I'm a food professional and educator with an emphasis on environmental, social, and financial sustainability in the hospitality industry. I've worked in hospitality for 20 years, from the kitchen to the nonprofit world and global grassroots organizations like Slow Food International. I have an associate’s in Culinary Arts from The Art Institute, an undergraduate degree in Journalism for Food & Wine from MSU Denver, and a Master’s of Gastronomy: World Food Cultures and Mobility from the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Italy.

More than a chef, I am an environmentalist with the goal of developing sustainable practices for the hospitality industry to form conscious future leaders. I was awarded a scholarship to train with MAD Academy in Copenhagen in Environment & Sustainability for hospitality, and I currently serve as a mentor in the James Beard Foundation Legacy Network.

I'm active in the Denver community as a board member of the Denver Sustainability Food Policy Council working with other local leaders to disrupt systemic issues in the food system. My academic interests revolve around food & sustainability: Ecology, Biodiversity and the role of the Hospitality Industry in Environmental Justice, Fairness in the Supply Chain, Food Policy and Structural Racism, Trade Policies & the Effects on Rural and Indigenous Communities, and Indigenous Foodways and their Positive Impact on Biodiversity.

I'm also an avid gardener and ecosystem restoration nerd, which translates to the writings on this platform.

I hope to connect with anyone interested in a diverse food conversation.

Paula