Spike Mendelsohn developed a love for cooking at a young age while spending most of his childhood at his grandfather's restaurant in Montreal. The idea of family and food carried over into Spike's culinary career when he opened his first Good Stuff Eatery in Washington, D.C., alongside his family in 2008. With overwhelming support from the D.C. community, Spike released a cookbook and also opened We, The Pizza and Béarnaise — which count the Obamas as fans.

Not only is he a major player in the food industry, but Spike also uses his platform to advocate for good food policy, including curbing food waste to feed hungry mouths and help the environment, and promoting accessible and healthy school lunches nationwide. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser appointed Spike as chairman of the DC Food Policy Council, which brings local stakeholders and experts to create an equitable, sustainable food system for our nation's capital, in 2015. Additionally, Spike serves as chef ambassador to Care International and chef contributor to DC Central Kitchen.

When he's not in the kitchen or on Capitol Hill lobbying for food policy, Spike loves to travel the world to explore the different cuisines and cultures. His newest adventure: fatherhood, with the birth of his first child in 2016.