My career has been shaped by mentorship, second chances, and a deep respect for the craft of cooking and hospitality. My journey began with a chef who helped me discover my passion for food and taught me the fundamentals properly — not just how to cook, but how to think, lead, and serve through the work.
For more than 28 years, I have dedicated my life to the culinary and hospitality industry and the impact it can make in the world. Having been fortunate to work alongside some of the world’s best chefs, restaurateurs, and leaders in both civil and business spheres, I believe there is a responsibility to share what I’ve learned. Not simply to create better chefs and restaurateurs, but to help develop great leaders who make a meaningful impact through food.
This lifelong commitment to leadership, education, and developing others bridges classical culinary training with modern leadership principles — grounded in real-world experience, discipline, and human connection.
A Career Built on Craft, Leadership, and Opportunity
After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America, I trained in some of the world’s most respected Michelin three-star kitchens and dining rooms. From the Loire Valley to Paris, and from New York to Chicago, I learned that food has the power to do far more than impress — it has the power to transform lives.
That realization compelled me to give those experiences back through a mission-driven restaurant and school, EDWINS Leadership & Restaurant Institute, serving men and women impacted by the criminal justice system. What began as a vision for a world-class restaurant grew into something much larger: a full campus that includes a restaurant, bakery, butcher shop, training center, housing, childcare center, fitness facility, park, and small farm.
Through this work, I recognized quickly that technical excellence alone was not enough. Leadership, education, and mentorship are essential to building something that lasts — not just in food, but in life.
Global Experience, Local and National Impact
As the founder of EDWINS Leadership & Restaurant Institute, I have helped tens of thousands of individuals build meaningful careers through culinary education, mentorship, and support. What began as a mission-driven restaurant, school, and campus has expanded far beyond those walls — into consulting, launching other mission-driven restaurants, and teaching not only in prisons, but in youth detention centers and correctional facilities across the country.
Today, EDWINS delivers culinary and life-skills education through tablet-based programs in more than 1,700 facilities nationwide, making it the largest educator in the criminal justice system, with over 55,000 graduates across 49 states.
Over the past five years, I have also cooked in regions impacted by conflict and crisis — including multiple trips to Ukraine, Israel, and Djibouti, as well as domestically in Minnesota following a school shooting and in New Mexico during wildfires. Working independently and alongside other chefs in these moments has shown me just how far the power of food can reach when it is paired with leadership and purpose.
My next goal is you. I believe that coaching driven culinary and hospitality professionals who want to do more — for themselves and for others — has the potential to create my greatest impact yet. This coaching work extends everything I’ve learned by working directly with individuals seeking clarity, growth, and purpose at every stage of their career.
