Dan Kohler

Since an early age Dan Kohler has had one foot in the entertainment world and the other in the kitchen. Upon graduating from Northwestern University he moved directly to New York and found work in theater quickly, eventually ending up in Blue Man Group which took him around the world as a performer. But even as he was onstage his mind was often in the kitchen. Growing up in a household where food took center-stage, Dan learned to love spending time behind the stove cooking dinner with his family. His dedication to culinary knowledge led him to seek out ever more exciting ingredients, pursuing authentic flavors as he whipped together meals at home and abroad. Dan began to blend his passions for performance and cooking by launching RenegadeKitchen.com in 2009. With his eye set on education he filmed his own cooking series which quickly caught the attention of the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness. He started working as a representative for the foundation, filming video content for their website, contributing to their newsletters, and most importantly, working with their sponsors on recipe development and digital brand engagement. Dan's expertise in the entertainment world turned RenegadeKitchen.com into a full service digital production agency. His entrepreneurial spirit kicked in and he completed coursework in video editing, and script writing, eventually hiring and managing a team of videographers in exciting work for national brands. Past clients include Spectrum Cooking Oils, Arrowhead Mills, Thai Kitchen, and Rudi's Bread. As a member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, he has taught courses on youth farming, and digital engagement, while helping to plan IACP's national conferences from 2011-2013. Conflating the culinary and digital worlds even further, Dan launched the mobile application GIFinition in the fall of 2014. Recently Dan took a break from the kitchen and toured the country with the Broadway-bound Flashdance the Musical, and then performed in the world premiere of the new musical Art&Science in New York. He is thrilled to be a member of Hallmark's Home & Family.