Welcome to the WJC
We believe that if the Goodnature WJC is successful, it will raise awareness for juice and get the attention of creative chefs, restaurateurs, and bartenders. Juice will become available in more places, pushing it into the forefront of the culinary world. This competition will ultimately increase demand for juice world-wide and improve the health of millions of people. We will update this page when we plan the next event!
Purpose of the WJC
- Push creativity in juicing
- Increase demand and awareness for juice
- Ultimately improve health of millions
Basic Overview
- Six Contestants
- Three judges
- Nov. 9th, 2019 at JuiceCon in Miami
WJC 2019
Full Event Video
Meet the WJC 2019 Contestants
Out of more than fifty applicants, these six contestants were chosen based on their experience, passion, and unique flare they bring to our wonderful industry.
Krystina Tucci
Haddon Heights, New Jersey, US
Avid health enthusiast and juicer for the past seven years, I found my passion through wellness and the power of plants. I've known since the moment I started juicing that one day I was going to have a juice company and my mission would be to help people find their most vibrant selves. After leaving the fashion industry to pursue health and wellness, I went back to bartending for its flexibility while I focused on the bigger picture. However, the crafting of cocktails only enhanced my creativity when it came to developing juice recipes. As we are on the verge of opening our very first retail location, everything that I have been envisioning for years is finally coming together.
Valentin Parent
Lille, France
My family has owned a Fruits and Veggies store for 30 years. I started working with them in 2014 and in 2015 I started to make juice directly in the store. A few months later I created my own company “THE DAILY JUICERY”. We are making cold-pressed juice, cooking boxes, soups and more.
Our purpose is to create products that are not only good for your health but that are also gustatorily the best you can find.
Alexa Tymocko
Brossard, Quebec, Canada
Alexa started juicing in 2007 after an unfortunate accident. She struggled with severe back pain, inflammation and other symptoms due to a concussion.
She had to think outside the box because conventional medicine didn't make a difference. She discovered juicing and decided to experiment with different recipes.
The healing power of juicing helped her with a fast recovery. Her juicing journey led her to share the wellness and benefits of juicing. She decided to open her first juice bar in 2014 in Montreal to raise awareness about juicing and democratize the healthy food lifestyle.
Kwai-Chang Publico
Hilo, Hawaii, US
As a Native Hawaiian mixed with Chinese and Filipino Heritage, which were and are, healthy living cultures, and have all long thrived on plants and herbs. Unfortunately in Hawaiʻi, we have lost our way as indigenous land stewards that were vibrant and long living. So Juicy HILO and soon, So Juicy Hawaiʻi (around the world) was created to UNITE and fuel all people with ʻono (delicious), affordable and convenient food and cold pressed JUICE to the masses; from a Hawaiian perspective. Although I have only been juicing for a couple of years, I truly believe that my entire life has led to this chapter and I accept and take very serious the kuleana (responsibility) of healing a nation.
Lucia Cuellar
Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico
I've always been really interested in the health and food industry, so I studied Food Engineering. When I graduated, I began studying juicing and everywhere I went I visited all the juiceries; I loved the colors of the juices and that you could create a juice with lots of fruits and veggies and sip all the benefits from them in a delicious and cool way! I felt so amazing drinking juice, that I wanted everyone to drink them. So, I purchased a Goodnature X-1 Mini and started La Moringa, the first cold-pressed juice company in Saltillo.
Isaac Cruz
Tampa, Florida, US
The day I realized the human body can heal itself and perform at an optimum level when provided with the right vitamins and minerals, I quit my job. I decided to dedicate my life to researching and discovering ways to help heal and cleanse the body. In 2014 I began transitioning my mind, body, and soul to live for a higher purpose and with that came juicing. Once I was able to learn the benefits and feel the difference in my everyday life I knew I wanted to share this with the entire world. I spent the next 4 years creating recipes, cultivating relationships with retail stores, and setting up the foundation for Rehab Juice Co. to build on. We're proud to say we've helped thousands of people transition their diets and improve their lives.
Meet the Judges
We have carefully chosen three expert judges with extensive experience in juice and plant based food and beverage. Can the contestants present recipes creative and unique enough to impress these industry thought leaders?
Chef Benjamin Goldman
As Chef de Cuisine at Planta South Beach, Benjamin Goldman lives a 100% plant-based lifestyle both in and out of the kitchen. He joined the Planta team when the restaurant opened its first U.S. location in Miami Beach’s trendy South of Fifth neighborhood in early 2018 under the helm of Executive Chef and Co-Founder David Lee. Goldman has always had a fond appreciation for food and attributes his travels as inspirational and life-changing experiences which led him to pursue cooking as a career.
Chef Fernanda Alvarez
As the owner of Manna Life Food restaurant in Miami, Chef Fernanda prides herself on creating food that respects the body and provides wholesome nourishment. She is passionate about real food and believes it is a vital component and a fundamental part of a complete wellness lifestyle.
A proud Mexican born and raised cocinera (cook), Fernanda shares plant-based recipes on all of her social media and encourages people to get in the kitchen by recreating abuela’s (grandmother's) recipes with a healthy kick, less ingredients y todo el sabor—suitable for the whole familia.
Chef Ari Sexner
Ari Sexner is a full time juice business consultant, and author of best selling juicing book The Juicing Companion. Ari is a classically trained chef who has worked at some of the finest dining restaurants in America and eventually made his way into cold-pressed juice, developing the first USDA Certified Organic juice program on the Las Vegas strip for Bellagio Hotel. Since then he has worked with over 100 juicing companies in more than ten countries. He has a passion for guiding new food and beverage businesses through kitchen planning, operations, recipe creation, food costing, sourcing ingredients, NSF and HACCP training, SSOP programs, USDA Organic Certification, and more.