: An Unapologetic Cookbook and NY Times-bestselling cookbook Joshua Weissman: Texture Over Taste, which was also recognized as one of Barnes & Noble’s Top 10 Cookbooks of 2023.
Aaron Maternowski, @curlyfuq
Aaron Maternowski is 26 years old and from Milwaukee, WI. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, with a bachelor’s in nursing. He put his nursing degree on hold to pursue his passion for cooking and all things food. He now creates recipes and cooks them on social media for anyone to watch.
Founded by Lee Brian Schrager, SOBEWFF and NYCWFF have brought together top international culinary talent – from Alain Ducasse and Massimo Bottura to Michelle Bernstein and Evan Funke – for 23 years, generating more than $50 million in net proceeds for its charitable causes. Over the years, Schrager watched the role and influence of content creators exponentially grow within the culinary world and recognized an untapped opportunity to bring together this new generation of tastemakers. By bringing social media’s digital environment to life, FoodieCoN provides a platform for the content creator community to think about the role and influence of social media in the larger culinary landscape and for fans to interact directly with their favorite personalities.
FoodieCon tickets are now available at sobewff.org/foodiecon. Follow @foodiecon on Instagram and TikTok (@foodieconfest).
