Leah Sarris is an educator, chef and dietitian with over 15 years experience in innovative industry training, strategic planning and program implementation. Her wide-ranging professional experience spans from foodservice to agriculture, education, administration and community engagement.
As Director of Culinary Marketing & Education at Wild Hive, Leah brings a unique combination of culinary education, culinary medicine and business acumen to develop and implement innovative educational experiences that showcase our clients’ products to a diverse range of stakeholders.
Leah is particularly excited to provide professionals and community members alike the opportunity to learn how to create and eat great food that just happens to be good for them.
Prior to Wild Hive, Leah helped pioneer the culinary medicine movement by developing and implementing the United States’ premier interdisciplinary culinary medicine program at Tulane University, which is now being utilized by over 50 medical schools across the country. She also served as the executive director for the nonprofit New Orleans Culinary & Hospitality Institute, navigating the business through its startup and the pandemic.
Leah has been an educator and innovator throughout most of her career, and other past roles included improving food within K-12 schools through training and advocacy, teaching Culinary Nutrition at Johnson & Wales University, farming, product development and foodservice consulting.
Leah has a Bachelor of Science in Culinary Nutrition from Johnson & Wales University and a Master of Business Administration from Tulane University. Leah was honored as a Top Female Achiever by New Orleans Magazine in 2018, awarded Gambit’s 40 Under 40 in 2014, and presented with a Best Chefs Louisiana designation from American Culinary Federation New Orleans in 2017. She currently serves on the Culinary Medicine Specialist Board and is a board member of SPROUT NOLA.