Matthew Kenney graduated from the French Culinary Institute and, after working in upscale New York City kitchens, opened a number of his own highly regarded restaurants in New York (including Plant Food and Wine) and along the East Coast. He has earned several awards, including being named one of America's Best New Chefs by Food & Wine magazine and was twice nominated as a Rising Star Chef in America by the James Beard Foundation. Kenney has appeared on numerous food and talk shows, and regularly lectures on the subject of food and health. In 2009, Kenney founded the world's first classically structured raw food culinary academy. Along with operating his namesake academy and restaurant brand, Kenney is involved in raw food chef and plant-based projects around the world, and travels extensively to forward his mission to show others that food can be delicious and vibrant, while still healthy.