CEO, Founder

Corporate Executive Chef

Chef Austin Yancey grew up in South Carolina where he first discovered a passion for cooking in his grandmother’s kitchen. Working in restaurants throughout high school, he fell in love with the industry and decided to move to Chicago and pursue a career in culinary arts. Chef Austin spent years training as a competitive cook while also working in various kitchens before landing his dream job at world renowned Alinea, a 3-Star Michelin restaurant in Chicago. After leaving Alinea, Chef Austin joined the Culinary Instructor team at Le Cordon Bleu and created the schools first competition cooking club. Now as the CEO and Founder of EPC, he is on a mission to teach hospitality professionals how to create long term success; independently.

Co-CEO, Co-Founder

Corporate Beverage Director

Jean Tomaro is passionate & knowledgeable on all beverages – from wine to cocktails to coffee, all libations fall under her professional umbrella. She is a Certified Sommelier and Corporate Beverage Consultant for wine & beer programs, cocktail menus, coffee shops, beverage education & bar design. Her approach to hospitality is focused on knowledge and sincerity with a fun, welcoming style. She strongly believes that beverage programs should be exciting, approachable, quality driven & profitable. Jean began her professional career under the tutelage of Master Sommelier Doug Marello and Sue Kim-Drohomyrecky of Spring Restaurant. She went on to become an Assistant Sommelier at the 3 Michelin star restaurant L2O and currently serves as the Senior Executive Beverage Director of Hogsalt - a hospitality brand with unique concepts in Chicago, New York, Las Vegas & Paris. She has been working in hospitality & restaurants for 20 years.

COO, Co-Founder

Born and raised in Chicago, Chef Nat is an ardent student who hopes to pass on that knowledge in meaningful ways. He attained an AAS in Culinary Arts from Le Cordon Bleu and a BS in Biochemistry from Beloit College. Amid his eclectic work history, he has over 13 years of experience in Chicago's service industry, notably at The Duck Inn and Bavette’s Bar & Boeuf. Nat is also launching Mashke Midwest, a worker-owned beverage venture focused on local ingredients, highlighting his commitment to community in the industry. In both ventures, he aims to meaningfully impact the food and beverage world by focusing on sustainability and workers' rights. At EPC, he applies his extensive experience to lead and innovate —standardizing the practices that grow the company and identifying what needs to come next.