Menu
Log in
Log in

Karen Bornarth, Executive Director

Karen Bornarth, Executive Director

Karen has been a member of the Guild for more than 20 years, and has served as Executive Director since June of 2022.  In her work with the Guild, she supports bakery owners and professional bakers to achieve success in their baking practices and businesses through education, training, and community-building events. Prior to taking the role of ED, she spent 8 years in workforce and small business development with Hot Bread Kitchen, a nonprofit in NYC dedicated to creating economic opportunity for immigrant women and women of color through careers in food.  While at HBK, Karen developed an initiative to improve job quality and business performance in small food businesses, and she oversaw a team to design and deliver a dynamic workforce development program in New York City, growing program outcomes fourfold over a three-year period. She launched her career at Amy’s Bread, one of very few women in production, and worked her way up from packer to supervisor while teaching part-time at the Artisan Baking Center.

The French Culinary Institute provided her the opportunity to focus her passion for teaching; she spent five years as the lead instructor and coordinator of their bread department, improving the curriculum and creating new classes for both professional and amateur students. She also worked for four years at Le Pain Quotidien, where she managed its Bleecker Street demonstration and teaching bakery, and then transitioned to product development, quality control and training on a national level. Through all of her years of experience as a bread baker and educator in New York City’s baking landscape, she brings a passion for education and advocacy for frontline food production workers. She is particularly interested in breaking down the systemic and structural barriers to career and economic advancement for people of color and women in the baking industry, and in cultivating and nurturing the next generation of bakers and bakery owners.

photo by Wini lao

Wai Chu, Education and Events Manager 

Wai joined the Bread Bakers Guild of America as the Education and Events Manager in March 2025, bringing over 25 years of experience in the food industry. Most recently, he worked at Hot Bread Kitchen, where he was hired as the Lead Culinary Instructor and later took on a leadership role overseeing the expansion of their Culinary Workforce Development Training programs. 

Wai received his culinary training at The Art Institute of New York. He began his career as a line cook in various New York restaurants before launching El Eden Chocolates, a chocolate shop in Manhattan’s East Village specializing in artisanal truffles and confections. In 2009, he co-authored The Dumpling: A Seasonal Guide, featuring over 130 traditional dumpling recipes from around the world. His passion for education led him to teach cooking and baking at the Institute of Culinary Education and at New York University’s Department of Nutrition and Food Studies. In March 2024, he taught a class on steamed breads and dumplings for the Guild at Camp Bread. It was there that he first experienced the warmth and camaraderie of the community—meeting passionate bakers, sharing stories, and seeing firsthand how the Guild fosters learning and connection among its members.

Celeste Leal, Operations Manager

Celeste joined the team in January of 2022 as Business Manager and was promoted to Operations Manager later that year. She ensures that our members receive friendly and timely customer service, that our data and communication systems are functioning correctly, and that our finances are up-to-date and in order. Celeste brings a wealth of operational, financial, and administrative acumen and experience to this work from her many years working in financial services in varied roles, including analyst, program manager, loan processor and customer service before joining the Guild. She lives in Rhode Island with her husband.

Arielle Stevenson, Communications Coordinator

Arielle Stevenson joined the Guild as Communications Coordinator in 2023. She’s worked as a writer and journalist for more than a decade. She lives in Florida with her baker husband and their bread-loving toddler. 

Ready to be part of a sharing community of artisan bakers who are passionate about their craft?


The Bread Bakers Guild of America

Not a Member and Want to Stay Connected & Learn More?

Subscribe

Questions about membership? Please contact us:

The Bread Bakers Guild of America
P.O. Box 8679
Cranston, RI 02920

T - 707.935.1468
E - info@bbga.org


©2023 The Bread Bakers Guild of America All Rights Reserved

Powered by Wild Apricot Membership Software