Did you know there are places in the United States where growing vegetables is actually a crime? At the fourth MAD Symposium, Ron Finley shared how he learned this firsthand—when he was cited for planting vegetables in his own front yard. What followed was an extraordinary journey of resistance and transformation. Finley took action—not just for himself, but for his entire community. In this powerful conversation, René Redzepi sits down with Finley, a true force of nature, to talk about his life as a guerrilla gardener. They explore why access to healthy food is a human right and how growing your own food can be a revolutionary act.
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S1E5 - Nina Persson & Staying Creative
Redzepi sits down with Nina Persson, the lead singer of the iconic 90s pop band The Cardigans. They talk about her unlikely start as a musician, the impact of mentors who can recognize your talent, and the tension they both feel between staying creative, and giving their fans what they want. And it wouldn’t be an episode of MAD Talks without a discussion of foods that changed each of them, including Turkish sausage, corn on the cob, and one very special pineapple dish.
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S1E4 - Dan Giusti & A New Role For Chefs
Redzepi reconnects with Dan Giusti, his former head chef at noma and now the founder of Brigaid, an amazing organization that harnesses the knowledge and skills of chefs to create healthy school lunches for 650,000 kids every day. They chat about how Giusti’s chef journey began, why feeding kids can be way more challenging than working in a three-Michelin-starred restaurant, and his long-term vision of transforming America’s school food system.
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S1E3 - Chido Govera & Cultivating Change
Redzepi speaks with social entrepreneur Chido Govera about launching a farming movement that not only fed her own family but also empowered thousands of other women in Zimbabwe. They discuss her remarkable courage and resilience, the impact she has had as the Founder of The Future of Hope Foundation, and what she has learned about making a difference in the world. Amazingly enough, it all starts with mushrooms.
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S1E2 - Harold McGee & Flavor Illusions
Redzepi sits down with Harold McGee, the writer who has done more than anyone else to explain the science of flavor to the world, and the author of On Food and Cooking—a book we can pretty much guarantee all chefs have on their shelf. They discuss pleasure, the flavors that have stuck with them since childhood, and what’s really going on in your brain when you put something in your mouth.
MAD’s founder René Redzepi—who's also the chef and owner of Restaurant noma—sits down with iconic speakers from our signature event, MAD Symposium, to talk about food, creativity, and the future we hope to build.
Australia