Andrew "Kappy" Kaplan is a chef by training — Culinary Institute of America (CIA), then hospitality management at Florida International University (FIU) — who has spent his career working across the food industry. He is EVP of Culinary Operations for the Rachael Ray brand and co-founder and executive director of Yum-o!, Rachael's cooking and kids nonprofit. He is the creator and host of the Beyond the Plate podcast and the founder of Culinary Advisors, a culinary advisory practice.
Through Culinary Advisors, Kappy works with food brands, investors, and early-stage companies across food and hospitality, bringing a chef's perspective to what they're building, including ideation and innovation, recipes, and connections across the industry. He was a founding member of PepsiCo Foods' inaugural Culinary Advisory Board and is a culinary advisor to Mill. Other work has ranged from global CPG to early-stage food tech to hospitality groups and resort brands.
Hired by Rachael in 2006, Kappy has been her culinary lead and trusted advisor on food for twenty years. His work has spanned product and CPG, cookbooks, television — including in-studio and remote segments across the seventeen-year run of her syndicated daytime show — live events and festival activations, endorsements and brand partnerships, and philanthropy.
Kappy built Yum-o! from scratch and has directed it since, working with more than 50 nonprofit partners on child nutrition, school food, food waste, hunger, and culinary scholarships. He sets grantmaking direction, shapes program design, and recommends where funding should go. The work is supported by the Rachael Ray Foundation, which has granted more than $125 million across her philanthropy.
As creator and host of Beyond the Plate, now in its thirteenth season, Kappy talks with chefs and hospitality leaders about their work and how they give back. Guests have included Thomas Keller, Wolfgang Puck, Alice Waters, Massimo Bottura, José Andrés, and Jacques Pépin. A father of twins himself, he also produces Clean Plate Club, a podcast for kids and grown-ups billed as "storytime…with recipes," along with Beyond the Drink and CookTracks.
Kappy joined the South Beach Wine & Food Festival as a student volunteer and became one of its first full-time employees, working directly with founder Lee Brian Schrager. He helped create Burger Bash, where he originated the Rachael Ray host partnership, and Kidz Kitchen, and grew the celebrity chef demonstration program from 6 demos to 36. He has lectured at the CIA/Harvard Healthy Kitchens, Healthy Lives conference in Napa and at FIU's program in Tianjin, China.
Kappy serves on the Leadership Council for Share Our Strength and joins the Brighter Bites Culinary Council in October 2026.
Previously:
Advisory Council, Urban School Food Alliance
Chicago Public Schools, School Food Advisory Council
Founding external advisory board member, FIU Institute for Hospitality & Tourism Education & Research
Ambassador, Social Innovation Summit
1 of 90 North American Voters, The World's 50 Best Restaurants
Food Systems Advisor, OpenIDEO
