When it comes to diverse and delicious food, I have been fortunate. My mother was raised in an ethnically-diverse area of NJ and learned to cook and bake foods that made even the native Italians, Germans, and Irish proud. Plus she worked as a waitress in restaurants too, so I got to try whatever came home with her at night, from lobster claws to steamer clams. Even pig’s feet (not sure where those came from).
But I didn’t grow up with a particular desire to work in the food business. I studied architecture in college. Then finance. I stumbled into the food business after 3 years as a financial analyst (boring). I set off to grad school and worked as an intern at Heinz between 1st and 2nd years. I was fortunate enough to join Heinz full time after I graduated, and have loved the business of food ever since.