Renato Poliafito began his career as a designer in New York City after graduating from Skidmore College in 1996. Following years of print and online design work, he felt inclined to entertain his love for coffee and desserts. Being a self-taught cook (with a little inspiration from watching his mom in the kitchen), Renato changed career paths and traded his creative director status for that of café manager. After a year of intensive training, research and saving, Renato teamed with Matt Lewis to open Baked. Baked formed the foundation of a renaissance in Brooklyn’s waterfront Red Hook neighborhood, and the several cookbooks he co-authored earned him the industries top accolades as well as international acclaim, culminating in a line of mixes, granola, bakeware, the opening of a location in Tokyo and two James Beard nominations. Matt and Renato have written three subsequent cookbooks, the last being Baked Occasions, published in 2014. In 2017, Renato decided to leave Baked and open Ciao, Gloria; an Italian bakery and cafe in Brooklyn. His fifth cookbook, Dolci! explores the intersection of American, Italian, and Italian American desserts. Renato has been featured in the New York Times, O Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, Food and Wine, Bon Appetite, People Magazine, and many more. In addition, he has written recipes for Bon Appetit, Food and Wine, Health Magazine and has appeared on Good Morning America, The Food Network, MSNBC, the Today Show, and more.