Michael Laiskonis

Michael Laiskonis held the title of Creative Director for ICE from 2012 to 2024, joining the ICE family fresh off of an eight-year tenure as executive pastry chef at the world-famous Le Bernardin restaurant.

As one of the industry's most creative and talented chefs, Chef Laiskonis is credited for helping Le Bernardin earn four stars from The New York Times and three Michelin stars. He was also named as Bon Apetit’s Pastry Chef of the Year in 2004 and was presented with the coveted James Beard Award for Outstanding Pastry Chef in 2007 and the International Association of Culinary Professional’s Culinary Professional of the Year award in 2014. In addition to his impressive work in some of America’s top kitchens, Chef Laiskonis regularly contributes to the industry through his writings in such publications as Saveur, Gourmet and The Atlantic.

Laiskonis lent his considerable talents and vision to ICE and its students in many ways, including contributing to curriculum and, perhaps most notably, helping to conceptualize and build the country’s first education-focused Bean-to-Bar chocolate lab at ICE’s New York Campus. He was succeeded in the role of Creative Director and Chocolatier by renowned pastry chef Daniel Corpuz in 2025.