Chef Lauren V. Haas is a professor of Baking and Pastry Arts at CIA’s Greystone campus in Napa, CA, where she teaches Chocolates and Confections, Advanced Baking Principles, Applied Baking and Pastry Production, and Contemporary Cakes.
Haas developed her deep understanding of the art and science of pastry in professional kitchens across the United States, including The White House, The Inn at Little Washington, and Hotel du Pont. During her 11-year tenure at Johnson & Wales University, she refined her expertise as an educator while collaborating with internationally recognized brands such as Cacao Barry, Sosa, and 100% Chef.
Before joining CIA in 2022, Haas, a Certified Hospitality Educator Professional (CHEP), served as lead chef for Barry Callebaut’s Chocolate Academy Centers in North America, the world’s largest network of professional chocolate education centers. In this role, she led the Chocolate Academy chef teams in Chicago, Montreal, and New York, overseeing professional education and collaborative initiatives with chefs, customers, and industry partners.
Sustainability has long been a cornerstone of Haas’s culinary philosophy. In 2017, she earned a master’s degree in Sustainable Food Systems from Green Mountain College, deepening her advocacy for responsible practices within the food industry and building on her Bachelor of Science in Baking & Pastry Arts from Johnson & Wales University. Her commitment to sustainability informs both her creative work and her teaching approach.
Haas’s contributions to the pastry field have been recognized worldwide. In 2023, she received the La Liste Game Changer Award, an international honor celebrating visionaries shaping the future of gastronomy. In 2018, she was named among Bake Magazine’s Top Educators, and in 2016, one of Dessert Professional’s Top 10 Pastry Chefs in America. Her work has also been featured internationally, including in So Good Magazine.
When she’s not in the kitchen or classroom, Haas enjoys riding motorcycles, hiking throughout Northern California, and cooking with friends.