CIA Alumni Bio
A Lasting Impression
Josh Goldman, a key account manager at Chr. Hansen Holding A/S, grew up in Palm Springs, CA working in restaurants. While in high school, Josh was invited to attend a week-long program for students interested in culinary arts, at The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in St. Helena, CA. The campus, chef instructors, and CIA students profoundly affected young Josh—something he never forgot. After completing his bachelor of science in hospitality management with a minor in culinology at California Polytechnic State University, Pomona, Josh was ready to head back to St. Helena.
A Perfect Time Frame
“After my experience in high school, I knew I wanted to attend the CIA,” says Josh. “Initially, I planned to continue down the path to become a chef but found I had a deeper passion for the scientific aspect of food.” After earning his bachelor degree with experience in hospitality and food science, Josh decided to build on that education by completing a culinary degree. Entering the CIA’s Accelerated Culinary Arts Certificate Program (ACAP) was the perfect vehicle to accomplish his goal. The condensed 30-week program gave Josh the opportunity to build his skills in fundamental cooking techniques and exposed him to cuisines from around the world. The flavor profiles and flavor enhancement strategies he learned provided Josh with a solid foundation and are a major contributing factor to his current success. “The CIA is by far the best school because you learn about the ‘why’ when you prepare food and what you can do to develop food on a molecular level. You get a deeper understanding of the science and art of food.”
While at the CIA, Josh wanted to dive deeper into product development, which led him to continue his education and earn his masters of science in agriculture and dairy product technology at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. “My professor is the leading authority in the dairy industry and I was able to work as a product developer/research assistant in the laboratory, pilot plant, and a huge kitchen,” Josh recalls. “We made many dairy products. We designed recipes while testing the products attributes and sensory aspects to gain a deeper understanding.” To round out his education, Josh, an avid home brewer, attended Regis University and earned a certificate in applied brewing. He also attended Kothe Distilling Technologies to develop his skills and understanding of distilling. Now his expertise includes beverages.
The Landscape of Food
“What’s interesting nowadays is many jobs in research and product development require culinary arts training,” says Josh. “I may not use my culinary knowledge daily but when it comes to cultural trends and innovation I rely heavily on my CIA training. I believe that students coming out of the CIA have a bigger and better understanding of the landscape of food. The CIA has a solid basis of introducing students to product identification and presenting different world cultures.”
Josh’s advice to CIA students…“Be involved as much as you can,” he says. “School lasts for such a short time and you don’t realize how much these classes will impact your career and help you along the way. Also, don’t be afraid to fail. I struggled in some classes but it was in those courses that I learned the most and ended up being vital to my profession.”
Chef Josh Goldman majored in the Accelerated Culinary Arts Certificate Program at The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone. He is a key account manager at Chr. Hansen Holdings A/S based in Milwaukee, WI.