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Matthew Wadiak ’99 Advises Graduates to “Take Bold Actions”

Hyde Park, NY – One of America’s top young entrepreneurs returned to his alma mater on Friday, September 9, to deliver the commencement address. A 1999 graduate of The Culinary Institute of America, Matthew Wadiak is co-founder and chief operating officer of Blue Apron. He is also the company’s in-house chef and chief product officer. Wadiak spoke to 59 graduates at the college’s New York campus.

“Challenge yourself without knowing the outcome of what your actions might bring, but take bold actions because you love the experience,” he told recipients of CIA degrees in culinary arts and baking & pastry arts. “I didn’t know it at the time, but I started our company 17 years ago on this day—commencement day.”

The pioneering meal kit delivery company is one of the most successful business start-ups ever. Blue Apron was founded in 2012 in a small kitchen in the New York City borough of Queens. Within four years, it had grown to 3,000 employees delivering eight million meals a month.

Blue Apron rarely repeats recipes, so Wadiak is constantly testing new ideas with inventive ingredients. A rising star in the food business world, the 38-year-old Chef Wadiak has been honored—along with fellow Blue Apron co-founders Matt Salzberg and Ilia Papas—by Inc. magazine among the “coolest” young entrepreneurs in the United States and by Ernst & Young as Entrepreneurs of the Year.

“Attention to detail is the difference between success and failure, here and in your future careers as professionals in the food business,” advised Wadiak, who has returned to the CIA in recent years to recruit graduates to work for the quickly expanding Blue Apron.

The entire graduation ceremony can be .

Photo Caption and Hi-Res Image:

Matthew Wadiak ’99 is co-founder and COO of Blue Apron, the hugely successful meal kit delivery company. He returned to his alma mater as commencement speaker on September 9, 2016. (Photo credit: CIA/Phil Mansfield)

Media Contact:

Jeff Levine
Communications Manager
845-451-1372
j_levine@culinary.edu

Founded in 1946, The Culinary Institute of America is the world’s premier culinary college. Dedicated to driving leadership development for the foodservice and hospitality industry, the independent, not-for-profit CIA offers bachelor’s degrees in food business management, culinary science, and applied food studies; associate degrees in culinary arts and baking and pastry arts; and executive education through its Food Business School. Its conferences and consulting services have made the CIA the think tank of the food industry in the areas of health & wellness, sustainability, world cuisines & cultures, and professional excellence & innovation. The college also offers certificate programs and courses for professionals and enthusiasts. Its worldwide network of 49,000 alumni includes leaders in every area of foodservice and hospitality. The CIA has campuses in New York, California, Texas, and Singapore.

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