I am the first generation of my family born stateside in California’s Central Valley. My family is originally from the Philippines. My dad was a Naval Officer focused on information warfare so I moved throughout California and lived in Hawaii for a few years before I spent my awkward formative years in San Diego, California.

I graduated with a double major in Psychology and Sociology from UC Santa Barbara. You can say I have a fascination with people and people’s behaviors. Not knowing what to do after college, I applied to NYU’s Publishing Master’s Program and got it. I moved to the city I wanted to live in since I was eight years old, interned at various publications such as Harper’s BAZAAR, and worked in the sales and marketing departments of SAVEUR and She Media. Throughout my time in the publishing industry, I was in the kitchen and paired my creations with wine. I figured I should try working in the food and wine business. I switched careers, and life’s been pretty awesome since then.