West Philadelphia born and raised. In Wynnewood where I spent most of my days. My family was continuously influenced by the city’s food culture. I’m talking BYOB, farm to table, and food trucks before they were hip. From my parents dinner club to our Bon Appetit style Thanksgiving, food was the center of our family. We had big feasts. You know, the kind where one of your cousins (or all) have to yell over each other just to pass a fork. Where grandma’s kitchen was the earliest food memory that comes to mind. Those kinds of feasts.

Food nourished conversation, questioned the use of Jello, and made a trip to Whole Foods a two hour visit ordeal.

I was lucky enough to spend a gap year in Belgium, where I realized that not everyone has a connection around a dinner table. But they do have beer. OH. MY. GOSH. Every story was told over a beer, about a beer, or involved a beer. It was amazing (and hoppy). It was through this local beer culture, that I started to appreciate and understand time, precision and craft.

Design was my entry into exploring these concepts. And the medium I chose was food. I met Rohan (even his jokes are local), and our mutual love of Don Draper, drinking at work, and Eames chairs #Madmen led us to the same dorm television Freshmen year every Sunday night.

An entrepreneurship class paired the two of us together, and we created Roux. With a few food system classes under our belt, a solid design education in the works, and a friendship bound by eating, Roux became my life.

So here’s to a glass half full. Of Belgian beer. In which case I should get more.

Aww.

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