Abby Sloane: I am most proud of our Culinaria program. I traveled with Oldways to Bordeaux in October 2025, and I was again reminded how special Oldways Culinarias are. Because of our unique experiences, we get many repeat customers, and it was incredible to connect with people who have been traveling with Oldways for decades. The diverse range of activities add to the journey, and we experienced tours and tastings at five wineries, a hands-on pastry class making Canelé and Dune Blanche, guided museum visits, and informative walking tours. I am still dreaming of the scallop carpaccio at Chateau Thieuley, a beautiful winery run by two sisters, and we were lucky enough to enjoy a truly pinch-me experience of lunch – made by their mother – in their vineyards. It has been a joy to help grow our Culinaria program during my time at Oldways, and I look forward to more adventures with Oldways in 2026!
Kelly LeBlanc: After many requests from our partners, we spent 2025 putting the finishing touches on Oldways’ newest 6-week cooking and nutrition curriculum, A Taste of the Mediterranean. We’re excited to finally be able to share it with you!
Caroline Sluyter: My favorite Whole Grains Council project of 2025 was our Whole Grain Consumer Insights Survey. I love gaining new insights into what excites people most about whole grains, and it’s been especially fun to see that people’s appreciation for the taste of whole grains is continuing to grow. Our survey offers a fascinating snapshot of the ways habits are evolving, and it’s always so interesting to see how factors like taste, health, sustainability, and affordability intersect in consumer decision making. I’m a bit of a data nerd, so I love digging into the numbers, spotting trends, and uncovering surprises that challenge long-held assumptions.
Katherine Kelley: The best part of working on the marketing team at Oldways is getting to collaborate with the entire staff on a variety of projects. One highlight was this past August, when we expanded our Oldways Cheese Coalition community by offering cheesemongers complimentary memberships. Each Monday, we highlight a different monger, and it has been exciting to spotlight these passionate individuals who help educate consumers about delicious cheeses and who share our mission of celebrating and preserving traditional and raw milk cheeses!
Tess Holbrook: From beginning to end, it’s been a busy year of highlighting cultural food traditions. I had the privilege of going on my very first Culinaria with Oldways to stunning San Sebastián, gaining first-hand insight into just how special our trips are. The marketing team promoted a slew of exciting Culinarias; honored Jasper White with the K. Dun Gifford Award; celebrated all of our heritage diets during annual celebrations like Black History Month, AAPI Month, Med Month and more; shared the love for whole grains during Whole Grains Month in September; and created materials and fostered partnerships to promote raw milk cheeses in October. Through it all, getting to collaborate with every member of our team to figure out how to best promote their work has been so rewarding.
Joan Kelley: 2025 was a year of new programs and creative ideas. A rewarding project was collaborating with the American Heart Association to develop the Celebrating Heart-Healthy Asian Heritage Cuisine resource that features heart healthy cooking tips and recipes inspired by Asian Heritage food traditions. Other fun new projects I enjoyed were the Le Gruyére: The Perfect Accent illustrations for social media as well as International Raw Milk Cheese Appreciation Day promotional materials for our new cheesemonger members. I am honored to be a part of Oldways’ creative and dedicated team.
Vik Bensen: This year was full of opportunities for outreach and growth. I’ve been focused on growing our Product Database and finding improved ways to support our members. I had a wonderful time traveling this year to Detmold, Germany, and Waco, Texas, to share information about Whole Grains. I also greatly enjoyed the interviews I shared in our blog posts with Feeding Tampa Bay, Brooklyn Granary & Mill, and our scientific advisor Laura Valli. I’m looking forward to more exciting conversations in 2026!
Katie Boardman: The best part of Oldways this year is as it always is — the people! Getting to speak directly with our customers and partners is always meaningful. Whether we’re discussing specific recipes or helping with resources for classes, I can really feel the community surrounding Oldways.
Sarah Anderson: This year brought meaningful visibility to our heritage programs, along with deeper connections to the communities we serve. I presented at major events and facilitated my first webinar for Hispanic Heritage Month, while also strengthening our relationships with our incredible advisory board members. Our partnerships continued to grow, with more webinars with the Charlie Cart Project in the works and new collaborations forming with universities and libraries. Most importantly, I’m proud of how we supported community members throughout the year, advocating for access to fun, enriching, culturally rooted culinary resources that celebrate heritage and nourish wellbeing.
Sara Baer-Sinnott: Oldways has had a great year, and what has made it so are the strengths, commitment and passion of the Oldways team. The marketing duo has brought more attention to the organization, including helping to sell out a majority of our expanded Culinaria program. The Whole Grain Stamp is on more products than ever, and the leadership of the Whole Grains Council director contributed to a very successful international Whole Grain Summit in Germany. The ever-upbeat Heritage Diets curriculum coordinator has continued to help communities learn through the curricula, even in challenging times. The high standards of our finance VP keep the organization going, and even after being on maternity leave for half a year, nutrition content creation from our registered dietitian and VP of nutrition programming is better than ever. As she retires a second time, our graphic designer created a record number of beautiful and timely products. Our office manager who really manages customer service does this in the best and most friendly way possible. We have the good fortune to work with two outside consultants – one on cheese, another on Culinarias – who help to make our work impactful. Finally, we have a great Board of Directors, whose advice, ideas and guidance make a big difference to me and to the organization. So many thanks to everyone, and here’s to a great new year with new challenges and successes ahead!
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