derek evans, PartneR/CEO

Derek Evans is the chief executive officer and managing partner of Marcus Samuelsson Group (MS/g), a hospitality and media focused company that powers inclusive and meaningful cultural connections worldwide. Evans leads the organization’s strategic vision for a portfolio that includes over 35 restaurants worldwide, multiple award-winning media projects and numerous large-scale experiential activations. Guiding several hundred people who comprise multiple teams across six countries, Evans is focused on harnessing the cross-collaborative power of meaningful storytelling with world-class hospitality.

Over the past eleven years, Evans has scaled the company to nearly 400% revenue growth, while creating turnkey philanthropic impact for diverse communities and pivotal brand expansions. His tenure has marked the company’s expansion to film, television and audio projects, including executive producing SEAT AT THE TABLE (Audible), HOME PLATE (YES) and HUSTLE (Viceland). Further, he introduced key partnerships that have grown Samuelsson’s global culinary footprint over 7x through owned-and-operated restaurants, as well as brand collaborations including some of the highest grossing restaurants at Four Seasons, Hyatt, and Nordic Choice.

Evans also steered the launch of Harlem EatUp!, the premier African American focused food festival that showcases the diversity and vibrancy of Harlem’s hospitality mecca as well as its world-famous arts and culture. EatUp! has since expanded into multiple markets and the TV series spinoff Executive Produced by Evans was nominated for a prestigious James Beard Award. Additionally, Evans has driven the company’s recent launch of the Bahamas Culinary and Arts Festival in 2022. Evans excels in building the business case for culture, proving profitability can intersect with inclusive economic and employment practices.

Before joining MS/g, Evans was the managing editor and producer of the groundbreaking Dylan Ratigan Show on MSNBC. He was also a founding executive and EVP of Production at Spyglass Entertainment. There he produced eight major motion pictures with over a billion dollars of collective worldwide revenue and was named a prestigious Hollywood Reporter’s “Next Gen Leader”. In addition to Evans’ work with MS/g’s charity partner C-CAP (Careers Through Culinary Arts Programs), he is a longtime advisor to Story Pirates, the national media and education organization that celebrates the words, ideas, and stories of young people.