Kiefer began his career in research and development in 1995 and has since spent his time developing products, training programs, and research and development for many major food companies and restaurants. He spent six years on the faculty at Cornell University's Hospitality School where he specialized in menu engineering, price/value perception, cost control and trend research. After completing his Certified Executive Chef designation and Food Service Management Professional certification, he served as the Corporate Executive Chef/Director of Culinary Services at The Schwan Food Company from 2004-14. In 2013, Kiefer and his wife, Amanda, a protein specialist and marketing/merchandising expert, founded A Kitchen Kalamity, which provided a broad list of services for food companies.  

Kiefer became involved with the Research Chefs Association in the late 1990s and served as president of the national organization. He now serves as an RCA advisor. Originally from the Tampa Bay area, Kiefer graduated from The Florida Culinary Academy and the Michael Coles School of Business Administration at Kennesaw State University. He then opened Kiefer's, a 140-seat lunch and dinner house, in the Atlanta metro area and enjoyed more than a decade of success garnering numerous awards, citations and recognitions.