Maxime Bilet

Maxime Bilet first earned a bachelor’s degree in English and American literature and creative writing from Skidmore College. He then came to ICE and, after graduating, quickly climbed the ranks to become the executive chef of Jack’s Luxury Oyster Bar — a position he earned a year after graduation. Next, he moved to London where he worked for famed chef Heston Blumenthal at The Fat Duck, first as a prep cook then as a lab cook in the chef’s development kitchen.

In March 2008, he became the lead development chef for Seattle-based Intellectual Ventures, former Microsoft Chief Technology Officer Nathan Myrhvold’s Seattle-based company behind the celebrated six-volume "Modernist Cuisine." Bilet was central in creating the book’s revolutionary techniques, recipes, and photographs. He also co-authored The Modernist Cooks at Home, a guide for non-professionals. The books have received numerous awards, including distinctions from the James Beard Foundation and the International Association of Culinary Professionals.