James Francois-Pijuan, a distinguished floral designer with 25 years of experience in NYC, boasts an impressive clientele comprising heads of state and celebrities. Beyond his stellar career, he has taken on the role of an unappointed floral district representative, dedicated to uplifting the floral community as a whole. Notably, he spearheaded the inaugural Mother’s Day event in the floral district, with the invaluable support of the Tin Pan Alley American Music Project and Erik Bottcher, Council Member of District 3. Recognizing a pressing need, he advocates for the establishment of a museum—a pivotal cornerstone for the industry. This museum would offer year-round exposure and visibility while serving as an educational hub and a much-needed home for the floral design community

Francois-Pijuan Floral & Event Design

NYC-Floral-Disitrict.com

Rick Nair is a writer, content creator and musician based in Minneapolis. He has more than 25 years of experience in marketing, particularly in digital realms, that includes the creation and development of brands, extensive consultation to small businesses, and tenures with large corporations. A native of Manhattan with a love of art, Rick earned a BFA in music from the City College of New York and an MA in counseling from Argosy University.

Over 12 years of experience as a tech entrepreneur in hardware and software, with successful exits. The last five years have been focused on medtech related products and services. Strengths and skills include product & software development (inception to deployment), supply chain management, B2B enterprise sales, networking, academic & corporate strategic partnerships (with a strong emphasis in healthcare).

CEO SplendoHealth, USA

Jeff Mower has over 25 years of experience covering global oil markets for S&P Global Platts. He currently manages a team of reporters as the Director of Americas Oil News at Platts. Through his role, Jeff has spoken numerous times in public and on TV about the impact of current events on oil prices, supply and demand. Jeff has worked in New York City for the past 23 years, and currently resides in the Bronx with his wife and daughter. In his downtime, Jeff mostly enjoys being outside: running, cycling, hiking. Jeff has had numerous hobbies over the years, none of which he admits to being particularly good at, but all of which he has enjoyed thoroughly.

Director, Americas Oil News

S&P Global Commodity Insights

Arlene Stewart is a New York based chef from Trinidad who studied with award-winning chefs such as Marcus Samuelsson and Jean-Georges Vongerichten. For over a decade, Arlene has been a personal chef to A-list celebrities and athletes including Denzel Washington, Meg Ryan, President Clinton, Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos.

Arlene is the sole proprietor of Arlene Stewart Co. Cocosine, and Cocosine Wellness. She developed recipes for Jean-Georges’ first two cookbooks, Simple to Spectacular and Jean Georges Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Arlene has appeared on Chopped and she developed a health and nutrition conscious menu for innovative New York, LA and Washington, DC-based health and juice bar chain, Elixir.