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COURSE DESCRIPTION: Artisan Cheesemakers wear many hats. From pasture and herd management, to recipe development, to food safety to affinage — so much has to go right in order to arrive at a delicious piece of cheese. For this year’s in-person conference, we’re focusing on what happens next. How do we guide cheese from farm to plate? How do we share our story in a compelling way, across a range of audiences? How do we connect the dots with people between flavor and provenance? How do we present our cheese in the wild in a way that does all the hard work behind the wheel justice? Join us for a full day focused on the stories, flavors, and flair behind a ‘successful’ cheese.

Photography Credit: Jessica Sipe
Cheese Credit: Rebecca Velazquez, Barn First Creamery

Adam Davidson has made a career of storytelling as a journalist, author, and consultant focused on matters of the economy and culture. He was a staff writer at The New Yorker and a contributing writer for New York Times Magazine as the “On Money” columnist. He also co-founded and co-hosted National Public Radio’s “Planet Money.” Adam has been a frequent contributor to “This American Life,” and his work has appeared in The Atlantic, Harper’s, GQ, Rolling Stone, and other publications. He has also served as a technical consultant in Hollywood, including the Academy Award-winning film “The Big Short.” His 2020 book, The Passion Economy, has been praised: “Adam Davidson is a master storyteller…An engaging mix of Michael Lewis-style reporting and a Shark Tank-like focus on how to succeed in business.” Adam lives with his wife Jen and their kids in Charlotte, Vermont.

Yvonne Yeoh has been a monger at Neal’s Yard Dairy since 2016. Originally from Singapore, she currently calls New York home after living in London for 24 years. Yvonne’s professional life in food began in the kitchen as a pastry chef who was more interested in tempering cheese than chocolate. After a short stint as a baker, Yvonne sought a new challenge. It was in a market in Lyon, surrounded by an array of soft goat’s milk cheeses, when she realized that the alchemy of transforming milk into cheese mirrors the magic of turning flour into bread. Curiosity piqued, Yvonne joined Neal’s Yard Dairy as a restaurant specialist on their wholesale team in London and now serves as their sales director.

Emilia D’Albero, ACS CCP (American Cheese Society Certified Cheese Professional) is a cheesemonger and educator with 10 years of experience working in cheese & specialty grocery, culinary education, catering, and event management. Emilia has worked behind some of NYC’s largest and most well-known cheese counters, and leads cheese-focused classes and events all over the country, as well as doing consulting work with cheese shops . Emilia is also a Cheesemonger Invitational champion, and was featured on Culture Magazine’s “Hot List” in 2024 as one of the cheese industry’s most committed and accomplished members. Most recently, Emilia won 1st place at the Cheesemonger Invitational: Masters 2025 competition, landing a coveted spot on Team USA and the opportunity to represent the United States on the world stage at the Mondial du Fromage. It was there that Emilia became the first American to win the gold medal, earning the title of Meilleure Fromagère du Monde, or “World’s Best Cheesemonger.”

Emilia is currently the Sales & Marketing Manager for Formaticum, a role that allows them to spread awareness to both cheese professionals and consumers about the importance of proper cheese care and maintenance. Emilia’s work has been featured in many publications including The Washington Post, Food & Wine, Wine Enthusiast, Philadelphia Magazine, and The Philadelphia Inquirer, as well as news outlets including NPR, CNN, CBS, BBC, and ABC, and even the Kelly Clarkson Show.

Kat Filipkowski is a manager and head cheesemonger at DiBruno Bros. Italian Market in Philadelphia, PA. She leads her team of mongers by keeping them engaged and challenged, providing education every day. A recipient of an Anne Saxelby Legacy Fund apprenticeship in 2025, she worked at Uplands Cheese making the season’s highly sought after Rush Creek Reserve. Kat’s passion lies in out-of-the-box pairings driven by nostalgia.