AUTHOR | PHOTOGRAPHER | CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Liza is a multidisciplinary storyteller, Best-Selling Author of 19 Published Books and Winner of the Gourmand World Cookbook Award (2018), with a Master's Degree in English & American Literature and a Photography degree, Liza Gershman has nearly two decades of industry experience working in all facets of Publishing, Commercial and Editorial Photography, Writing and Design, Art Direction and Creative Direction.

Liza’s 19th and most recent book, County Fair: Nostalgic Blue Ribbon Winning Recipes From America’s Small Towns, was featured by Smithsonian Magazine as one of the "TEN BEST BOOKS ABOUT FOOD of 2021" https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/the-best-books-about-food-of-2021-180979207/ .

 Liza’s 12th book, Cuban Flavor, sold out its first print run in 3 short weeks, won the Gourmand World Cookbook Award, is a Number 1 Best-Seller in two categories on Amazon, featured by National Geographic as one of the "TOP 18 BOOKS of 2018" https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/inspiring-travel-books-to-read  Nantucket: Classic American Style 30 Miles Out to Sea, was released July, 2020.

Featured on CBS and in Travel & Leisure, Budget Travel, on NPR, and many additional local and national publications and radio shows, Liza has been honored to speak for Talks At Google, and on the prestigious campuses of LinkedIn, Google, Uber, Twitter, Oracle, and Disney, to name a few. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rxqj1aMlfb8 .

As former Associate Chair of Photography at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), Liza brought her passion for photography to the classroom. As an Educator, Liza regularly teaches, writes and presents for celebrated companies including VSCO and Canon USA, with whom she was honored to nationally launch the 6D camera, and the T6 camera. Prior to that, she worked as the in-house Senior Digital Photographer for Williams-Sonoma, and continues to freelance for clients including Goldman Sachs, Pepsi Co., Hyatt Hotels, Restoration Hardware, Safeway, Party City, Getty Images, AirBnB, Visa, and Hinckley Yachts. In 2010, Liza was Governor Jerry Brown's campaign photographer, and in 2014 was a photographer for America's Cup. In 2020 Liza photographed the Mountain Dew Cookbook.

Liza was honored to serve as the Creative Director and Curator of the VSCO installation for SCOPE Miami Beach 2024 during Art Basel / Miami Art Week.

Liza’s written work has garnered many accolades. She has been published in dozens of newspapers and magazines over the last 20 years, and had a monthly article in the  San Francisco Chronicle Travel Section, writing tips on top destinations for a monthly column called “5 Places”, and continues to write about travel, food and culture in articles and book form.

Many of Liza’s notable clients include celebrity chefs, restaurants, wineries, beverage brands, fashion brands, spas and hotels that have taken her around the globe to visit and work in 55 countries and 47 states.

Heather Arlt brings extensive expertise in creative strategy, brand development, and content marketing to the America 250 Cookbook team. With a strong background in digital strategy and audience engagement in the Entertainment Industry for major motion picture studios, she helps shape the project's outreach and impact, ensuring this celebration of American culinary heritage reaches a broad and diverse audience. Her dedication to meaningful storytelling and brand positioning makes her an invaluable part of the team, supporting the book’s mission to honor the nation’s rich food culture.

Sidnee Peck is a fractional COO for multiple startups focused on community development and wellness and is a multi-time founder in healthcare and housing. She is the founder of Heirloom Collective (intergenerational housing), co-founder of FemTechAZ and Lab to Life Venture Studio. Peck previously served as an executive for mid-stage startup, SOURCE Global, PBC, driving deployment to over 50 countries. She serves on multiple boards in healthcare and community development and served as CEO of SMART Brain Aging, Inc. a dementia technology company. She's been awarded multiple leadership and funding awards for her work. She believes strongly in access to housing, healthcare, and human connection - and she believes food is a beautiful way to build that connection.

Steven Rahman brings a wealth of expertise in product marketing, AI, and technology strategy to the America 250 Cookbook team. As a Product Marketing Manager at Google, he focuses on integrating generative AI into Android development. His background includes leading product marketing efforts at Instagram and Meta, where he worked on Reels monetization, as well as Snap Inc., where he specialized in developer and partnership initiatives. Additionally, Steven serves as an advisor at Revealit TV, applying AI and computer vision to premium content streams. Beyond his work in technology, Steven holds a Master’s in Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School, where he honed his expertise in policy, leadership, and innovation.