Founder of Stealth Startup

Harold McGee once advised me to write about food as though I were describing it to an alien. Then, even something as common as bread suddenly becomes magical. It's also an excellent way to avoid cultural bias by treating all foods with the same level of wonder and curiosity.

My top two food books are “On Food and Cooking” by Harold McGee and “High on the Hog” by Jessica B. Harris. If you read only these two books, you have a pretty good handle on food culture, history, and science.

I’ve learned more lessons than I can count throughout my career! Here are three. First, failure can actually be a blessing in disguise if, and only if, you are willing to recognize the failure and learn from it. Once I realized this, it gave me the courage to take risks. Second, remember that your team is your most precious resource – invest your time accordingly. Third, move toward the negative space. If you see that a lot of people are doing what you're doing, go one step deeper or move in a different direction altogether.

Two jobs laid the foundation for my career. First, being a Peace Corps Volunteer in a rural village in Cameroon instilled in me a deep respect for cross-cultural understanding. Second, starting the Museum of Food and Drink taught me how to fail, learn, adjust, and move forward.

When hiring, I am less interested in what people know and more interested in how people learn. If someone is determined, curious, collaborative, transparent, and willing to learn from mistakes, they can do anything.