Our Staff

Mindy Myers, Founder, Director

Miss Mindy has dedicated her life to helping children embrace that which is different. Through exposure to cooking and eating international foods, learning about cultural nuances, and understanding world-wide celebrations and practices, children leave a Cooking Round the World experience with a broadened palette, and a desire to explore the world.

Stefen Thompson -Southern California Regional Manager/Company Researcher

Stefen is a dedicated employee of Cooking round the world of 5 years. She enjoys traveling with her 4 kids and Military husband. Loves to roll up her sleeves and cook for the homeless in her spare time.

Ryann Hai - Program Director

Ryann is a mom of two teenaged boys and two very active French bulldogs. She has a passion for animals and children, and in her spare time she likes to cook and garden.

Raven Grizzle -Northern California Regional Manager

Serenity Prescott- Administrator

Bella Bramell, Teacher and Office Manager

Chef Bella has been cooking for more than 15 years, finding a passion for cooking through making family dinners. She has worked with children from ages 1 – 12 and loves their creativity and excitement.

Jewel Vasquez: Inventory Manager

Karl Vonmecklenburg - Director of Technology

I have twenty five years experience working as an IT professional.

I enjoy the outdoors and camping.

Cooking Teachers

Kathryn Cords, Chef Educator

Chef Kathryn has years of experience working with children in several different capacities. As a young adult in the classroom, a camp counselor, and most recently, volunteering with her daughter. She has been a personal chef and is most comfortable in the kitchen creating meals for friends and family. She is a mom of a grown daughter and has three pups that keep her very busy.

Pooja Damani

Pooja is an avid home chef. Until recently, she has been a preschool teacher for many years. She collects cookbooks, loves different kinds of cuisine, and has an intense desire to try and make new dishes. Food is her way of making friends. She loves to make coconut cakes and salted chocolate chip cookies for dessert. In her free time, as a mom of two, (what free time??), she is often seen hanging out with her cats, cooking with her kids (mostly for), reading a good book with a cup of tea, or laughing with her husband, (who is also kept around by his desire for good food.)

Brittany Humphrey

My name is Brittany, I’m a mom of two and have a 1 year old dog, named Bruce. I love to cook, paint and draw in my free time.

Valeska Schultz - Lafayette

I’m currently a Spanish Language teacher and Academic Instructional Assistant for the Orinda School District, Orinda, CA. I have worked with students TK- High School for 20+ years, including my own children (ages 24 and 26 years old) and their friends. I have also worked for Cooking Round the World as a Chef Educator teaching and sharing the history, wonders and joy of cooking with youth!

Milton Higgins, chef educator

Milton has worked in the restaurant and hospitality industry for 45 years. He loves teaching and cooking with children, especially their honesty and curiosity. The experience of teaching a child about food, it's cultural history, the importance of great nutrition, and the organizational skills is something they will value through adulthood.

Mark Waters

Mark Waters is a third generation native San Diegan, who loves cooking and teaching kids in an inclusive and diverse environment. Mark is compassionate and understanding and knows that ALL lives matter equally.

Hope Brennan

Hope Brennan is a veteran, she served two active years in the U.S. Army. In her junior year of high school, Hope was an exchange student. She spent her time in France. Learning the language and indulging on the pastries her host mom baked for her. She now spends her time cooking/baking and being a full-time cat mom to her kitten Arlo.

Alassandra Marquez

Alassandra is a Bay Area native with a background working as an advocate for at-risk youth in Santa Clara County, currently studying traditional Chinese medicine in San Diego. Aside from cooking and baking, her other hobbies include traveling, painting, bicycle riding, and spending time with her nieces.

Serenity Mcguire

Serenity is a San Diego local who loves cooking and is happy to be able to share that passion with the kids she works with. She is a phlebotomy student and child development major at Mira Costa College, plus an avid Padres fan.

Davina Bramell, Teacher

Chef Davina has been cooking most of her adult life. She has travelled extensively and enjoys trying new recipes and replicating them. She has a degree in early childhood education.

Tracy Long

She is from Beijing, China and loves cooking. She is kind, patient, responsible and a happy, educated successful mother. She loves travel and has been to forty more countries

Maria Lund

I grew up in Marin and have been living in Oakland for over a decade. I have a son in elementary school and I currently volunteer there and alos study early childhood education Growing up I spent a lot of time at my parents restaurant. You could say cooking is in my genes.

Anandita Sathyanarayan

Anandita recently graduated with her MBA from Johnson and Wales University, where she also completed her undergraduate degree in culinary arts and food service management. Her passion for food has led her through various different sectors of the food service industry, from being a line cook to making custom cakes. Now, she has decided to continue her passion through culinary education for both children and adults, hoping to expand peoples’ ideologies surrounding food; and to extend an open mind to concepts beyond just food as well

Nithya

hi my name is Nithya! I grew up in New Jersey and California and attended Columbia University in NYC, where I studied economics and data science. My passions are cooking, hiking, and spending time with my family, dog, and friends :)

Nicole Biyok

Nicole Biyok has been passionate about baking and cooking since she was 8 years old. She is currently in cosmetology school studying to be a hair dresser! Her passions are makeup, fashion and music.

Sylvia

Sylvia, who comes from Guangzhou, China, is an enthusiastic and energetic teacher with more than four years of experience working with children. She likes to make different kinds of desserts around the world.